Cheap Food Edinburgh: The Best Budget Eats Under £10 (2026)

Looking for cheap food Edinburgh options under £10? Despite Edinburgh’s reputation as an expensive city, the budget food scene is brilliant — from curries at the legendary Mosque Kitchen to falafel wraps, hog roast rolls, pizza by the slice and supermarket meal deals at about £4. Plan smart and you can eat well on a tight daily budget, and you’ll still hit some of the most distinctive food experiences in the city.

This 2026 guide rounds up the best cheap food Edinburgh has to offer. We list the cheapest legendary spots, neighbourhood favourites, the supermarket meal-deal strategy, set-lunch deals at restaurants, the best pub-grub bargains, food markets, vegan budget eats, and how to budget food across a full Edinburgh visit. Every entry includes prices, locations, opening hours and the dishes locals order. Whether you’re a backpacker on £50/day or just looking for excellent inexpensive eating, this is the most useful Edinburgh cheap food guide you’ll find.

Cheap food Edinburgh: quick list of best spots under £10

Spot	Cuisine	Price range	Address
Mosque Kitchen	Indian/Middle Eastern	£7–9 curries, rice extra	Nicolson Square
African Wrap Place	Sudanese/African	Check menu	Chapel Street, by Nicolson Square
Civerinos Slice	Pizza by slice	Check menu	4 Hunter Square
Oink	Hog roast rolls	£6.65–11.95	Victoria Street + Royal Mile
L’Alba D’Oro	Fish & chips	Check menu	Henderson Row
The Bearded Baker	Sandwiches	£5–7	Rodney Street
Bross Bagels	Bagels	From about £6	Multiple
Ting Thai Caravan	Thai	Mains around £10–12	Teviot Place
Mary’s Milk Bar	Ice cream/gelato	A few pounds	Grassmarket
Wetherspoon’s pubs	Pub food	Check menu	Multiple

Edinburgh’s most legendary cheap food spots

1. The Mosque Kitchen — Edinburgh’s most famous cheap eat

Address: 31 Nicolson Square, EH8 9BX
Prices: Curries around £7–9; rice costs extra
Style: No-frills canteen
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani, Middle Eastern

The Mosque Kitchen started out in the kitchen at Edinburgh Central Mosque, and since 2011 the same team has run it as a restaurant on Nicolson Square. It is still the city’s most legendary cheap eat. Queue with a tray, point at what you want, pay, eat at communal tables. Halal, with plenty of veggie curries. The kitchen at the mosque itself, on Potterrow, now runs separately as the Original Mosque Kitchen and Cafe. The chicken curry, lamb biryani and haggis pakora wrap (yes, really) are local favourites. Service is quick. Open lunch and dinner.

2. The Pakora Bar

Address: Hanover Street, plus a branch at Holyrood

The Pakora Bar serves Indian street food including pakoras, dhals, wraps and curries; the family behind it started out with a mobile kitchen at the festivals. The signature haggis pakora wrap is the fusion lunch to order — a Scottish-Indian collision that works better than it sounds.

3. Oink — hog roast rolls

Address: Victoria Street, Royal Mile, Hanover Street
Prices: Rolls from £6.65 (Piglet, 80g) to £11.95 (Grunter, 250g)

Tiny shops serving slow-roast pork in fluffy white morning rolls. Choose your fillings: sage and onion stuffing, apple sauce, chilli relish, haggis or all of them. The smallest roll makes a perfect cheap lunch on the walk down the Royal Mile.

4. The African Wrap Place

Address: Chapel Street, next to Nicolson Square

Sudanese-style wraps including falafel, fuul (fava bean stew), spicy peanut sauce, and roasted aubergine.

5. Civerinos Slice

Address: 4 Hunter Square (off the Royal Mile)
Prices: Sold by the slice, so you pay only for what you eat

Excellent NY-style pizza slices served until late. A perfect post-bar fix or quick lunch.

6. L’Alba D’Oro — best chippy

Address: 7 Henderson Row, EH3 5DH
Order: the fish supper

An award-winning chippy, family-run since 1975 and ranked the UK’s best fish and chip shop by The Times in 2014. Beautifully cooked fish, hand-cut chips, and the legendary “Pizza Crunch” (a deep-fried frozen pizza — a Scottish chippy classic). Prices are higher than supermarket chippy but the quality is excellent.

7. Bross Bagels

Address: Multiple locations
Prices: Bagels from about £6

Edinburgh’s chunky NY-style bagels with creative fillings. A filled bagel makes an easy lunch to carry to the nearest bench.

8. Ting Thai Caravan

Address: Teviot Place, EH8 9AG
Prices: Mains around £10–12

Bustling Thai canteen-style restaurant with Massaman curry and pad thai on the menu. Cash-and-Karaoke vibe, lively atmosphere.

9. Mary’s Milk Bar — for dessert

Address: 19 Grassmarket, EH1 2HS
Prices: A scoop or cone costs a few pounds

Edinburgh’s best gelato. Unusual flavours like sea salt caramel, basil and lemon, pistachio.

