How many restaurants are there in Edinburgh's busiest areas?
We counted 881 restaurants within 1 km of the centres of 8 Edinburgh areas. Old Town is the most crowded at 109.2 per km²; Portobello is the least, at 5.4.
Mapped
881
in 8 areas
Busiest area
109.2/km²
Old Town
Average rating
4.5★
places with 10+ reviews
Last scanned
13 October
2026
Restaurants by area, most crowded first
Measured within 1 km of the centre: LOW under 5, MODERATE 5–15, HIGH 15–40, INTENSE over 40 places per km².
| Area | Within 1 km | Per km² | Avg rating | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town4.4★ average | 343109.2/km² | 109.2 | 4.4★ | INTENSE |
| Stockbridge4.5★ average | 11636.9/km² | 36.9 | 4.5★ | HIGH |
| Newington4.5★ average | 11235.7/km² | 35.7 | 4.5★ | HIGH |
| Leith Walk4.5★ average | 10734.1/km² | 34.1 | 4.5★ | HIGH |
| Bruntsfield4.6★ average | 10332.8/km² | 32.8 | 4.6★ | HIGH |
| Leith4.5★ average | 6119.4/km² | 19.4 | 4.5★ | HIGH |
| Morningside4.4★ average | 227.0/km² | 7.0 | 4.4★ | MODERATE |
| Portobello4.5★ average | 175.4/km² | 5.4 | 4.5★ | MODERATE |
Where is it least crowded?
- PortobelloMODERATE
17 restaurants within 1 km (5.4 per km²), averaging 4.5★.
- MorningsideMODERATE
22 restaurants within 1 km (7.0 per km²), averaging 4.4★.
- LeithHIGH
61 restaurants within 1 km (19.4 per km²), averaging 4.5★.
Fewer restaurants is not the same as more demand. Look at foot traffic and rents before you read a quiet area as an opening.
How they are rated
All 881 restaurants in the 8 areas, by rating. Places with fewer than 10 reviews are counted apart.
- 4.5 and up541 (61%)
- 4.0 to 4.4262 (30%)
- 3.5 to 3.935 (4%)
- Below 3.513 (1%)
- Under 10 reviews30 (3%)
Chains seen most
Brands with two or more outlets inside one area circle.
- McDonald's2 outlets · 1 area
- Maki & Ramen2 outlets · 1 area
- Bella Italia2 outlets · 1 area
- Burger King2 outlets · 1 area
- PizzaExpress2 outlets · 1 area
- Nando's Edinburgh2 outlets · 1 area
- KFC Edinburgh2 outlets · 1 area
- Thyme Bar & Grill2 outlets · 1 area
- Razzo Pizza Napoletana2 outlets · 1 area
- Pepe's2 outlets · 1 area
Check competition at your exact address — free
Drop a pin on the street you have in mind and see every competitor around it on a map, with ratings and review counts. The scan is free with an account.
Questions
Is Edinburgh saturated with restaurants?
It depends on the street. Within 1 km of the 8 area centres we mapped, density runs from 5.4 per km² in Portobello to 109.2 per km² in Old Town. 6 of the 8 areas count as high or intense competition (over 15 per km²). Check the exact address you have in mind before you commit.
Which Edinburgh area has the most restaurants?
Old Town, with 343 within 1 km of its centre (109.2 per km²). Next come Stockbridge (116) and Newington (112).
What is the average rating of restaurants in Edinburgh?
4.5 out of 5, across the 851 restaurants with at least 10 reviews in the areas we mapped. The highest area average is Bruntsfield (4.6), the lowest Morningside (4.4).
Which restaurant chains are most common in Edinburgh?
In the areas we mapped: McDonald's (2 outlets in 1 area), Maki & Ramen (2 outlets in 1 area), Bella Italia (2 outlets in 1 area).
How was this counted?
We scanned a 1 km circle around the centre of each area on 13 October 2026 and counted every restaurant on the map inside it. Places missing from the map or opened since are not counted, so treat the numbers as a floor. Circles of neighbouring areas can overlap, so a place near two centres is counted in both, and the figures are not a total for the whole of Edinburgh.