Over the past ten years, Jeffrey Street’s La Garrigue has steadily built up a loyal following of regulars who don’t need Gordon Ramsay’s endorsement to tell them that this is French food made to the highest order. And then 12 months ago, La Garrigue opened a sister branch on the other side of town, so I popped along to see if the food there was up to scratch.

There is a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and La Garrigue’s whole ambience is similar to sitting in a friend’s front room. Offering wonderful service and mouth-watering dishes, three courses for £30 is exceptional value for the fine ingredients and culinary skill. Be sure to take your appetite.

www.lagarrigue.co.uk‎
14 Eyre Place, Edinburgh EH3 5EP
+44(0)131 5581608
Google map: bit.ly/ydGkYf

* Rachel is our Been there local for Edinburgh. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/edinburgh-local-rachel-brown.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/RachelBrown

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Right in the heart of the shopping district, the ‘Place to Eat’ at John Lewis in the St James Centre, is a great place for a bite to eat. It might be in the middle of a department store, but the food is good and the restaurant has stunning views out across the city if you can elbow your way to a window seat.

www.johnlewis.com
St James Centre, Edinburgh EH1 3SP
+44(0)131 556 9121
Google map: bit.ly/ux1yCS

* Rachel is our Been there local for Edinburgh. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/edinburgh-local-rachel-brown.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/RachelBrown

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

If you’re near to the Royal Mile you could try the little Turkish treasure Café Truva. The hot chocolate is to die for, and the place just charming. The danger is you’ll make yourself so comfortable you’ll forget all about the Christmas shopping.

www.cafetruva.com/
251-253 Canongate Eh8 8BQ
+44(0)131 556 9524
Google map: bit.ly/rM6LCm

* Rachel is our Been there local for Edinburgh. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/edinburgh-local-rachel-brown.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/RachelBrown

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Henderson’s Vegetarian Restaurant at 94 Hanover Street provides anything from light snacks to a full meal – and with its location just minutes away from the charming George Street, it’s a great place to rest your feet and tuck into a hearty healthy lunch. There is a gorgeous deli and shop too – the perfect place to stock up on gifts for foodie friends.

www.hendersonsofedinburgh.co.uk/
94 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1DR
+44(0)131 225 2131
Google map: bit.ly/tPQ6vi

* Rachel is our Been there local for Edinburgh. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/edinburgh-local-rachel-brown.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/RachelBrown

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

A great example of a city farm, Gorgie Farm has been open since 1982 and is just a bus ride out of the city centre. Take the family - it really is the perfect way to spend an hour or two away from the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh. There are a number of animals to see in fields, stables and sheep houses and smaller animals and reptiles can be found in 'The Pet Lodge'.
The Farm operates solely on donations, so although admission is free, see if you can spare a few pounds to keep this great community project going.

www.gorgiecityfarm.org.uk/home/
51 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, EH11 2LA
+44(0)131 337 4202
Google map: bit.ly/njy7eS

* Rachel is our Been there local for Edinburgh. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/edinburgh-local-rachel-brown.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/RachelBrown

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

They say drinking tea is a British obsession. Well, it certainly is an obsession of mine.

As autumn weather blows into the city, I can think of nothing better than taking shelter in a teashop and lovingly wrapping myhands around a good old mug of tea. And I’ve found a new tea-shop, and what a cracker it is too.
Eteaket is hidden just minutes from the busy Princes Street but provides a welcome relief from the chains that dominate the high street.
This ‘tea boutique’ is quirky and charming - and there’s not a teabag in sight. Hand-picked tea leaves and more types of tea than you could ever dream up – this quaint yet funky tea room also does a fine range in accompanying cakes.
The etiquette here is to sit back and enjoy your cuppa, so why not give a try. The earl grey comes highly recommended. As does the scone and jam now you come to mention it.

www.eteaket.co.uk/
41 Frederick St, Edinburgh EH2 1EP
+44(0)1312262982
Google map: bit.ly/mUQ6Ot

* Rachel is our Been there local for Edinburgh. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/edinburgh-local-rachel-brown.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/RachelBrown

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Sometimes a fry up is exactly what the doctor ordered. This is a super little no frills, no fuss, ‘clean as your Grannie’s kitchen,’ café on Leven Street. Large mugs of builder’s tea for less than the cost of your bus ticket. Try a ‘tattie scone’ for the full Scottish breakfast experience.

