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Thousands of you devoured our guide to street food at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe—our most popular article ever—so we’re back to give you the lowdown on the best scran on offer at Edinburgh’s Christmas. Where else to begin but the ever-popular Christmas Market in East Princes St Gardens, widely considered one of the best in the world? We were there when the doors opened, ready to sample the offerings and give you our verdicts—living 10 minutes away definitely has its perks!!
This is only the beginning! We’ll be updating this guide to the Christmas Market street food as we explore more of what’s on offer throughout the next seven festive weeks. And, stay tuned for fresh reviews on the rest of the street food at Edinburgh’s Christmas—George Street and beyond—it’s not all open yet!
Christmas Crumbles
A cute, very vintage-looking stall with a 70s wood and school dinner vibe. Classic fruit crumbles with custard are £7, or go all out with seriously loaded options for £9.
What’s the verdict? The people running the stand seem lovely and certainly pay attention to their stewing fruit and bubbling custard. However, whilst everything is lovingly made, they haven’t cracked how to deliver the goods. The result is fruit crumble submerged by a flood of yellow lava, and by the time it’s cool enough to eat, the crumble has lost its crunch. Even so, the custard and apples (we opted for good old apple crumble – who doesn’t love apple crumble?) have just the unctuous texture you want. Unfortunately, the custard is just too sweet (possibly from the crumble dissolving into it?) and the apples aren’t sour or sharp enough to cut through.
We cannot imagine the sugar overload if you opt for a ‘loaded’ version with a pile of Biscoff, or similar, on top! We’d suggest asking for only a small amount of custard to avoid the sweet overload.
Glühwein
A Christmas market classic, Glühwein—meaning “glow wine”—is the ultimate festive warmer. This year, you’ll find three Glühwein vendors in the vicinity of the Royal Scottish Academy. Two appear to be the same vendor (look for the little green kegs), with prices starting at £7.50. The third, next to the beacon that is Pizza Pitch, stands out for exotic variations on mulled wine, adorable outfits and cute traditional cups. Prices for mulled wine kick off at £6.50.
Elsewhere, Pilgrim’s Drinks and Great Glen Distillery are offering their own mulled hot drinks for £7.
What’s the verdict? We went with a traditional mulled wine. The inviting aroma whispers promises of a spiced hug in a glass, but the taste was overly sweet—more warm, spicy juice than proper Glühwein. The last few sips were particularly saccharine, so watch out.
At £7.50, it felt steep. For a potentially more authentic experience, we recommend the Glühwein stall next to Pizza Pitch—classic charm and it’s a quid cheaper!
Mac Love
Returning to the Christmas market this year, Mac Love serves up delicious, loaded mac and cheese. A top pick for Mrs QR at the Fringe in previous years, it’s a must-try for comfort food lovers. The queues may be long, but trust us—it’s worth the wait! Another ‘Mac and cheese’ is available in the market (next to the smoked salmon), but we advise heading straight for Mac Love.
Pies (Jarvis Pickle)
It’s Pies by Jarvis Pickle! Based in Eyemouth, Scotland, their award-winning pies (46 British Pie Awards) are a favourite at Edinburgh’s festivals in August—and the Christmas market.
Jarvis Pickle offers a fantastic line of plant-based pies (also award-winning), with two options available at the market.
Their pies are £9, served with homemade ketchup or sauce, or £12 with mash or fries.
What’s the verdict? Jarvis Pickle seems to win prizes for every pie they produce, and it’s not hard to see why.
Our Vegan Mushroom, Chestnut & Truffle oil choice was a revelation. Just how do they produce such substantial, crispy, vegan pastry?! There’s texture for days here, not vegetable mush, and you’d do well to place it on a level surface before attacking with a wooden knife lest parts fly off into the night. We do recommend letting it cool before eating if you prefer the interior of your mouth sans third-degree burns, but it’s worth waiting for. The filling is gorgeous, and flavoursome, offering a subtly different savoury sensation with each bite.
If you can’t finish it there, no problem just close it back into its little box, and take it home!
Mini pancakes
A staple at Edinburgh’s Christmas Market for many years, the mini pancakes are back! These fluffy treats are a nostalgic reminder of birthdays and festive fun for the half-Dutch Mrs QR. Watching poffertjes (the Dutch name for these mini-delights) being made is a spectacle in itself—so much mini-flipping in no time at all!
A word of Dutch wisdom: while there are TWELVE topping choices, we recommend sticking with the classics: plain icing sugar, cinnamon, Nutella, or cream.
We’ll be indulging in plenty of these over the next seven weeks and will report back to confirm they’re as delicious as ever.
