The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest performing arts festival, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Scottish capital every year.
If you’ve ever been, you’ll know that one of the nicest things to do is to leave a few things to chance, maybe stumbling upon free shows and stopping for drinks and snacks in between with no formal plan (although there are some things you definitely should book in advance).
However packed or light your schedule it would be a shame not to take advantage of Edinburgh’s incredible culinary scene whilst there and of course, provisions have been made to keep foodies satiated during the near month-long festival.
Here are six unique food experiences to be had at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025.
Head to Edinburgh’s best bakery for a unique pop-up
Darcie Maher’s Lannan bakery in Stockbridge is known for its incredible viennoiserie and the lengthy queue of hungry punters that assemble outside it each morning. On 1 August, food writer and recipe developer Sophie Bamford will be popping up at Lannan, serving playful delights from her kitchen such as blackcurrant Earl Grey princess cake, strawberry and elderflower angel slice and coconut and passion fruit Highland cows. Will you have to queue? Yes. Is it worth it? 100%.
Dance, eat, drink and be merry at Foodies Festival
Running for the first three days of the Fringe, from 1-3 August, is the Foodies Festival, held in Inverleith Park. Foodies can enjoy a packed schedule of live music, cooking demonstrations from top chefs and plenty of chances to have a go yourself, with masterclasses and wine tastings for adults, and a cookery school for kids. Importantly, there will be lots to eat, with global street food and the chance to meet local producers and sample their wares.
Enjoy an Italian mini-break at Sotto
Stockbridge trattoria and wine bar Sotto will be serving a special family-style Fai tu menu for the whole of August to mark the Italian festival of Ferragosto (and the Fringe). The four-course, £60 menu will feature sharing dishes such as insalata di polpo (octopus salad) and tiramisu, with an additional wine pairing available, for a hit of the Italian summer on your UK break.
