Taste International Foods and Flavours – Leith Walk

This is a food walking tour which reflects the huge range of cultures who have come to Scotland and made it their home and also documents Scotland’s history as a seafaring nation and the rich exchange of food and culture from the Roman times to the present day.

Eat the World Leith Walk

Leith Walk has been on the international food stage since the Romans arrived with amphoras of wine for R and R. This international food tour of Leith Walk reflects Scotland’s wealth of visitors who stayed and brought their fantastic cooking.

I was spoilt for choice when devising this international food tour. So many vibrant cultures have made this area of Edinburgh their home. The Walk developed from ramparts which ran from Calton Hill to Leith to keep Cromwell at bay – it didn’t work.

Rich in history and food culture – this is a vibrant international food walk. Leith Walk was originally a rough track linking the port of Leith ( discover more about Leith on the Leith food tour) with the city of Edinburgh. Over time, a regular horse and coach service transported people from port to city and back, then the Walk saw various incarnations of trams and buses and more trams.

We enjoy a positive smorgasbord of international food on Leith Walk :

Swedish meatballs, and Swedish cocktails in a former Victorian wine merchant’s shop. Turkish boreks, Colombian empanadas made to order and enjoyed with Leith Juice – a local ale brewed within walking distance. Kenyan chickpea and coconut curry is quite spicy, thanks to the Indians who came over in the 18th century to build railways in Kenya and stayed.

Poppy from Crete is delighted to serve you homemade Greek orange cake and dark sweet Greek coffee – and could well end up enticed onto the dance floor, once the ouzo starts flowing on this international celebration of food on Leith Walk

And as we are in Scotland, we pop into a traditional Scottish sweetie shop at the bottom of the Walk for a wee poke of Scottish sweeties – which has to include a Saltire sweetie and an Irn Bru Jelly Baby.

Highlights

Making arepas at Orinoco
Greek orange cake served with Greek coffee
Turkish boreks - take your pick from olive or feta
Joseph Pearce's originally a wine merchant but now a Swedish bar
Scottish traditional sweeties - make mine an Irn Bru jelly baby
Victoria bar on Leith Walk for local Edinburgh ales such as Leith Juice
Orinoco for Colombian street food

Drinks package for Leith Walk

Enjoy two extra alcoholic drinks during your Leith Walk food safari with our Premium Drink Package for only £12 per person.

A welcome Swedish gin cocktail and a schooner of local ale is already included in the Leith Walk Safari but why not try an African Tusker beer and end the tour on a high with an Ouzo (gorgeous Greek anise-flavoured liqueur) served with your Greek orange cake and coffee.

You can add the Premium Drink Package to your booking during checkout.

Note: this option is only available for ages eighteen plus and ID will be required.

Price

£73

When

Fridays

Time

2 pm

Duration

3 hours

Location

Leith Walk

Style

International

Group Size

Max. 10 people

Difficulty

Uneven, cobblestone lined streets

Dietary Requirements

Please contact Nell at least 24 hours before the tour to flag up any food allergies, intolerances or pet hates and we can try and accommodate.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations, must be made by phone 07796 298 163 or email nell.nelson@btinternet.com with 48 hours notice from tour start.

Reviews

Great food tour to explore Leith Walk and expand your taste horizons
Review of: Edinburgh Food Safari - we do the hunting, you do the eating
Leith Walk Food Safari - we've walked up and down the road from Leith to Edinburgh many times over the years and often remarked on the huge variety of food shops and cafes but never stepped inside one. Nell's Safari seemed the ideal way to explore the options and get to try the good ones out. Our visit did not disappoint, from the cheery smiling welcome from Nell when we arrived in Joseph Pearce's until we finished at the Leith end of the walk, we really enjoyed ourselves and learnt a lot about the history of the Walk along the way. Hard to choose but our favourite food items were the savoury boreks and sweet baklavas at Kukina, although the novelty of eating plantain and Kenyan/Indian fusion in an Edinburgh cafe (Knights) was also a memorable event. Overall, a great way to check out the many eateries and food stores in this area with plenty of time to chat and enjoy the food at each stop. A light or non-existent breakfast beforehand is recommended to make the most of each location's offerings! Nell also points out other places along the way which time (and waistlines) prevent us from visiting on this trip, but we will explore further on future visits. We both thoroughly recommend this trip.

— s3swiss wrote a review Oct 2021 Elgin, United Kingdom
Afternoon Very Well Spent
Review of: Edinburgh Food Safari - we do the hunting, you do the eating
We had a fantastic afternoon with Nell on the Leith Walk on the food safari! She was an excellent host, knowledgeable about both the history and the food. The tour featured brilliant stops which we will be returning to. Yummy!

— Heather F wrote a review Sept 2021
Excellent Experience
Review of: Edinburgh Food Safari - we do the hunting, you do the eating
We took the safari on Leith Walk today. Nell was a really enthusiastic guide and extremely knowledgeable about both the food and the history of the area. Each venue visited served us delightful food and we now have a few places to revisit on our next visit to Edinburgh. There were 7 people in our group and Nell made a special point of engaging with everybody individually. A highly recommended experience!

— mc2907 wrote a review Aug 2021 Beaconsfield, United Kingdom