Street Burger
Street Burger’s trailer is easily the shiniest object in the market – you cannot possibly miss it. Their burgers and hot dogs start at £9, whilst fries start off at £5. Look out for their ‘Highland fries’—a singularly Scottish treat, topped with bacon, haggis, and a healthy dose of peppercorn sauce.
What’s the verdict? We haven’t tried their offerings personally yet, but a reliable German friend of theQR, did choose their hot dog, over the nearby bratwurst and didn’t regret it. If you can’t trust a German’s opinion of a hot dog, presumably no authority is good enough for you.
Crȇpes and waffles
It really wouldn’t be much of a Christmas Market without plenty of crepes and waffles on offer. On opening night we couldn’t get near enough to the waffles to even snap a price list, never mind pick up a tasty treat.
There appear to be two independent stands this year, with similar but not identical offerings:
One stand is offering crepes at £7, as well as gluten-free savoury Galettes (which we are desperate to try) at £7.50. We counted 14 toppings, ranging in price from 50p to £2 for Fresh Strawberries.
The other stand, near the RSA building, only offers crepes (still £7) plus toppings which max out at £2.75 for Strawberries – but there’s no charge for icing sugar.
Roast wraps
Roast Wraps offers an array of options, from roast meat rolls to toad-in-the-hole (both £10), and their namesake Yorkshire pudding wraps (£14)—a fascinating concept indeed. Add roast potatoes for £3.
What’s the verdict? The best way we can describe our Yorkshire pudding wrap is watery mush wrapped in a sponge. The combination of mystery meat, unidentifiable grey-green ‘stuffing’, boiled-to-death frozen vegetables and roast potatoes (we got two, making them £1.50 EACH), and a tasteless Yorkshire pudding is not one made in heaven. Slipped into a napkin, and held upright, everything sorts back into its component parts by weight. All of this for £17, once you add in the two £1.50 EACH (sorry that’s still amazing to us) potatoes.
Salmon (and ‘Mac & Cheese’)
A constant at Edinburgh’s Christmas markets for years, the smoked Salmon stand remains one of the most Instagrammable stands. It’s so popular amongst those bewitched by the sight of behemoth sides of salmon smoking over smoking embers, that actually ordering can be a challenge.
The menu, is surprisingly eclectic, including salmon sandwiches – £11.50, soup with salmon – £9.50 and…wait for it…salmon with mac & cheese – £15.50. Whilst mac & cheese plus smoked salmon isn’t for us, it must have a healthy, and hungry fanbase?
The mac & cheese in question is produced from the adjacent stand – you can’t miss the giant pans of bubbling yellow goodness. Whilst this isn’t Mac Love—be sure you go to the stand you intended!—they certainly lavish their mac & cheese with love. Topped with crispy onions, a portion will set you back £8.50, veggie pestos will cost an additional £1, whilst chicken, haggis or parmesan, a further £2.
Salt & Chilli Chicken
Salt & Chilli Chicken returns to the market with their festive red bus, serving up a deliciously simple menu built around their signature salt & chilli seasoning. Enjoy crispy chicken and chips (£12) or just chips (£8), both loaded with peppers, onions, and their gorgeous curry sauce. You can also opt for solo chips or explore other delicious topping variations.
What’s the verdict? We went all in with the chicken and chips—a perfect choice for sharing! The combination of tasty, well-cooked chips and a wonderfully balanced curry sauce is just lovely. Crunchy red peppers and onions add extra flavour, though they are a little awkward to pick up with a tiny wooden fork. The tender, crunchy-coated chicken strips could use a little more seasoning. Unless you’re an avid chicken fan, we recommend ordering a portion of chips and lots of sauce!
Swing Grill
A staple and icon of the market, there are multiple swing grills scattered throughout the market. Look for the suspended grills, piled high with sausages, cooking over an open flame.
What’s the verdict? There’s no denying the big swing grill looks impressive, and the smell wafting off the open fire and grilling sausages is sensational. However, the rolls left on top of the grill for an indefinite time are doomed to dry out, and the sausage – whilst wonderfully cooked and satisfying to bite into – was disappointingly bland! The onions we opted for as topping were superbly buttery, but not very ‘onion-y’ either. If you cannot resist the wonderful aroma, we suggest pumping up the volume by slathering your bratwurst with cheese and sauce.
Coffee and donuts
We haven’t sampled these fried delights yet, but we have seen plenty of people carrying around lovely little paper bags filled with donuty goodness. Loaded donuts are £10 – Nutella, Oreo or double Biscoff.
A word to locals, be aware that this isn’t the cheap and cheerful donut stand found around Assembly Gardens during August.