Cheap pubs and Wetherspoons

For a sit-down meal at pub prices, Edinburgh’s Wetherspoon’s chain delivers reliable budget meals, and some deals include a drink:

• The Booking Office (Waverley Bridge) — central, large, budget pub food next to the station
• The Foot of the Walk (Leith) — the Wetherspoon’s menu at the foot of Leith Walk
• Standing Order (George Street) — beautiful Georgian banking hall
• The Tron (Hunter Square) — central Old Town location

For local pub food (a step above chain quality, similar prices), try:

• The Last Drop (Grassmarket) — pub classics
• The Doric (Market Street) — Scottish pub fare
• Auld Hundred (Rose Street) — burgers and pies
• The Sheep Heid Inn (Duddingston) — historic pub, more upmarket but worth trying

Supermarket meal-deal strategy

UK supermarkets sell meal deals — a sandwich + drink + snack bundled at a fixed price. The best deals around central Edinburgh:

• Sainsbury’s (Forrest Road, Tollcross, Princes Street) — Meal Deal about £4 (£3.95 since June 2025)
• Tesco (Nicolson Street, Earl Grey Street) — Meal Deal
• Boots (Princes Street, Hanover Street) — Meal Deal
• M&S Simply Food (Princes Street, Waverley) — Meal Deal
• Pret a Manger (Multiple) — meal deals from around £6

For evening meals, look for supermarket “yellow sticker” reductions on ready meals and meat as the day wears on. Coop in Tollcross and Sainsbury’s in Forrest Road are reliable for evening discounts.

Set-lunch deals at sit-down restaurants

Many Edinburgh mid-range restaurants offer set lunches that cost less than ordering from the evening menu:

• Chez Jules — cheap set lunch menu (French classics)
• Number One at the Balmoral — tasting menus for a special occasion
• Howies — 2-course Scottish lunch £19.95, seven days a week
• The Dome — set lunch menu in a stunning Georgian banking hall
• Brasserie Prince (Balmoral) — the hotel’s brasserie; check the lunch menu before you go
• Mum’s Great Comfort Food — Scottish comfort-food classics
• Wagamama — Asian noodles
• Pizza Express — lunch deals come and go, so check the offers page on its website

Food markets for cheap eats

Pitt Market (Leith)

The Pitt Market in Leith gathers street-food traders in one yard; check its opening days and times before you make the trip. Great mix of international cuisines.

Stockbridge Sunday Market

Free to wander, weekly Sunday market with hot food, street food, baked goods, fresh produce.

Castle Terrace Market

Saturday-only food market beneath Edinburgh Castle with rotating cuisine stalls.

Bowling Alley Hawker Markets (occasional)

Edinburgh hosts pop-up hawker markets in the Old Town several times a year. Watch local listings.

Vegan and vegetarian cheap food Edinburgh

Edinburgh has an excellent budget vegan scene:

• Holy Cow (Elder Street) — vegan junk-food café serving burgers
• Mosque Kitchen — many veggie/vegan curries
• The Naked Bagel — vegan-friendly bagels
• Lazeez (Bristo Square) — Lebanese with strong vegan options
• The Pakora Bar — veggie pakora boxes

For dedicated vegan dining, see our vegan restaurants Edinburgh guide.

Best £10 budget meal in each Edinburgh neighbourhood

Area	Where	Order	Price
Old Town / Royal Mile	Oink	Piglet hog roast roll	£6.65
Nicolson Square	Mosque Kitchen	Chicken curry + rice	£7
Grassmarket	Mary’s Milk Bar	Gelato cone	A few pounds
Hunter Square	Civerinos Slice	Pizza slice	Check menu
New Town	Pret a Manger	Meal deal	From around £6
Stockbridge	Stockbridge Market	Hot street food	Varies by stall
Leith	Bross Bagels	Filled bagel	From about £6
Bruntsfield	The Counter	Sandwich + coffee	Check menu
Marchmont	Söderberg	Cinnamon bun + coffee	Budget
Portobello	Porto Fish Bar	Fish supper	Check menu

Where to eat cheap in Edinburgh during Festival season

August Festival prices rise across Edinburgh, but the cheap spots stay reliable:

• Mosque Kitchen — same prices year-round
• Supermarket meal deals — fixed prices nationwide
• Oink — same prices, busy queues
• Wetherspoons — same prices, busy
• Food trucks at Fringe venues — prices vary, so compare a few trucks before you queue

Avoid Royal Mile sit-down restaurants during Festival — prices are inflated and quality variable.

