Pre-Theatre Dining Guide
Planning a meal before a show at Festival Theatre Edinburgh? Choosing somewhere close to the theatre means you can enjoy your food without worrying about a long journey across the city before the performance begins.
Festival Theatre is on Nicolson Street, close to Edinburgh’s Old Town, South Bridge and the University of Edinburgh, with plenty of restaurants, cafés and casual dining options within walking distance.
Whether you’re looking for a quick pizza before the show, Indian food to share, somewhere suitable for the family or a more leisurely pre-theatre meal, this guide will help you find somewhere to eat near Festival Theatre.
Quick Guide to Eating Near Festival Theatre Edinburgh
IIf you’re short on time, there are several places to eat within just a few minutes of the theatre.
- Closest options: Nicolson Street and Infirmary Street
- More choice: South Bridge, Chambers Street and the surrounding Old Town
- For a wider selection: Royal Mile and George IV Bridge
For most theatre visits, we’d recommend choosing somewhere you can comfortably walk from after your meal. Festival Theatre is in a busy part of the city, so staying relatively close means you won’t need to rely on taxis or public transport when you have a fixed performance start time.
Best Restaurants Near Festival Theatre Edinburgh
There are plenty of places to eat around Festival Theatre, ranging from quick and casual options to restaurants where you can enjoy a longer meal. Here are some places to consider:
Pizza Posto
📍 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh
🚶 Around a 1-minute walk from Festival Theatre
🍕 Pizza and Italian
⭐ Best for: Staying close to the theatre, pizza and casual dining
If convenience is your main priority, Pizza Posto is about as close to Festival Theatre as you can get. Located on Nicolson Street opposite the theatre, it’s particularly useful if you want a straightforward meal without having to leave much time for the walk afterwards.
Pizza also works well for a relatively quick pre-theatre meal, whether you’re visiting as a couple, with friends or taking the family to a show. Because of its location, it’s worth planning ahead when a popular production is running at Festival Theatre.
Mother India’s Café
📍 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh
🚶 Around a 2-minute walk from Festival Theatre
🍛 Indian small plates
⭐ Best for: Sharing dishes, couples and groups
Mother India’s Café is one of the most convenient restaurants for Festival Theatre visitors. Located on Infirmary Street, just around the corner from the theatre, the restaurant takes a different approach to traditional Indian dining by serving smaller dishes designed for tasting and sharing.
That makes it particularly good for couples or groups who would rather order several different dishes for the table. Its combination of location and sharing-style menu makes it a strong option for a pre-theatre meal, although you should still leave yourself plenty of time before the performance.
Solti
📍 Drummond Street, Edinburgh
🚶 A short walk from Festival Theatre
🍛 Indian and Nepalese
⭐ Best for: Indian food and staying close to Nicolson Street
Solti is another option within easy walking distance of Festival Theatre, on nearby Drummond Street. Its location makes it particularly useful if you’re looking for Indian or Nepalese food without travelling far from the theatre.
Being only a short walk away also gives you a little more flexibility with your booking time compared with choosing somewhere further into the city centre. As with any restaurant before a fixed performance, check current opening times and allow enough time to finish your meal comfortably.
The City Restaurant
📍 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh
🚶 Around a 1–2 minute walk
🍔 British and casual dining
⭐ Best for: Casual meals, families and straightforward dining
The City Restaurant is another extremely convenient option on Nicolson Street. Its casual approach makes it worth considering if you’re looking for something straightforward before your performance rather than a lengthy formal dinner.
It’s also particularly useful when convenience is more important than turning dinner into a separate occasion. With Festival Theatre only a short walk away, you won’t have far to go once you’ve finished eating.
Tapas3
📍 Howden Street, Edinburgh
🚶 A short walk from Festival Theatre
🥘 Spanish and Mediterranean
⭐ Best for: Sharing dishes, couples and groups
If you’d prefer something other than Italian or Indian food, Tapas3 offers Spanish-style dining within walking distance of Festival Theatre. Tapas can work particularly well before the theatre because you can choose several dishes to share and adjust how much you order depending on how much time you have.
It’s a good option for couples or groups who want dinner to feel like part of the evening rather than simply grabbing something quickly before the show. Allow enough time to enjoy the meal without having to rush through your final dishes when curtain time approaches.
The Piper’s Rest
📍 Hunter Square, Edinburgh
🚶 Around a 5–10 minute walk
🏴 Scottish food and pub dining
⭐ Best for: Scottish food, visitors to Edinburgh and a traditional atmosphere
If you’re visiting Edinburgh and would like to combine your theatre trip with something a little more Scottish, The Piper’s Rest at Hunter Square is another option. It’s further from Festival Theatre than the restaurants immediately around Nicolson Street, but still within walking distance.
