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Scotland on a Budget


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What initially was a big blow out trip planned among two couples has now turned into a honeymoon with chaperones! We will be honeymooning in Scotland starting August 31 but with all the expense of paying for a wedding, we find ourselves a bit strapped for cash. So what I'm hoping for is some good food/drink suggestions for folks traveling on a budget. We will be in Edinborough, Inverness and Glasgow. Does anyone have suggestions for good local eats that won't break the bank? I'm also a pastry chef so if you've got some suggestions for pastry shops, I'll take them as well.

On the drinking side, I got rave reviews for a place in Edinborough called Finnegan's Wake....and that's about it. Thoughts?

Thanking you in advance. Karen

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Oh God! Not Finnegans Wake! Irish bar! Madness! From there it's a slippery slope down Victoria Street to the stag night-hen party hell of the Grassmarket.

You could try, instead, the Cafe Royal bar just off the east end of Princes Street (beautiful decor); Frazers at the Dome on George Street (again for decor and cocktails; starting to get pricey, though); the Doric on Market Street (just round the corner from Waverley train station)--good old-fashioned boozer. I like the Traverse Bar on Lothian Road for a "modern, youngish, arty" vibe, myself. If you're adventurous, you could head to Leith and the King's Wark bar or the Waterfront. Both nice places.

As for cakes, a new place called Falko Konditormeister has opened up between Tollcross and Bruntsfield (stay on Lothian Road and keep going). Wonderful Black Forest Gateau. Also try Plaisir du Chocolat on Canongate (lower part of the Royal Mile). Great Sachertorte.

Enjoy Edinburgh when you come! Congrats on the wedding!

Spanky

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Yes, Finnagans wake is an Irish pub on the Royal Mile. Food is pub food. They have a piper who lures the tourist in playing Amazing Grace etc. But the beers cold and they have fairly cool t shirts!

Avoid Grassmarket unless you have young adults in tow, it's a bit rowdy. That said, my son loves it.

I found this thread to be helpful, but circumstances didn't allow us to venture far from our hotel.

The resturant in the Scotsman Hotel on Bridge st, 1/2 block off the mile is pretty good for a nicer meal. It's also pretty classy for drinks. I had a meal of wine and pate there being jet lagged, and it was just what I needed to get going again.But try the above thread for some tried and true.

I am envious, I love Edinbourgh.

Can't help with Glascow though. sorry.

And I never ran into the fried mars bars...

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If you have access to car during your stay in Inverness, a 30-40 minute drive to Fortrose for a visit to The Anderson would be enjoyable. Moderately priced (by UK standards). Very good food, great whisky bar, frequently with music. (The proprietor is also a beer maven, so there's an excellent selection of Belgian brews, too.) And if you have a few too many, it's also a hotel. The Anderson is directly across from the remains of a medieval cathedral.

Bob Libkind aka "rlibkind"

Robert's Market Report

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Other decent boozers in Edinburgh:

- in the New Town, there's The Cumberland in Cumberland Street: some good real ales, good atmosphere, and one of the few beer gardens in the centre of town. Very genteel...

- in Victoria Street, just down the road from Finnegan's Wake is the Bow Bar - one room pub, with good real ales.

- in the Old Town, the Jolly Judge, up a close (a narrow passage) off the Lawnmarket/Royal Mile just down the hill from the castle - another one roomer. Better in the winter when the fire's going, but still a decent place.

At the style/expensive end of the market, Tiger Lily in George Street is a good 'un. Newly opened, they've spent a lot of money on the decor, but (unlike Le Monde at the other end of George Street) they've spent it with taste. Lots of continental lagers.

For a pub crawl, I'd much prefer Broughton Street than the usual tourist suggestion of Rose Street, which is, by and large, crap.

And if you can get in, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society on either Queen Street or in Leith (there are two branches) is worth a visit for cask strength malt whisky flavour, swiftly followed by oblivion if you're not too careful. The food there is pretty decent as well - both the bar menu and the restaurant.

Edinburgh's one of the most beautiful cities in the world in my book, so I hope you enjoy it.

PS

Edinburgh

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Here's a few (highly subjective) suggestions which will not break the bank. Some of them are not really local flavours but somewhat representative of Scotland's immigrant cuisine

Edinburgh:

Original Kushi's (Punjabi-Asian)

26-30 Potterrow

Edinburgh

EH8 9PP

Glasgow:

Asia style (Malaysian)

185-189 St Georges Road

Glasgow

on the way to Inverness:

Ballachulish House Hotel (1 Mich star but excellent lunches at £25ish)

Ballachulish

Argyll

PH49 4JX

www.ballachulishhouse.com/

Inverness:

Rocpool (modern Scottish)

1 Ness Walk

Inverness

IV3 5NE

www.rocpool.com

some good suggestions in link below as well but you might have to trawl through their websites to find out prices etc

http://www.fine-dining-guide.com/1PercentC...tland1to58.html

What initially was a big blow out trip planned among two couples has now turned into a honeymoon with chaperones!  We will be honeymooning in Scotland starting August 31 but with all the expense of paying for a wedding, we find ourselves a bit strapped for cash.  So what I'm hoping for is some good food/drink suggestions for folks traveling on a budget.  We will be in Edinborough, Inverness and Glasgow.  Does anyone have suggestions for good local eats that won't break the bank?  I'm also a pastry chef so if you've got some suggestions for pastry shops, I'll take them as well.

