Best Burgers in Edinburgh: Leith to Southside

The best burgers in Edinburgh are found in four areas: Lothian Road and Tollcross on the edge of the centre, the Southside near the University of Edinburgh, Bruntsfield further south, and Leith, the old port, where the waterfront at The Shore has become one of the city’s dining streets.

Edinburgh’s burger kitchens have an unusually strong local larder to draw on. Scotch Beef carries a protected geographical indication, reserved for cattle born, reared and slaughtered in Scotland. Haggis and Stornoway black pudding, itself protected since 2013, are the Scottish ingredients to ask about on any burger menu. Pubs matter as much as restaurants: in Leith and the Southside, several of the burgers locals recommend come out of pub kitchens.

Burgers in Edinburgh: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Lothian Road and Tollcross, the Southside, Bruntsfield, Leith and The Shore.
• Local ingredients: Scotch Beef PGI, haggis and Stornoway black pudding PGI.
• Festival season: in August the Edinburgh Festival Fringe fills the city, and tables in the centre get much harder to find.
• Currency: pound sterling (GBP). Scottish banks print their own sterling notes, valid everywhere in the city.
• Getting around: trams link the city centre to Leith along Leith Walk.
• What our guides check: whether the beef is really Scotch Beef PGI when a menu says “Scottish”.

Every guide we publish on Edinburgh is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. Compare Edinburgh with other cities in our burger restaurant guides.