10 fun Edinburgh lunches perfect for eating at your desk

Working in Edinburgh has its perks, especially when it comes to lunch time, here are some of our favourite spots to grab a bite to eat.

Published 4th May 2017
Updated 8 th Aug 2023

If your packed lunch isn’t quite cutting it any more, Edinburgh has plenty of cafes and delis offering tasty takeaway options you can eat from the comfort of your own desk.

Taquito

(32 Home Street, EH3 9LZ)

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Mexican food bar Taquito specialises in fast, fresh and flavoursome food, with fajitas, nachos, tacos and quesadillas on the menu – but it’s really their huge burritos which are the star of the show.

Choose your favourite fillings (including smoky pulled pork, chorizo, guacamole and pico de gallo salsa) and they’ll come wrapped up in a giant flour tortilla, big enough to banish any afternoon hunger pangs.

Gannet & Guga

(New Waverley Arches, 3 East Market Street, EH8 8FS)

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Located in the New Waverley Arches – just a few minutes from Princes Street – is gourmet sandwich bar, Gannet & Guga.

As well as classic filled rolls and sandwiches, you’ll also find more inventive lunch options here, like Vietnamese summer rolls, bahn mi sandwiches and raw rainbow salads.

Edinburgh Larder Cafe

(11-15 Blackfriars Street, EH1 1NB)

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This snug little cafe also has a takeaway deli counter, filled with locally-sourced foodie treats – perfect if you’re grabbing lunch to take back to your desk.

Each day you’ll find a freshly prepared selection of different salads, soups and sandwiches, made from seasonal ingredients, as well as plenty of home baked cakes, brownies and scones.

Oink

(34 Victoria Street, EH1 2JW)

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Don’t waste your lunch hour deliberating over which type of sandwich to have. Instead, head straight to Oink for one of their delicious hog roast rolls.

All you need to do is choose the size of your roll, any optional stuffing or sauces, and you can be back at your desk and tucking into your lunch within minutes.

Bobby’s Sandwich Bar

(4 Greyfriars Place, EH1 2QQ)

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Bobby’s Sandwich Bar offers a wide variety of freshly made sandwiches, from chorizo and olive ciabatta rolls to brie and cranberry toasties.

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They also serve soup, as well as a selection of other snacks and sweet treats to take away, if you’re feeling particularly peckish.

Dough

(172 Rose Street, EH2 4BA)

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Who said pizzas were just for dinner? Dough’s wood fired pizzas with fresh toppings are the perfect option for lunch at your desk, especially if you can bear to share a slice with your colleagues.

If you’d prefer something slightly smaller, Dough also serve up tasty Italian salad boxes and flatbreads, as well as pizza by the slice.

Social Bite

(131 Rose Street, EH2 3DT)

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If you fancy doing a good deed at the same time as buying lunch, head to social enterprise cafe Social Bite.

Serving up sandwiches, salad boxes and hot meals like Thai vegetable curry and Moroccan meatballs, all the profits made here go to helping homelessness charities.

You can even ‘pay it forward’ and buy a coffee or a meal for a homeless person in Edinburgh to pick up when they need it most.

The Bearded Baker

(46 Rodney Street, EH7 4DX)

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The Bearded Baker’s filled, homemade bagels are a great alternative to a traditional sandwich.

Try the Reuben with pastrami, sauerkraut, gruyere cheese and mustard mayo. Don’t forget to pick up one of their other specialities – freshly baked doughnuts – for a mid-afternoon treat.

Meltmongers

(80 Bruntsfield Place, EH10 4HG)

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The whole office will be envious of your lunch if you come back to your desk clutching a takeaway box from Meltmongers.

Their gourmet cheese toasties come with fillings like applewood smoked cheddar with jalapeños or grilled chicken with lemon mayo and Jarlsberg cheese.

Pumpkin Brown

(16 Grassmarket, EH1 2JU)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRdedoihRSO/

If you’re looking for a healthy lunch to enjoy at your desk, Pumpkin Brown’s gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free dishes could be the perfect option.

As well as a daily hot dish and soup special, there are also a variety of fresh, colourful takeaway bowls like raw pad Thai salad and deconstructed sushi bowls to choose from.

• This article originally appeared on the i news website

Gillian is a writer and blogger from Edinburgh, with a penchant for drinking cocktails, exploring the city's independent shops and trying out as many new restaurants as possible.
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