8 Best Places To Find Haggis In Edinburgh

Haggis is the national dish of Scotland, and although the ingredients may not sound particularly appealing, it’s actually a super delicious dish!

The savoury pudding contains sheep’s pluck, minced with onion, suet, oatmeal, spices and salt. When studying in Edinburgh, you’ve got to try the local cuisine, a perfect excuse to go out with your friends and maybe try a few Scotch whiskies whilst you’re out!

Luckily for you, we’ve done some research to ensure you get the tastiest Haggis there is to offer, check out our list below.

1. Sir Walter Scott Tea Room

This little gem is tucked away on the third floor of Scottish gift shop Romanes and Paterson’s, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled!

The staff, all dressed in traditional tartan, offer charm and friendliness to this cute venue, and top notch haggis too. The food is made fresh completely fresh, which is another great bonus. 

Whilst enjoying your food, you’ll be able to soak in the sites of Princess St. Gardens and The Castle.

Scottish haggis
Scottish meal of Haggis, neeps and tatties – and of course a wee dram. Narrow depth of field on haggis. Traditional meal for Rabbie Burns night.

They offer a “Tastes Of Scotland” menu available from 2pm everyday for £12.95 per person; you can pick any 3 dishes and enjoy some delicious taster plates. Highlights for us include Cullen Skink with locally baked bread and of course the traditional Haggis with oatcakes and chutney.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you can even swap one of your dishes for an ice cream sundae, yes please!

2. The Royal McGregor

The Royal Mile is definitely worth a visit when studying in Edinburgh, this particular area from Holyrood Palace to Edinburgh Castle is filled with a whole bunch of iconic Scottish shops and restaurants.

This venue has become very well established over the past few years, offering some tasty options for Haggis you need to try!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx0IEEZlCL_/

If you fancy something different, for starters, they offer “Haggis Fritters’ with a sweet chilli and honey dressing. Local favourites also include a whole tower of haggis with mashed potato, turnip, and a whisky sauce.

The Royal McGregor also offer a vegetarian option of Haggis available, so there really is something for everyone!

3. Arcade Bar: Haggis and Whisky House

This popular eatery is known for Scotland’s most famous products haggis and whisky! What more could you want?

Located in Edinburgh Old Town on Cockburn Street, this restaurant has lovely staff with a buzzing atmosphere. If you don’t want a full meal of Haggis, they offer complimentary haggis balls to try with some Whisky, great if you want a little taster.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ghCtTj5Wy/

For main Haggis meals, they Arcade Bar offer the “Robert Burn’s Famous Haggis” which includes different layers of Haggis, turnip, and mashed potatoes. You can add whisky sauce or bacon as an extra for just £1.59 for a little extra kick.

4. Hadrian’s Brasserie at the Balmoral

This classy five-star brasserie is worth a visit if you feel like treating you and your pals to a posh lunch! Located on the iconic Princes Street and part of the iconic Balmoral Hotel, this is actually where J.K Rowling stayed whilst writing the final Harry Potter novel.

The whole atmosphere of this place is just beautiful, combining French cuisine with delicious Scottish produce by Alain Roux, a very Insta worthy venue in our opinion!

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by The Balmoral (@thebalmoral) on

Although this is quite a posh place, the haggis itself is actually pretty affordable! Their Prince Haggis comes with “neeps and tatties” (swede, turnip, and potatoes) a boulangère gratin with a whisky sauce to top it all off.

5. Whiski

The aptly named “Whiski” is a fabulous place to go to experience a truly Scottish evening. The staff are super friendly here and there’s a really warm atmosphere as soon as you walk in.

Serving up tasty local ingredients, this restaurant has live music every single night of the week, perfect to dance to after a few Scotch whiskies!

Edinburgh haggis with mashed potato
haggis, a very scottish dish, with mashed potato, turnips and parsley on a plate

Why not try the “Haggis Tower” on the menu for your main dish, if you don’t fancy going for a whole dish of haggis, Whiski also offer smaller Haggis stacks as a starter, perfect to tickle your taste buds.

This buzzing venue is open from 11am-1am on 119 High Street and is definitely worth a visit.

6. Amber

This gorgeous restaurant is situated right underneath the Scotch Whisky Experience, so if you get a little peckish after a few drinks, this is a really conveniently located place to try some local Haggis!

Where to find Haggis in Edinburgh

They have a great choice of Haggis on the menu as well as other delicious mains such as the smoked haddock with a cheese glaze on a bed of crushed new potatoes.

We’d also have to recommend the Cullen Skink which is a delicious thick Scottish soup made of potatoes and onions.

7. The White Hart Inn

This is one of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs and has a lot of great historical stories linked with it, some even say it’s haunted! Located on Grassmarket just a 2- minute walk from The Scotch Whisky Experience, their Haggis will not disappoint!

Oliver Cromwell, William Wordsworth and Robert Burns have all dined here, making it a very lively and memorable pub to visit. Are you and your mates brave enough to visit this supposed haunted pub?

The Haggis is perfectly seasoned and they even have Haggis nachos if you fancy a cheeky Mexican twist on your traditional Scottish meal.

8. The World’s End

This pub is known for its bustling atmosphere and great range of beer. The name of the pub itself derives from the sixteenth century when the pub was right next to the old city walls, making this a really historical place to visit.

Traditional Scottish haggis
Scottish Robbie Burns Evening – kilted Scotsman leading the tribute

The dark, cosy interior with dimmed lighting really adds to the atmosphere when visiting here. Granted, you might be a little dubious to try Haggis for the first time, but The World’s End pub makes it much easier with their tasty options for the dish.

They have a whiskey sauce option as well as a cheese sauce option to go with your meal, what more could you want? 

Table of Contents