27 Leven Street, West End , Edinburgh EH3 9LH
Google map: bit.ly/nWMZYO

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

If a fine and inexpensive cup of coffee is the potion that you require, then head up to Nicholson Street and pull up a pew in this little café, alongside the totem poles and pot plants.
Free wi-fi means you can stay in touch with the outside world as you hibernate in a warm corner.

www.blackmed.co.uk
2 Nicolson Street, Southside, Edinburgh, EH8 9DH
+44(0)131 557 6269
Google map: bit.ly/r6PRM9

* Rachel is our Been there local for Edinburgh. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/edinburgh-local-rachel-brown.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/RachelBrown

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This little gem defies the scourge of the Royal Mile and is actually good. Genuinely friendly staff delight in serving you their latest fresh offerings.
Feel your hangover disappear with their delicious bacon roll, or enjoy a Scottish breakfast of smoked salmon and bagels.
Plenty of suitably de-toxing teas to go around.
Watch the crowds rush by along the Royal Mile from your own spot in the window. You really will wish it was always Sunday.

www.alwayssunday.co.uk
170 High Street, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh EH1 1QS
+44(0)131 622 0667
Google map: bit.ly/oiHPDJ

* Rachel is our Been there local for Edinburgh. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/edinburgh-local-rachel-brown.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/RachelBrown

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

So many visitors leave Edinburgh having only made it to the shops of Princes Street. And what a shame this is.
Princes Street may have one of the best views of any high-street in Britain, (Edinburgh’s lovely castle) but the big high-street stores and garish tartan tat shops show nothing of the one-off boutiques, local designers, vintage stores and dusty bookstores that lurk off the beaten track.

Here are three of my favourite shopping stops:

1. Totty Rocks – 40 Victoria Street, Old Town
Little boutique designer shop run by two friends, and packed full with retro chic creations. They love to put their own twist on a classic look, so stand out from the crowd in one of their own unique designs.

2. W M Armstrong’s – 81-83 Grassmarket, Old Town
This world famous vintage store is packed to the rafters with plenty of wonders from the past few decades. Anyone with even the slightest interest in clothes should pay a visit.

3. Armchair books - 72-74 West Port, Old Town
This old-school second hand bookstore has been delighting for more than 15 years. The shop itself looks as if it is entirely built of books and has that wonderfully musty old-book smell that Waterstones somewhat lacks. Lose yourself in the shelves.

Totty Rocks:
www.tottyrocks.co.uk/
40 Victoria Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2JW
+44 (0) 131 226 3232
Google map: bit.ly/onN1oZ
WM Armstrong's:
www.armstrongsvintage.co.uk/
83 The Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2HJ
+44(0)131 220 5557
Google map: bit.ly/pNGBoF
Armchair Books:
www.armchairbooks.co.uk/
72-74 West Port, Edinburgh, EH1 2LE
+44(0)0131 229 5927
Google map: bit.ly/pHQDUs

* Rachel is our Been there local for Edinburgh. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/edinburgh-local-rachel-brown.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/RachelBrown

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

There is a sign above the door of this Edinburgh institution which reads. “Purveyors of fine ales and spirits. Home of world renowned folk music,” and this little place does exactly what it says on the tin.
Impromptu folk sessions, a wide range of fine ales and a superb evening awaits in this tiny and unassuming pub. Plenty of regulars and tourists flock here each night as live musicians provide the soundtrack.
A great atmosphere is guaranteed, so sit back (or more likely prop up the bar) and enjoy your pint. We guarantee you’ll be tapping your foot before long.

25 Forrest Road, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1 2QH
+44(0)131 225 2751
Google map: bit.ly/roJ9bV

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Hidden on a corner of George Street, you can’t fail to breathe in the sweet coffee aroma as you walk past Wellingtons. Change your plans and make time to head down the steps and into the shop.
You might not get a table in this small but charming haunt, but find a spare stool and make friends with someone new.
Try a flat white and one of the large slabs of the cake that adorns the counter.
If you encounter a sunny day, pull up a pew at a pavement table, and watch the people of Edinburgh hurry by.

33a George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2HN
+44(0)131 225 6857
Google map: bit.ly/olHTy5

* Rachel is our Been there local for Edinburgh. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/edinburgh-local-rachel-brown.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/RachelBrown

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Castle Rock’s smaller sibling is Calton Hill, a grassy spot some 450ft above sea level at the east end of Princes Street. It is from this spot that every postcard shot of the city has been taken, so take a wander up and take in the view for yourself.

Explore the strange structures at the top – including the locally named ‘Edinburgh’s disgrace’ – an overambitious attempt to replicate the Parthenon in the ‘Athen’s of the North.’

Take a picnic and take this short walk to one of the finest views of Princes Street, the Castle and beyond.

Google map: bit.ly/qNhCjl

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends