Food in Edi (POV: You're a vegetarian)
Updated: 7 hours ago
Much like you would expect from an Indian, the first thing I worried about when I considered moving abroad was the food. How could a spice-loving street-food addicted Delhiite make peace with a city with bland, never-properly-salted food?
I stayed in catered accommodation and, partially because I didn’t have any expectations, I didn’t mind the food there. For a whole month after I moved in, much to the surprise of my friends, I would only eat from the restaurant at my accommodation. I’d sneak back a couple fruits, maybe some yogurt – in hindsight, it was a pretty healthy routine. Around October, the weather started getting colder and cold weather equals food cravings (at least for me). I started ordering. If you’re a first-time user on Deliveroo or UberEats and don’t utilise the many discounts and offers provided, you will be on the receiving end of ill will from generations of students before and after - you have been warned.
When I started eating out, I explored options near my accommodation, and near the main campus. There was a Papa John’s right between the two, and for the first time in my life, I understood why Americans ate so much pizza (and were still somehow excited about it). Cheap, tasty and accessible – I got my favourite Chilli Freak (as of 2023, this is the Mexican without the beef) half-price under the student discount, and the large pizza could be split between two or three people.
Teviot Row House’s Nachos were another option I exploited to an extreme, even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of nachos. They was super filling, and you’d get them half-price on weekday afternoons. Trust me, I had all of Teviot Row Houses’s deals memorised – half-price nachos, pizza, veggies – and you should too. The rest of the student body will spend their years arguing between Nile Valley and Africano Wrap Place, but take my word for it, The Wrappers Delight beats them both. Located just outside the Main Library and run by the sweetest European guy, Fares, my Monday lunches here were the best part of my day. Just ask him for his special and you’ll know what I mean. Deep-Fried Mars Bars are a not-to-be-missed Scottish speciality, and they can be found at pubs across the Royal Mile. Other favourites were Sister Bao House, Ox184 and Revolution. Chicken Club* (the cheaper alternate to KFC) was a popular place with a lot of my friends, all the more appealing because they deliver until midnight.
Fair warning: most restaurants are open only until 8 pm, often even pub kitchens. Back in India, you can Zomato food to your doorstep whenever hunger strikes, even if it’s 4 am, but if you find someone delivering in Edinburgh after 10pm, you’ve struck gold. It’s always better to keep some snacks handy; you’ll need them if you’re pulling an all-nighter for an assignment or coming back from a night-out.
*Chicken Club takes only cash when you order in store, and it’s one of the very rare stores that do that.
Pro-tip: Burrito and Shake on South Bridge and Moratti’s on Pleasance are open till 3. Just saying.
There are a few good Indian places in Edinburgh, with prices comparable to other Edinburgh restaurants. Tuk Tuk has good street food (I’ve grown up in the street food capital, Delhi, and some of Tuk Tuk’s chaat was really good). Their Puri Yogurt Bombs instantly became a favourite with one of my international friends. Kahaani, Dishoom and Noor are also good places, but I find Dishoom to be slightly on the pricier side. Noor, which opened relatively recently, was closest to my accommodation and had some really good offers running. Don’t expect too many budget options, but you’ll get a lot of Indian essentials and ingredients, including spices, at shops like Rahman’s and Janatha to do your own cooking. Heads up, stocking up on Maggi from home is a rookie mistake – Rahman’s offers a priceless deal with 3 packets of Maggi for a pound. A steal, in my opinion. You even get instant meal packets for a pound each at Janatha. Use your limited luggage space for something better, like your favourite chips (they’ll be 5 times as expensive in the UK). Or biscuits.
Eating out is undoubtedly gonna be expensive; an average meal out would cost you around £5-£10, a coffee would be around £3. Almost all places accept card payment (my Forex card worked everywhere), and Apple Pay or Google Pay are very common (and convenient, as I realised only much later). Pro-tip, always keep an eye out for student discounts, it’s one of the biggest perks of living in a student-friendly city. Keep exploring and over the course of your time here, you’ll find good, affordable options that’ll become your staple food.
Food at JMCC (catered accommodation restaurant) started to get repetitive at first, and intolerable soon after. I relied more on restaurants and simple meals I could cook in my pantry (ironic, considering how I never ordered out in the beginning). I got a box of HelloFresh meals on offer, and that is a solid recommendation if you’re staying anywhere with a kitchen. You won’t realise how convenient a box of ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes for different kinds of meals can be, but almost all my meals ended up great and my kitchen prowess was, well, negligible to say the least.
There’s a lot more to food in Edinburgh that I haven’t explored, but there’s definitely something for everyone. You may have a love-hate relationship with your food choices, but amidst nostalgic breakdowns and missing ghar-ka-khaana, it’s something you’ll get used to.
P.S. Experiences narrated here are solely based on personal experience. People’s opinions and experiences may differ based on individual preferences.
While you’re at it, check out these links too for some more café and eatery suggestions:
Drop a comment if you want a part 2 – the best groceries, the most overpriced cafés and an in-depth restaurant review with more non-veg options. Follow @diyagoel4712 for more updates about Deep-Fried Bagpipes.
Hot Chocolate, Meadows Mississippi Mud Pie, Omni Veggie Sharer, Revolution The Wrappers Delight Loaded Cookie Dough, Toppins JMCC Bar
The food that ypu spoke about above, its all veg?
Where is this weeks Blog 😢 ?