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Edinburgh Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Eating

We will be in Edinburgh over Christmas and finding it impossible to find any restaurants open except very expensive hotel restaurants. All suggestions are welcome!! Thank you

Posted by
6113 posts

Most places close on Christmas Day or will be very expensive. Some places that are open close to where I live are fully booked.

Try looking on opentable.co.uk for places with availability.

Posted by
11156 posts

Same in London. Check pubs. Many in the UK offer special Christmas meals for 59£. Hotel dining room prices are out of sight, 160£ per person. Check greeneking.pubs.co.uk to see if any of their pub locations are serving traditional Christmas dinners in Edinburgh. Their website indicates they own four pubs there.
In addition to OpenTable check on another website: bookatable.co.uk to find restaurants that are open.
When I began my search for London several months ago, many places were closed or already fully booked.

Posted by
888 posts

Assuming you have access to a refrigerator you could go to someplace like Marks &Spencer's or Pret a Manger that have prepared food options for take out. Likely need to go the day before. If you have a microwave, even better.

Posted by
7 posts

thank you for all of your help. After a very long search, I did indeed find a lovely and reasonably priced restaurant for Christmas Eve dinner. And for Christmas Day, Chinese is the answer, and with all establishments closed, I am hoping a movie house may be open...so movies and Chinese for Xmas for this traveling family!!

Posted by
3110 posts

I would add: walk around the old streets of Edinburgh while they are quiet
.Look up!!!
Edinburgh's old buildings have a wealth of historical detail above street level.
Walk through the parks, walk up Arthur's seat if the weather allows.
Take photographs with no people in them to spoil the view.
Enjoy the quiet.

Posted by
2639 posts

the Zoo will be open but not much else, maybe a few pubs but that is about it. It's Christmas.

Posted by
2639 posts

must be the first time in years that the Zoo has closed.Shapirogina, Christmas day is pretty much a dead zone in the city but if the weather is OK then as other have said get out and have a wander, you can even get up to the castle esplanade and some lovely views from there, if any pubs are going to be open they will be in the main city centre.hopefullly you will find enough to keep you interested.me I am visiting friends outside for Christmas dinner so no drinks for me.