Picnic spots to eat your cheap supermarket lunch

• Princes Street Gardens — castle backdrop, picnic benches
• The Meadows — big open space
• Calton Hill — panoramic views
• The Royal Botanic Garden — designated picnic lawns
• Holyrood Park (Hunter’s Bog) — wild setting
• Greyfriars Kirkyard — atmospheric (yes, locals do picnic here)
• Inverleith Park — north Edinburgh, castle views
• Cramond Foreshore — sea view

Cheap breakfast options

• Greggs — sausage roll + coffee
• Söderberg — Swedish cinnamon bun + coffee
• Lovecrumbs (West Port) — cake + coffee
• Wetherspoons Traditional Breakfast — comes with a hot drink
• Pret breakfast — a pastry and a filter coffee
• Sainsbury’s breakfast meal deal — check what’s on in store
• Self-cater in hostel kitchen — porridge oats + banana + instant coffee, a cheap start to the day

Tips for eating cheaply in Edinburgh

• Eat your main meal at lunchtime — set-lunch deals are 30% cheaper than dinner versions
• Use Wetherspoons for cheap pints and meals — same quality nationwide
• Self-cater breakfast and one other meal — saves £10–15 per day
• Avoid Royal Mile sit-down restaurants — premium tourist prices
• Try the Mosque Kitchen at least once — Edinburgh’s cheap-food institution
• Get a Lothian DAYticket if eating across neighbourhoods — Stockbridge, Leith and Portobello have cheap eats worth travelling for
• Bring a refillable water bottle — Edinburgh tap water is excellent and free
• Look out for Lazy Sundays — many cafés do Sunday brunch deals
• Watch for “yellow sticker” reductions at supermarkets from 6pm
• Pre-theatre menus at upmarket restaurants offer set courses for less than à la carte

Frequently asked questions about cheap food Edinburgh

Where can I get cheap food in Edinburgh?

Mosque Kitchen (curries), Oink (hog roast rolls from £6.65), Civerinos Slice (pizza by the slice), Bross Bagels, supermarket meal deals (about £4), and Wetherspoon’s pubs.

What is the cheapest meal in Edinburgh?

Supermarket meal deals at about £4 (sandwich + drink + snack) and a Greggs sausage roll with a drink are among the cheapest ways to eat. For a hot sit-down meal, a Mosque Kitchen curry is hard to beat.

Where do Edinburgh locals eat cheaply?

The Mosque Kitchen, Oink, Bross Bagels, Civerinos Slice, Ting Thai Caravan, and Pitt Market are all local favourites. Wetherspoons pubs are popular for budget pub meals.

How much does food cost in Edinburgh per day?

On a tight budget, a self-catered breakfast, a supermarket meal deal (about £4) for lunch and a cheap dinner keep costs low. Mid-range eating costs noticeably more, and sit-down restaurants for every meal more again.

What is the Mosque Kitchen Edinburgh?

The Mosque Kitchen is Edinburgh’s most legendary cheap-eat — a no-frills restaurant on Nicolson Square, run since 2011 by the team that first cooked at Edinburgh Central Mosque, serving authentic Indian, Pakistani and Middle Eastern food. Expect to pay £7–9 for a curry, plus extra for rice. Open lunch and dinner.

Where can I get fish and chips in Edinburgh cheaply?

L’Alba D’Oro on Henderson Row is the city’s award-winning family chippy, frying since 1975, though it is not the cheapest. Prices vary from shop to shop, so check the board before you join the queue.

Is the food in Edinburgh expensive?

Eating at sit-down central restaurants is expensive. Edinburgh’s cheap food scene is excellent, however, with mains under £10 widely available at canteens, food markets and ethnic restaurants.

Are there cheap vegan restaurants in Edinburgh?

Yes — Holy Cow (vegan burgers), Mosque Kitchen (veggie curries), and Pakora Bar (veggie boxes) all offer cheap vegan meals.

What’s the cheapest pub meal in Edinburgh?

Wetherspoons offers burger-and-drink club meals at budget prices.

Where can I get cheap food in Edinburgh during the Festival?

Mosque Kitchen, supermarket meal deals, Greggs, Oink, and Wetherspoons all maintain consistent prices during August. Food trucks at Fringe venues add plenty of street food.

What’s the best cheap breakfast in Edinburgh?

Wetherspoons traditional breakfast, served with a hot drink, is exceptional value. A Greggs sausage roll and coffee, or a supermarket meal deal, are cheaper alternatives.

Can I eat well in Edinburgh on £15 a day?

Yes, if you self-cater breakfast, take a supermarket meal deal (about £4) for lunch and keep dinner to something like an Oink roll (from £6.65).

Plan your cheap food Edinburgh days

Edinburgh’s cheap food scene is one of the best in the UK — from Mosque Kitchen curries and £4 meal deals to Oink’s hog roast rolls and excellent supermarket reductions. Budget travellers can eat well on very little. The trick is mixing free-attraction days with one or two iconic cheap-food experiences (Mosque Kitchen, Oink, L’Alba D’Oro chippy) and using supermarket meal deals for the rest.

For more budget planning, see our Edinburgh on a budget pillar guide, our £50/day Edinburgh budget guide, and our cheap restaurants Edinburgh guide.