
06 Dec 2024
Festival season is finally back and no city in the UK does it bigger or better than Edinburgh. Come August, the city hosts the largest arts festival in Europe, the Edinburgh Fringe, at the same time as an International Festival, an Art Festival, a Film Festival and a Book Festival (not to mention the month-long Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo) — all of which are large scale. Before that there’s the Jazz and Blues Festival in July and the summer closes out with the Connect Music Festival. As you can imagine the city’s population booms during the summer, so it’s more crucial than ever to get those dinner reservations in early doors.
Right opposite Greenside’s Infirmary Street Campus and a short meander along to Assembly Roxy (as well as every other big venue), Mother India is a stalwart of the festival dining scene. Match the rising temperatures with some spicy hot food (or mild, your choice), washed down with a cooling glass of lassi. The menu is all about sampling and sharing, with plenty of choices for vegetarian and vegan diners. A late-night curry is a perfect end to your festivities and the flavours in Mother India’s authentic dishes are thoroughly lip-smacking.
If you’d rather save your pennies for food and drink and make the most of all the free entertainment the city has to offer during the Fringe, book your table at The Voodoo Rooms. Here you can partake in some fantastic cocktails and food surrounded by sublime Gatsby-esque Art Deco decor. Book a booth table and take a seat on a leather banquette while perusing the show options that are on daily in the two function rooms. Or pop in afterwards to drink the opulent imbibements late into the night. Tucked away behind Princes Street in the New Town, it’s an ideal stop-off between the Royal Mile and venues on George Street.
Quite possibly the best Mexican food in Scotland, this local chain has grown to occupy three premises. This one, opposite Bristo Place, is a stone’s throw from the Art and Book Festival based at Lauriston Place. And it’s right across from The Gilded Balloon, one of the big Fringe venues. The music and decor at the Casera Mexicana are very funky, with a street feel and the dishes are all homemade to order. El Cartel is not huge and gets super busy even when there isn’t an influx of tourists, so get booking now. With tacos to die for and frozen margaritas that’ll make you want to stay all night, we promise you won’t regret it.
While it’s customary to enjoy a bevvy during a festival, it’s even more fun when the booze is part of the show. This year MONO will be home to a Drag Queen Wine Tasting cabaret from noon for an hour and a half, throughout August. There’ll be vino recommendations, snacks, humour and lashings of glamour from hosts Vanity von Glow and wine expert, Beth Brickenden. Then afterwards, plan to stay and enjoy MONO’s five or seven course tasting menus at the Michelin guide recommended restaurant (even if you don’t come to the show, MONO’s central location makes it a great choice for gourmands). Its proximity to the entrance gates makes it a suitably fancy pre-Royal Military Tattoo option, too.
Sharing a building with the cutting-edge Traverse Theatre, and the official restaurant partner of the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Dine finds itself at the epicentre of the festival season. The EIF and Film Festival all have events in the building (at the Traverse) and Dine (on the first floor) is frequently used by entertainment industry movers and shakers to wine and dine clients. It’s a multi-award winning brasserie that walks the line between being sophisticated and relaxed. As it’s on Lothian Road, away from the heart of the Fringe, Dine avoids the bulk of the tourists.
Perhaps you want to fully combine dining and viewing, in an all-out immersive experience. This August you can take a step into the beloved 1970s BBC sitcom, by booking a seat at The Faulty Towers Dining Experience in the Hilton Edinburgh Carlton’s Imagination Workshop. Mayhem will unfold as you eat your three course meal and Basil, Sybil, Manuel, Polly et al interact all around you. It’s partly scripted, but mostly improvised, so you never know quite what’s going to happen and every performance is unique. Expect lots of laughter and a hotel quality meal.