Its Old Town location can make it particularly appealing if you’re sightseeing before your performance and want to combine dinner with time around the Royal Mile. Just remember to factor the walk back to Nicolson Street into your plans before the performance starts.
Closest Restaurants to Festival Theatre Edinburgh
If your main priority is staying as close to the theatre as possible, concentrate on Nicolson Street, Infirmary Street and the surrounding streets. Pizza Posto and The City Restaurant are both on Nicolson Street, while Mother India’s Café is just around the corner on Infirmary Street. Choosing somewhere this close can be particularly useful if:
- You’re attending an early performance
- You’re travelling with children
- Someone in your group has limited mobility
- You’re unfamiliar with Edinburgh
- You don’t want to walk far after dinner
- The Edinburgh weather isn’t cooperating!
Restaurants close to Festival Theatre can become busy when a popular musical, ballet or other major production is running, so don’t assume you’ll always be able to find a table without booking.
Best Pre-Theatre Menus Near Festival Theatre
A pre-theatre or early-evening menu can be useful when you’re trying to fit dinner around a fixed performance time. Restaurants around Festival Theatre and Edinburgh’s Old Town may offer set menus, early dining options or other offers suitable for theatre visitors. These menus can change throughout the year, so check directly with the restaurant before booking rather than relying on an older menu or price you’ve found online. Also check when the menu is available. A pre-theatre offer isn’t particularly useful if its serving times don’t work with your particular performance.
Family-Friendly Restaurants Near Festival Theatre
Festival Theatre regularly hosts musicals and family productions, so you may be looking for somewhere suitable to eat with children. Casual restaurants can work particularly well before a family show because you don’t necessarily want a long formal meal when younger theatre-goers are excited about the performance.
Pizza is an obvious option, while the restaurants around Nicolson Street and the wider Old Town provide plenty of other choices. When you’re attending with children, we’d prioritise somewhere close to the theatre. A short walk after dinner makes it much easier to get everyone into Festival Theatre and settled before the performance begins.
Where to Eat Before a Matinee
Pre-theatre dining doesn’t have to mean an evening meal. If you’re attending a matinee at Festival Theatre, lunch before the show can be a great way to make more of your day in Edinburgh. The theatre’s Old Town location gives you plenty of lunchtime choices around Nicolson Street, South Bridge and the surrounding streets.
You could also spend the morning exploring Edinburgh, stop for lunch and then head to Festival Theatre for the afternoon performance. Check your matinee start time before booking and remember to leave enough time to reach the theatre afterwards.
Where to Eat After a Festival Theatre Show
Eating after the performance can work particularly well if you’re attending a matinee. You’ll usually have plenty of time afterwards to enjoy dinner without having to plan your meal around the start of the show. After an evening performance, you’ll need to be more careful.
Musicals, opera and other productions can finish relatively late, and some restaurant kitchens stop taking orders before the restaurant itself closes. If you’re planning to eat after an evening show, check the expected running time and the restaurant’s latest food-ordering time beforehand.
Check out our How Long Is a Typical Musical? What to Expect page for more hints and tips.
How Much Time Should You Allow for Dinner?
For a relaxed sit-down meal before Festival Theatre, allowing around 90 minutes is a useful starting point. You may need less time for pizza or casual dining, while a longer meal with several courses may need considerably more. Remember that finishing dinner isn’t the end of your journey.
You’ll still need to:
- Pay the bill
- Leave the restaurant
- Walk to Festival Theatre
- Enter the building
- Find your seats
Aim to arrive at Festival Theatre around 30 minutes before the performance begins rather than planning to reach the doors at the advertised start time.
Tips for Booking a Restaurant Near Festival Theatre
Restaurants around Nicolson Street and Edinburgh’s Old Town can become particularly busy during evenings, weekends and the city’s festival periods. Booking ahead is worthwhile if you’re attending a popular production or have a particular restaurant in mind.
When making your reservation, mention that you’re going to Festival Theatre afterwards. A restaurant familiar with theatre audiences may be able to advise whether your chosen booking time leaves enough time for your meal. It’s also worth checking the actual walking route rather than judging the distance from a map alone.
Edinburgh has hills, busy crossings, cobbled streets and large numbers of pedestrians at certain times of year, all of which can make a short journey take longer than expected.
FAQ
Planning where to eat before a performance can raise a few questions, particularly if you don’t know this part of Edinburgh. These quick answers should help you organise your meal around your visit to Festival Theatre.
Seeing a Show at Festival Theatre Edinburgh?
Dinner is only one part of your theatre visit. Our complete Festival Theatre visitor guide covers what’s on, getting to the theatre, parking, accommodation, accessibility and other useful information to help you plan your trip. Festival Theatre Edinburgh – What’s On & Visitor Guide
Looking for restaurants around another Edinburgh theatre? Best Pre-Theatre Restaurants Near Edinburgh Theatres
And if you’re still deciding what to see: Browse Edinburgh Musicals