Big Angus
Big Angus’ stall lives up to its name—you can’t miss it. They’re offering a hearty selection of Big Angus burgers, sausages, and Scottish classics like haggis and stovies, with a vegan option available. Prices range from £9 to £10. There’s also their iconic Chip Stix at £7—check out our review below!
What’s the verdict? Their marquee offering, ‘Chip Stix’ are super cute, looking like a funnel cake, and drawing the attention of everyone who sees one pass by. The smell erupting from the deep fryers is one of the best in the market, and the choice of salts to finish allows for some customer customisation (we went for Piri Piri). On opening night, ours was a little undercooked and over-seasoned but their stand was also being intermittently plunged into darkness by an electrical fault. We’ll be back for another, and expect great things.
Vegan Churros and Coffee
Apparently, Vegan Churros were part of the Christmas Market 2024…and we missed them entirely! Our bad! These purveyors of perfect, crispy, yet fluffy on the inside, and entirely VEGAN churros are a must-visit destination for foodies in Edinburgh this Christmas. Look for the sign that simply reads ‘Churros & Coffee’, in the shadow of the Royal Scottish Academy—tell them we sent you. ❤️
On top of their fried vegan delights, they offer freshly brewed coffee, locally sourced from Favella Coffee. Oh, and if coffee isn’t your thing, you could try their traditional Spanish hot chocolate—again entirely vegan.
What’s the verdict? Probably the best food offering in Edinburgh’s Christmas Market 2024. Served from an unassuming little hut, these VEGAN churros are, hands down, the best churros we have ever eaten. Hot, crispy, and tasting like the most delicious toasted pancake, we had them with sugar alone, and couldn’t get enough. How they have achieved such a perfect fried batter with only plant-based ingredients is a small culinary miracle. Perhaps two of the five we ate were a little dry – so next time (and there will be a next time), we’ll grab one of the dipping sauces on offer, just for backup of course.
Wholly Waffles
Wholly Waffles, the UK’s first caramel waffle bakery, is bringing this Dutch treat back to the market this year. Look for the “Dutch Stroopwafels” sign, then watch in awe as these caramel waffles are made right before your eyes – it’s mesmerising. A freshly baked waffle costs £8, with your first topping priced at £1 (50p for a second topping).
What’s the verdict? Definitely one of the highlights of this year’s Christmas Market. Watching the expert team press and toast the dough to crenellated perfection, before splitting in half and filling with oozing caramel sauce is a mouth-watering delight. The resulting crispy circles may lack the chewy satisfaction of a traditional stroopwafel softened over coffee, but they are still absolutely delicious—especially with the Biscoff topping we chose. We’ll be back.
Roasted chestnuts
Roasted chestnuts are a seasonal staple, but there’s a surprising lack of delicious aroma erupting from the stand this year. Whilst £7 for a poke of chestnuts around the size of a Medium McDonald’s fries seems steep, there is an ongoing crisis in Chestnut production throughout Europe due to challenging climates and declining pollinator activity. Even so, we find ourselves reluctant to splash £7 when the irresistible smell is absent. We’ll make a second pass soon, and report back if our opinion changes.
Pizza Pitch
Amongst the most prominent stands at this year’s Edinburgh Christmas Market, the ever-popular Pizza Pitch was negotiating some very unreliable lighting when we passed by on opening night. That didn’t stop them serving, or the queue from forming! A familiar presence at festivals up and down the UK throughout the year, they are obviously doing something right—and it’s probably the pizza!
Street food, but not as you know it
Ok so it’s not precisely street food – but these artisans are each offering a warm, tasty treat you can walk away with and eat on the trot.
The most universally tempting is surely Chock Shop – stellar brownie makers, with premises far south of Edinburgh in Abergavenny and Saundersfoot. Don’t worry though, if you fall for any of the large selection of wonderful-looking brownies, they mail-order nationwide. A single brownie is only £3, but if you fancy a healthy dose of warm chocolate sauce and cream too – it’s still only £5! From classic brownies, through salted caramel, to Bailey’s liqueur, there’s bound to be a brownie for you, no?
Elsewhere in the market, but nearby each other, you’ll find boutique gin distillers Pilgrims and Great Glen Distillery. Not only can you purvey their bottles of alcoholic tastiness, but you can also grab a hot drink from both. Great Glen is offering their ‘world-famous hot spiced mulled gin (15% ABV – you’ve been warned) for £7 a cup, and bottles of this good stuff for £18. Pilgrims, meanwhile, have their own festive mulled punch, also £7 – but at 5% ABV, it will be closer to traditional glühwein for those in the mood.
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