On the drinking side, I got rave reviews for a place in Edinborough called Finnegan's Wake....and that's about it.  Thoughts?

Thanking you in advance.  Karen

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If you have access to car during your stay in Inverness, a 30-40 minute drive to Fortrose for a visit to The Anderson would be enjoyable. Moderately priced (by UK standards). Very good food, great whisky bar, frequently with music. (The proprietor is also a beer maven, so there's an excellent selection of Belgian brews, too.) And if you have a few too many, it's also a hotel. The Anderson is directly across from the remains of a medieval cathedral.

Sounds lovely...and we do love our beer! I'm wondering if it is on a train route...hmmm....will investigate! Thank you.

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Oh God! Not Finnegans Wake! Irish bar! Madness! From there it's a slippery slope down Victoria Street to the stag night-hen party hell of the Grassmarket.

You could try, instead, the Cafe Royal bar just off the east end of Princes Street (beautiful decor); Frazers at the Dome on George Street (again for decor and cocktails; starting to get pricey, though); the Doric on Market Street (just round the corner from Waverley train station)--good old-fashioned boozer. I like the Traverse Bar on Lothian Road for a "modern, youngish, arty" vibe, myself. If you're adventurous, you could head to Leith and the King's Wark bar or the Waterfront. Both nice places.

As for cakes, a new place called Falko Konditormeister has opened up between Tollcross and Bruntsfield (stay on Lothian Road and keep going). Wonderful Black Forest Gateau. Also try Plaisir du Chocolat on Canongate (lower part of the Royal Mile). Great Sachertorte.

Enjoy Edinburgh when you come! Congrats on the wedding!

Spanky

Wonderful suggestions. I'm putting The Doric on the top of the list as well as the King's Wark bar...what's a wark?

Will also check out the pastry shops. Karen

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To link a couple of the suggestions together it might be worth pointing out that Kushis is now located between Finnigans Wake and the Bow Bar at 9 Victoria Street. The Potterrow venue is now Mariachi, although they still seem to have kept their branch next to the Bow Bar and two doors from Kushis (it's a small town sometimes).

Can't tell you what the food or space is like in Kushis as we couldn't get past the bouncer (!) on Friday as it was full.

On the food front I agree about the bread and cakes at Konditormeister, they have a stall at the weekly farmers market on Castle Terrace if you get there early enough – I have to say on the basis of my last few visits the farmers market really has come on leaps and bounds in the last year or so; I think they are about to start a Thursday night variation as well, and although I’ve never tried it the pig roast van is always busy if you need to eat..

Cheap eats, two perennial suggestions Kebab Mahal in St Patrick’s Square and secondly for pizzas and value if note decor (and note I'm doing this in the same sentence as the opulence that is Kebab Mahal) Jollys on Elm Row near V&C you'll get a couple of huge wood fired pizzas and a litre of wine for £25, and to talk to Vito about Rangers if your not careful. Other than that there are now two Kurdish restaurants in Tollcross, Laraz is pretty good value especially as it hasn’t got its license yet and is byo, which keeps the price down and while I’m in Tollcross I’ll once more sing the praises of Szechwan (House) Restaurant tucked behind the Cameo – still think their smoked duck is better than the one at Red Chilli.

And to round this off reasonably symmetrically still in Tollcross Cloisters is a pub that I'm sure used to be run by the previous owner of the Bow Bar (who now owns Thompsons on Morrison Street according to that most reliable of resource my barber).Cloisters does a nice line in guest beers and since the smoking ban you can now actually see the bar, not necessarily an advantage but probably healthier for you.

Geoff.

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Ifyou are in Edinburgh ona Saturday,go to the farmers market on castle terrace - don't miss Trusty Crust organic bakery stall and the Konditormeister - a wonderful german bakery stall. Go to Plaisir du Chocolat on Canongate and share a slice of their wonderful chocolate gateau - a slice is too big for one person. Go to Demijohn on Victoria Street to try lots of different liqueurs, gins, vodkas from the UK and vinegars and olive oils.

As to restaurants - I agree with the Doric, but also try b'est on 16, Drummond St, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH8 9TX, Tel: 0131 556 6040 - very good value 3-course meal for £14.95. Have lunch at the National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street - soup and cheese scone for £3.95

Danielle Ellis

Edinburgh Scotland

www.edinburghfoody.com

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