Last Updated on January 1, 2026
I never heard of Edinburgh’s Grassmarket until I got hungry one evening…
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
By Jim Ferri
I didn’t know anything about Grassmarket in Edinburgh since there’s little written about it in guidebooks on Scotland.
The first time I heard about it was one evening when I asked for suggestions for a good place to go for dinner. Surprisingly, several different Edinburgh locals told me to wander down to Grassmarket in the Old Town. That was a good, I thought, since it wasn’t far from my hotel. And it was just south of the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle, neighborhoods I knew fairly well. It turned out to be the perfect way for a solo traveler to spend the evening.
A Picturesque Place
I didn’t know what to expect but even at night I found Grassmarket to be a rather picturesque place. In the heart of Edinburgh’s historic Old Town, with views of Edinburgh Castle, it has lots of shops, although most, except for a bookshop, were closed for the evening when I arrived. On the other hand, there were several restaurants scattered about.
While sauntering about I soon began to realize that not all Grassmarket restaurants are Scottish though. I came across Mama’s Italian restaurant, offering “American style” slices of pizza and other Italian menu items, and the cheerful Petit Paris, which brought a bit of France right along with it. I couldn’t help but think how the European Union has homogenized half of Europe as I moved along the sidewalk in search of the other half.
The Last Drop
I soon discovered the area also had its share of popular, convivial pubs. I soon came across one of them, the “Last Drop.” Its name comes from the fact that years ago it was where those condemned to hanging were brought to have their last drink and meal. Conveniently, the gallows were located across the street, right there in the middle of Grassmarket.
Several doors down I found the White Hart. It was, according to the meticulous gold lettering on its dark green façade, established in 1516.
A Historical Grassmarket Pub
White Hart is one of the oldest pubs in Edinburgh and has a huge selection of Scottish malts, which I assumed accounted for its popularity. But even if you’re not interested in the malts you may want to stop by this historical pub.
When Robert Burns and William Wordsworth visited Edinburgh they frequented this Grassmarket pub. In addition, a couple of infamous Scot murderers also found their prey here, later providing them for dissection at the local university. And, most likely, it’s also the only place you’ll ever visit that was bombed by a German Zeppelin in World War 1.
A Delicious Meal
After moving along, peeking in here and there, a wonderful precursor to any dinner, I wound up at the “Mussel and Steak Bar.” It’s a Grassmarket restaurant that prides itself on serving “the best Scottish beef and seafood”. It turned out to be one of those great little restaurants you stumble upon only once in a while on your travels.
Right in the middle of Grassmarket, it was a very comfortable place, with a friendly staff and delicious food. An added bonus was the waitress provided me with information on where to go and what to see around Edinburgh, the kind of info only a local would know.
One thing that I found really interesting was the flat screen TV on the wall by the bar. The TV’s sound was off, but it showed different tours around Scotland while running a small blurb about the “Mussel and Steak Bar” every once in a while along the bottom.
But what caught my attention in this Grassmarket restaurant, however, was that every so often it would cut to a live feed from the kitchen, where I could watch the chef preparing everyone’s meal. Along with the chit-chat with the waitress, it was a clever way to keep me occupied while I waited for my meal, which turned out to be just as advertised. Even better.
You may also enjoy: 3 Days in Edinburgh / A Highlands of Scotland Road Trip / Attractions of the Lake District, England’s Most Beautiful Place
Visit Scotland
https://edinburgh.org/
Leave a Reply