Given its capital city status, it’s hardly surprising that eating out in Edinburgh can be pretty pricey - particularly if you're a visitor to the city. So, with the Fringe just around the corner, we’ve rounded up our best eats under £10, so you can make the most of your pennies this festival season.
Chez Jules
A true Edinburgh institution, Chez Jules has been serving up French bistro classics to adoring crowds since 1994. Sure, you can go all-out with ‘Ze Seafood platter’, but it’s the lunch menu that’s the real draw. From 12 to 4 daily, Chez Jules offers two courses - including French onion soup, steak frites, moules frites and chocolate mousse - for an unrivalled £9.90, plus they'll throw in some salad, bread, cornichons and rosette de Lyon on the house. It’s one of Edinburgh’s best bargains - and you’ll have some spare cash for a carafe of wine or two. Two courses £9.90.
Harajuku Kitchen
The original Harajuku Kitchen in Bruntsfield has won awards for its takes on authentic Japanese comfort food - including the best tonkatsu in town, in our opinion - and has now returned to its street food roots with a takeaway container on Little King Street, just outside St James Quarter. There's yakisoba, poké and katsu, but our pick is the kara-age fried chicken rice bowl £8: crispy and succulent fried chicken with daikon dare sauce, served on rice for a deeply pleasurable lunch on-the-go. Rice bowls from £8.
Butta Burger
Butta rose to success as a delivery business during Lockdown and now has two restaurants in the city, where it's famed for slinging its signature smash burgers and fried chicken basted with its special seasoned ‘Butta’. The wings are great, but the burgers are what we stay for, with the vegan a friendly £9 and the classic chicken and beef coming in at £10. Adding togarashi fries on the side will break the £10 barrier, but we won’t tell if you don’t. Burgers from £9.
Matto
Edinburgh’s pizza game is pretty strong, and Matto is up there with the best of the bunch. At its Morningside and Meadowbank restaurants, Matto’s pizzaioli have mastered the art of wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizza, making fresh dough every day and blasting the pies at 500 degrees for a thin, crisp base and satisfyingly chewy crust. Despite this, they're not ones to shy away from some pretty out-there creations, with past specials including purple potato and courgette cream bases. Our tried-and-tested favourite is the No.8, which tops a pumpkin purée base with gorgonzola, pumpkin seeds, mozzarella and basil, bringing the perfect sweet-savoury balance and a fiery kick. Pizzas from £6.50.
Civerinos Slice
More pizza, but this time taking its cues from New York pizzerias and slice bars. The 20” sharing pies are great for groups but by-the-slice is the way to go on a budget, with each slice generously portioned and slathered with Civerinos’ rich house sugo. Toppings range from classic pepperoni and Italian sausage to pastrami and crispy onions, and tongue-in-cheek names like ‘My Cousin Vinny’ and ‘Big Tony’ are sure to please Sopranos fans. There are two Civerinos Slices in Edinburgh, with both conveniently located by The Meadows or Portobello Prom, making it a fail-safe pitstop for a pizza picnic. Slices from £4.25.
Chums
For old school Scottish fare, look no further than Instagram-favourite Chums in Leith. Self-described as a 'nothing fancy' cafe, the menu at Chums is centred around bacon rolls and pies - including a ‘pie on a roll’, if you’re feeling brave - served with beans for hearty, comforting fare to counteract the Edinburgh climate. Prices start £3.20 for a pie and beans (Heinz, of course), so you’ll be left with plenty of change for an Empire biscuit or fudge doughnut for the road, brought in from 5th generation Scottish family bakery Fisher & Donaldson. With its pastel dream interiors and quirky neon signage, it’s nostalgia on steroids, and it’s absolutely brilliant. Pie and beans from £3.20.
