As you know, I am no stranger to food tours. I’ve taken a food tour in as many cities as I can, from Berlin to Prague, London and Mexico City, I love them all. I wanted to taste some of the best food in Edinburgh, which can be a challenge when you are short of time. I only had 2 days in Edinburgh so to make the most of my time in the city I signed up for an Edinburgh food tour with Eat Walk Edinburgh. Here’s my full Eat Walk Edinburgh review, including drool-worthy photos!
Food Tours in Edinburgh
When I was looking for food tours in Edinburgh there were two companies that I considered; Eat Walk Edinburgh and Secret Food Tours. I have taken a Secret Food Tour in London before which was excellent, and I almost booked with them again for my Edinburgh food tour.
However, when I was reading the descriptions of the tours and of the tastings available, Eat Walk Edinburgh had a wider variety of drinks included in their tour, as I don’t like whisky or beer I was swung by Eat Walk Edinburgh’s offer of raspberry gin!
The Secret Food Tour in Edinburgh included a whisky tasting, but according to the description didn’t include any other drinks. There was the option to buy an upgraded drinks package, but that was for a bottle of beer and a whisky liqueur, so I didn’t fancy that.
The Secret Food Tour costs £69 with an extra £15 for the upgraded drinks package, and the Eat Walk Edinburgh tour costs £69 with drinks included. That, and that Eat Walk Edinburgh are a local Scottish company persuaded me.
The Eat Walk Edinburgh Food Tour
The Eat Walk Edinburgh food tour is a guided food tour of the old and new town of Edinburgh, and we covered quite a lot of ground although it was all at a relaxed pace.
The Old town part of the tour along the Royal Mile and Makars Court, and the New town section takes you down the Mound, past Princes St Gardens, onto George Street, Queen Street, around Charlotte Square and finished at the West End of Princes Street.
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Enjoying the Best Food in Edinburgh
Our guide Julie met us at the Radisson Blu Hotel on the Royal Mile. I was a little hesitant about starting off in a hotel; they’re usually expensive for food and not always the best quality, but the staff were friendly and welcoming, and the smoked salmon we tried here was divine.
We walked along the Royal Mile towards our next stop, with Julie pointing little things I would never have noticed on my own, like the shiny toe of David Hume’s statue and the narrow street which used to be the old fish market.
Our next stop was for gourmet mashed potato with wild boar sausage and gravy. It did not disappoint. While we were seated in our cosy booth, we also tasted some Stornoway Black Pudding and an Edinburgh Gin cocktail.
From here we walked past Princes Gardens towards the New Town, where we were taken to an establishment renowned for its Scotch Whisky. I am not a big whisky fan, but when in Edinburgh! The setting was luxurious, and others said that the whisky was really good. I tasted the whisky but preferred the food that accompanied it.
A portion of haggis, neeps and tatties. The quintessential Scottish dish, although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, haggis really is delicious – and the taster portion here was perfect for nervous eaters who want to taste haggis without ordering a full portion! I polished off all of mine, of course, the whisky sauce adding another depth of flavour.
We continued our tour of the New Town walking past the official residence of the First Minister, and headed towards our next stop where cheese and charcuterie were on the menu. Most of the others also tried some Scottish beer, but Julie was kind enough to get me a glass of wine instead which I very much appreciated!
The waiter delivered two generous platters of cheese and cold meats for us to taste, served with pickled gherkins, grapes and red onion chutney. I adore cheese, and I was in cheese heaven here! The charcuterie was also very tasty, but I couldn’t get enough of the cheese. I hate to see anything go to waste so happily finished everything that was left over once the others had had their fill.
Starting to feel quite full and satisfied, it was time for our last stop – dessert!
Cranachan is a typical Scottish dessert of oats, whisky, cream and raspberries, and you absolutely have to try it! Our cranachan was served in chocolate cups, which added to the decadence.
Unfortunately, the tour lasted longer than I had expected, so had to rush off before everyone else. Thankfully I still had time to enjoy the dessert before my swift exit! Julie also gave us all some recommendations for where to eat in Edinburgh before I left.
The Best Food Tour in Edinburgh?
I really enjoyed my Eat Walk Edinburgh tour. I admit I was surprised at the meeting point being a hotel, but the smoked salmon we tried there was delicious.
My only complaint was that the tour lasted much longer than expected so I had to leave before the end, just having time to eat my dessert before dashing off to my next tour. I had left an hour between the two, but I still ended up rushing.
Aside from that, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour! I paid for the tour myself, and don’t have any hesitation in recommending it.
Would you try and Edinburgh food tour? What is your favourite Scottish food? I’d love to hear your thoughts, please leave your comments below.
Where to Stay in Edinburgh
Hostels in Edinburgh
Unfortunately, Edinburgh is quite expensive, compared to other destinations in Scotland. However, if you are backpacking Edinburgh on a budget there are plenty of hostels in Edinburgh to choose from.
I stayed at High Street Hostel which is just off the Royal Mile, and a short walk (up steps!) from the train station. I was only there briefly but there were comfy beds, friendly staff, and a reasonable breakfast. It gets great reviews on Hostelworld so I’m happy to recommend it. You can check all the hostels in Edinburgh on Hostelworld here.
Hotels in Edinburgh
There are lots of hotels to choose from in Edinburgh, but as you might expect, the better the location you choose, the higher the price!
Luckily, Edinburgh is quite a compact city, so if you don’t mind walking you can find hotels in Edinburgh which balances price and location with great quality. The Torfin, for example, gets good reviews for a decent price, and the location isn’t bad either. Or you can look through all the hotels in Edinburgh to find one you like.
Airbnb in Edinburgh
As I spent 3 nights in Edinburgh I wanted to book an Airbnb so I could enjoy a private room and cook a couple of meals at ‘home’ to save a bit of cash. I stayed at an Airbnb about 15-20 minutes’ walk into the centre of town, and it was just around the corner from Pickerings Gin Distillery which I also planned to visit.
You can check all the options for Airbnb in Edinburgh here.
Want More Travel Tips for Edinburgh & Scotland?
Check out these blog posts about budget travel in Scotland, or click here to read all of my Scotland posts.Like this post? Pin it to read later:
