13 Food Vendors Not to Miss at the Fringe

Edinburgh University Students’ Association hosts ten of the city’s best local vendors, delivering award-winning and mouth-watering food and drink at their iconic festival venues.

Article Source: Edinburgh University Students’ Association
Last Updated: 31 July 2025 16:25

Edinburgh University Students’ Association hosts ten of the city’s best local vendors, run in partnership with Pleasance Theatre Trust, Gilded Balloon and Shedinburgh.

Pleasance Courtyard
Total Meltdown, Harajuku Street Food, Mimi’s Bakehouse, Pizza Geeks, Smash and Stack Burgers, Mint
The Pleasance Courtyard is brimming with unique bars and food outlets, including the Main Courtyard Bar — one of the busiest bars in the city during the Fringe. This space features heated and covered seating areas, creating a traditional beer garden atmosphere. It’s a great place to enjoy the buzz of the festival, come rain or shine.

Taste the “Best Street Food in Scotland” (Scottish Food and Drink Awards 2018) with Harajuku Street Food, offering its famous Karaage Fried Chicken and Stir-Fry Yaki Udon Noodles.

Edinburgh's gourmet burger stall, Smash and Stack Burgers is situated in the Front Courtyard with its classic dishes — including beef, chicken and veggie burgers made from local ingredients.

Mint will make your tastebuds dance with its renowned Chicken and Halloumi Wrap, as well as plenty of meat-eater and vegan options, and Pizza Geeks, who “set out on a quest to find the one pizza that rules them all”, will serve-up freshly made Neapolitan-inspired pizza with a slice of geek.

Total Meltdown continues to boast the “best grilled cheese sandwiches”. Using sourdough bread, mature cheddar and high-quality ingredients, no wonder its food was rated 10/10 by The Sunday Herald.

Meanwhile, city-favourite Mimi’s Bakehouse returns to the Pleasance Courtyard Green with their mouthwatering baked goods, as well as Machina coffee, Eteaket tea, Luca's ice cream and savoury lunch options. Situated beside the Kid Zone, families will especially love this option.

Other highlights include Arthur’s Bar (a relaxed bar area tucked away behind the Pleasance Courtyard looking out to Arthur’s Seat), Cragg's Bar (located under the famous yellow stretch tent — the perfect spot for a drink and a bite) and the Cabaret Bar (combining a bar and performance space inside the main Pleasance building, the Cabaret Bar has previously drawn a broad audience with established comedians such as Frank Skinner, Rich Hall and Jenny Éclair).

Pleasance Dome & Plaza
The Dome Bar, Box Bar, Bar & Kitchen, Chicken & Fries
The Dome Bar is the main bar in the Pleasance Dome, offering a wide selection of draft, bottles, spirits and hot food. Situated in the lower Dome is the Box Bar complete with deck seating, giving the perfect summer festival feeling. If you fancy a bite, you can also find the Bar & Kitchen with a full food and drinks menu, perfect for a proper pit-stop between shows.
Outside the Pleasance Dome on Pleasance Plaza (named as one of the Fringe’s top places to be) you can find Tender Love with a delicious selection of chicken options.

Charles Street Lane
Mac Love, Greek Street Food, Churros Truck
Between Pleasance Plaza and Appleton Tower (Gilded Balloon) sits Charles Street Lane. Missing from festival in 2024, it's exciting to welcome back this beloved food hot spot lined with street food staples, including Mac Love with their popular mac ‘n’ cheese, Greek Street Food offering a variety of traditional dishes, and Churros Truck (unsurprisingly, with their delicious range of churros).

Appleton Tower
Pink Lady Bar, Bao Buns, The Little Parlour
Just across from Charles Street Lane sits Appleton Tower. Here, you can find our outlets Pink Lady Bar which offers a wide selection of draught, bottles, spirits, coffee and cakes. You can also find the UK's best bao buns, served just outside Appleton Tower's Chapel Street entrance. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, The Little Parlour will be serving luxury gelato-style ice cream, sweets, milkshakes and bubble waffles. Teviot Row House is currently closed for renovation and will reopen in 2025. This festival, Gilded Balloon can be found at Appleton Tower.

Gilded Balloon are also taking over the Wee Red Bar this summer with a live venue launch of Shedinburgh, an area to collaborate and broadcast shows during the day and at night a live entertainment venue with a small bar and outdoor seating area. For more information, visit: https://shedinburgh.com/

Drinks
A broad selection of drinks is available across the venues — Madri, Coors, Alpacalypse Session IPA, Staropramen, Aspall Cyder and Blue Moon to name a few. In addition, you will find Alcohol 0% options, Rekorderlig Ciders, NICE Wine, Gordon’s Gin, Fever-Tree soft drinks and much more. We also have some “Grab and Go” canned items that will ensure you can quickly get served, even while you wait in your queue for the show, so refreshments are never far away!

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13 Food Vendors Not to Miss at the Fringe

Edinburgh University Students’ Association hosts ten of the city’s best local vendors, delivering award-winning and mouth-watering food and drink at their iconic festival venues.

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