Edinburgh Date Ideas from a Romance Author

Batten down the hatches; the world's largest performing arts festival is coming to town! Every August, the Edinburgh International Festival transforms my home city into a wonderful hub of creativity and connection. The population almost doubles as every conceivable space transforms into a theater venue. As a romance author, it gives me endless pleasure to imagine all the meet-cutes and love stories that must be unfolding all over my city! In this spirit, consider these Edinburgh date ideas as my helping hand in creating romantic moments with your person. Here are some settings; you bring the romance!

The Coffee Date:

Because the coffee shop date is popular for a reason. Here are some great independent coffee shops near the city center, well-placed for a between-show caffeine hit.

Black Medicine Coffee 

Vibe: cozy, relaxed, rustic

Location: A 5-minute walk from Bisto Square

Price: £

Black Medicine Coffee is a brilliant and super conveniently located coffee shop. They also do amazing smoothies and milkshakes!

LOWDOWN

Vibe: modern, paired-back, friendly

Location: George Street

Price: ££

For the coffee afficionado, LOWDOWN is a great option. I do not have that kind of relationship with coffee (my brain is not firing until after I’ve drunk it), but my more culture friends asure me they do a great pour-over, and they certainly have a wide array of coffee-making apparatus.

Bono Coffee 

Vibe: warm, relaxed, mid-century

Location: Near The Meadows

Price: £

I’m also told that Bono Coffee on Newington Road is a great option. A relatively new kid on the block, they source their own coffee beans and have adorable decor!

The meal out:

Like all endurance events, it is crucial to fuel your Fringe (and your dates) properly. There are several brilliant food trucks on offer at many of the city’s larger venue hubs (like George Square and George Street in town). If you are on the hunt for proper sit-down fare, here are my top picks:

Pomelo

Vibe: small, relaxed, friendly

Location: Near The Meadows

Price: ££

Pomelo near the meadows offers a brilliant modern twist on Chinese/Scottish food—I am a huge fan of their handmade spicy peanut noodles! Their opening hours are quite narrow, and it can fill up fast, so I would recommend booking ahead of time.

The Scottish Storytelling Centre

Vibe: small, relaxed, friendly

Location: Off the Royal Mile

Price: £

Haggis does need to be tried at least once (sorry, I don't make the rules), and where better to take the plunge than in the historic heart of Scotland’s capital city? The Scottish Storytelling Centre on the Royal Mile has a brilliant cafe with haggis and whisky sauce taking center stage on the menu. They also host lots of Fringe shows with a focus on Scots language and storytelling traditions; it is well worth a look!

Henderson's

Vibe: romantic, mid-century, family-run

Location: Bruntsfield

Price: £££

I would also recommend Henderson’s in Bruntsfield. Janet Henderson founded the trailblazing eatery in 1962, and it was the UK’s longest-running vegetarian restaurant. Henderson’s Bruntsfield iteration was established in 2021 by her grandson, but Janet’s OG veggie haggis recipe is still on the menu! On the pricier side, but with great atmosphere and cocktails and loads of great plant-based options.

The quiet moment:

The Fringe can be an assault on the senses. It's tempting to cram as much into your time in Edinburgh as possible, but I’m all for a wee break that allows you to return refreshed and ready for more madness! Here are some oases of calm where you and your person can catch a quiet moment together... 

Dunbar's close garden

Vibe: secluded, romantic, lush

Location: Royal Mile

Price: free!

Just off one of the festival’s most notoriously heaving streets is one of Edinburgh’s best-kept secrets: a biblically accurate 17th-century walled garden featuring ornamental hedges and lovely trellises. Despite its proximity to the beating heart of the city, the garden is surprisingly quiet. It’s a great place for a post-turkey debrief, or a romantic moment :)

Duddingston

Vibe: calm, historical, green

Location: Southeast of the city center

Price: ££

If you are looking to put even more distance between yourself and the nearest flyer, the historic village of Duddingston is just a mile away from the historic city center but feels like a different planet. I can recommend the Sheep Heid Inn, Scotland’s oldest pub once frequented by the late Queen Elizabeth II! Shoot some pins in their old-timey bowling alley. If it goes well and a second location is on the cards, then head to nearby Dr Neil’s Garden—a super cute date spot with gorgeous views over a bird sanctuary lake (last time I visited it was just the swans who were getting it on, but hey, that’s life!). 

The Gaming Session:

Hot take: gaming dates are a great hack to figuring out whether someone is a good fit for you. How competitive are they? Can they persevere when the going gets tough? How do they approach problem-solving? It's no surprise that logic games crop up in some of my own fictional romances. If you are looking to entertain the tech boy or girl in your life (or suss out a potential love interest), here are some local haunts I would recommend: 

NQ64  

Vibe: colourful, fun, 80s nostalgia

Location: Lothian Road near the West End

Price: ££

This is a nightclub/arcade situation located just off the west end of Princes Street. They have all the classics like Space Invaders and Pac-Man, as well as some pretty niche ones (I recently played a track-and-field game and found myself yelling at my tiny shot-putter to throw farther – time to reevaluate my life choices!). The staff are super friendly and safety-conscious as well :) 

Ancient Robot Games

Vibe: chill, nerdy, sunny

Location: Foot of Leith Walk (North Edinburgh)

Price: ££

This is Leithward, but the bus links are great (and could be a good stop-off point if you are seeing shows in North Edinburgh or Fringe by the Sea). Ancient Robot Games are at the cutting edge of board game development with their own workshop and gameplay testing service—they will have so many brilliant, tailored recommendations! They also have a little coffee shop area where you can rent tables to play games at. AND they are right next door to Argonaut Books, one of my favorite independent bookshops in Edinburgh.

The Serenade:

During the Fringe, your nearest bagpiper will seldom be out of earshot. If you and your date are looking for instruments of love (and not war), here are some of my favorite live music venues.

Sandy Bells

vibe: folk music, informal, cosy

Location: Near Bisto Square

Price: £

Sandy Bell's is a proper Edinburgh institution, which has hosted both local musicians and some seriously big names in the folk scene. Unlike most music bars, Sandy's has an informal feel, and the musicians are very much a part of the pub aspect of the venue. Arrive early to make sure you get a seat!

The Jazz Bar

vibe: low-lighting, intimate,

Location: Near The Cowgate/ South Bridge

Price: £

The Jazz Bar is one of Edinburgh's basement bars. Expect plenty of ambiance and a brilliant musical selection—everything from blues to bossanova. The venue is free to enter and drinks are also very reasonably priced.

Let me know of any great date spots I may have missed in the comments below. Happy Fringe, and may the dating odds be ever in your favor!

Love, Eve x

P.S. if, like me, you love a bit of romance, check out my Techboys series! It's full of banter, adorable nerds and a brilliant NYC setting (almost as romantic as Edinburgh!). No technical knowledge required! I also have a mailing list where you can access my serial and get all the hottest goss on new releases and exclusive extras.

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