– by Jenna Schwartz
Before arriving in Edinburgh I had some preconceived notions about what the city was like. Specifically, its size. Edinburgh is way larger than I thought it would be, with tons of stuff to do! First, the cafes are endless. I am a person who can sit in a coffee shop for hours reading, doing work, people-watching, and of course enjoying the drinks and food. I’ve discovered the most adorable, comfortable coffee shops in Edinburgh such as “Lovecrumbs”, “Bobby’s”, “Coffee Lounge”, “Union Lab”, and “Love, Peace, and Coffee”. Each of these also has free WiFi for access.
Although I do live in a catered accommodation, we get two meals a day and there are times when I’m away from Pollock and want a meal. Especially as someone who has dietary restrictions, finding places to eat was a worry of mine. In my experience so far, Edinburgh has had every type of food I could want. On my first day here, I went to “Castlegate Cafe” at Grassmarket which had a traditional Scottish breakfast, but made vegan if that’s your style. “Ting Thai” is another restaurant I’ve already been to more than once that has many gluten-free options (delicious Pad Thai I highly recommend). “Bertie’s Proper Fish & Chips” has gluten free fish and chisps! And really great hard milkshakes 😋
I was beyond excited about coming to Edinburgh and discovering so many places to shop. I enjoy the thrifting here, and my top recommendations so far are “Carnivále” and “Armstrongs”. The latter has multiple stores around the city. Both stores have adorable jewelry, clothes, and purses! There are also plenty of charity shops around the city too where you can find great stuff. I found my favorite sweater in a Stockbridge charity shop. If you also love collecting and reading books like me, Edinburgh is the perfect place for you. There is “Blackwell’s” which is Edinburgh’s oldest bookstore that sells new books. Off of Grassmarket, there are three shops that I love: “Cabaret Antiques, Curios & Books”, “Edinburgh Books”, and “Armchair Books”, which have wide selections of second-hand titles.
I love Edinburgh nightlife because there is always something for your mood. Even if you don’t want to go out, and there have definitely been times I’ve chosen to stay in, there’s no pressure and no FOMO (fear of missing out). I love pub crawling around the city, as each bar is completely different from the one before. Although I am trying to explore new ones, the pubs I’ve enjoyed the most so far are “Finnegan’s Wake”, “Dropkicks”, “Frankensteins” (exactly what it sounds like – a giant pub dedicated to the titular character), “Revolution”, and “Doctors Pub”. Afterward, if you’re up to it, clubs such as “Subway” or “Sneaky Pete’s” are fun options. Fortunately, a lot of the clubs are all on the same street, Cowgate, making it easy to bounce around if you maybe don’t enjoy one or want to try another. Another place I like a lot is “The Jazz Bar”, which has performances by talented artists and the atmosphere is calm and comfortable. Some clubs do require a cover fee but some also have student discounts if you bring your student ID!
Sneaky Pete’s
Subway
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