At about half past six on a show night, the top of Leith Walk changes pace. People drift out of the bus station and down from St James Quarter, a few with programmes already in hand, most checking the time. The Playhouse doors on Greenside Place won’t open for another half hour, and everyone is asking the same question: where can we eat that’s close, quick and actually good?
This guide answers it honestly. It covers what’s around the Playhouse, how much time you really need, and why the cafe two minutes from the theatre doors is the place a lot of regulars end up.
How close is “near” the Edinburgh Playhouse?
The Playhouse sits at 18-22 Greenside Place, at the point where Leith Walk meets Picardy Place and Leith Street. It opened in 1929 as a cinema and, with 3,059 seats, it’s the largest theatre in Scotland. When a big musical is on, that’s a small town’s worth of people looking for dinner in the same few streets at the same hour.
That’s why distance matters more here than at a smaller venue. A ten-minute walk on a quiet afternoon can take fifteen when the pavements are busy and it’s raining sideways off the Forth. If you want to eat without watching the clock, aim for somewhere within five minutes of the doors.
Within that radius you have three broad options:
- The Omni Centre, right next to the theatre on Greenside Place, with a cinema and a run of chain restaurants.
- St James Quarter, a few minutes up Leith Street, with its food hall and restaurant floors.
- The independents at the top of Leith Walk and on Broughton Street, including cafes, bars and small restaurants.
Taste of Italy is in that last group, at 9 Baxter’s Place. It’s around a two-minute walk to the Playhouse doors.
How much time do you need before a show?
Most evening performances at the Playhouse start at 7.30pm, though matinees and some touring productions run to different times, so check your ticket. Doors usually open about 45 minutes before curtain up.
Here’s a timing plan that works for most people:
For a 7.30pm show
- 5.30pm to 5.45pm: arrive and order. This is the sweet spot before the busiest window.
- 6.45pm: finish, pay, maybe grab a coffee or an espresso to go.
- 7pm: walk the two minutes to the theatre, with time for the bar or the cloakroom.
If you’re coming straight from work or a train, an hour is enough at a cafe with a short, well-practised menu. An hour and a quarter is comfortable. Anything over 90 minutes and you’ll be sitting with an empty plate feeling smug.
For a matinee
Matinee audiences tend to eat lunch first or have something afterwards. A late breakfast, brunch or early lunch from noon works well, and on a cold afternoon a bowl of soup with a panini covers it without slowing you down for the second act.
Booking vs walking in on a show night
Many restaurants near the Playhouse get booked out on big nights, particularly when a long-running musical or a panto is in. Pre-theatre menus with a fixed time slot can feel rushed if your table isn’t ready when you arrive.
Taste of Italy doesn’t take reservations at all. That sounds like a risk, but on a show night it often works in your favour: the room turns over quickly because a lot of people are eating to a deadline, so tables come up regularly. There’s no booking slot to miss if your train runs late, and no deposit to lose if plans change.
A few honest tips for walking in:
- Arrive before 6pm if you’re a group of four or more.
- If it’s busy, takeaway is always an option. A panini or a slice of cake eaten on the walk to Greenside Place is a perfectly respectable pre-theatre meal.
- Tell your server you’re heading to the Playhouse. They hear it every night and will pace things accordingly.
What to eat before the theatre
Pre-theatre food has one job: fill you up without sending you to sleep in a warm auditorium. There’s no fixed pre-theatre menu to work around, so here’s what tends to work from the a la carte menu. Prices are from the current menu and can change.
If you’ve got an hour
Pasta is the obvious call because it’s quick to cook and comes out hot. The spaghetti carbonara (£13.45) is made with egg yolk, parmesan, cracked black pepper and a touch of cream. The penne calabrese (£13.45) has Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, rocket and pecorino, and it has enough going on to feel like a proper dinner.
The kitchen’s sauces are made with double cream rather than a béchamel shortcut, and the durum wheat pasta comes from Gragnano, outside Naples. That’s the kind of detail you notice when the pasta holds its bite.
If you want something lighter
Panini are made fresh with toasted ciabatta or focaccia, all at £7.95. The Sant’Elia (Italian sausage, friarielli and scamorza) and the Palermo (grilled courgette, aubergine, peppers, ricotta and provolone) are the two to know. Add a mug of soup for £3 more and you have a proper meal for under £11.
From the starters, the arancino di carne (£6.95) is a breaded rice ball filled with tomato, mince and mozzarella, served with salad and a Napoli sauce. It works as a light dinner on its own.
If you’re sharing
A 12-inch pizza between two, plus a side, is good value and quick. The Calabrese (£14.45) has no tomato sauce: smoked mozzarella, Italian sausage, ‘nduja, parmesan and wild broccoli. The Bianca e Blu (£13.95) is another white pizza, with gorgonzola, caramelised onions and sliced potato.
A drink before curtain up
An Aperol Spritz or a Hugo Spritz (both £9) is about as Italian a pre-show drink as you’ll get. If you’re driving, the Crodino (£5) is an alcohol-free Italian aperitivo, sparkling and bittersweet. The full list is on the dessert and drinks menu.
After the show: the Edinburgh Playhouse late crowd
When the curtain comes down at around 10pm, 3,000 people come out onto Greenside Place at once. Some head straight for the tram at Picardy Place or the buses on Leith Street. Others want something sweet, a coffee, or a last drink to talk the show over.
Taste of Italy is open early till late every day, which makes it one of the easiest after-show stops near the Playhouse. A few ideas:
- Gelato: one scoop is £3, and there’s always a flavour of the week. If you’ve never been sure what separates it from standard ice cream, our guide to gelato vs ice cream explains it.
- Affogato (£6.40): a scoop of gelato drowned in espresso. Dessert and coffee in one glass.
- Homemade tiramisu (£5.90) or a cannolo siciliano (£5), a crisp pastry tube filled with sweetened ricotta.
- An Espresso Martini (£9.50), which the menu offers “in all flavours”.
Or take a box of mini cannoli (£2 each) back to the hotel.
Other things worth knowing about the area
A good pre-theatre plan is about more than dinner. The top of Leith Walk is one of the best-connected corners of Edinburgh, and a bit of local knowledge saves time.
Getting to the Playhouse
- By tram: the Picardy Place stop is on the line between the airport and Newhaven, and it’s a minute from the theatre.
- By bus: Edinburgh Bus Station on Elder Street is a few minutes’ walk. Many Lothian routes stop on Leith Street and Leith Walk.
- By train: Waverley Station is roughly a ten-minute walk, mostly downhill on the way there and uphill on the way back.
- By car: there are multi-storey car parks at the Omni Centre and at St James Quarter. Both fill up on show nights, so leave extra time.
Shopping first
If you’re making a day of it, St James Quarter and the Omni Centre are both within a few minutes’ walk. Our guide covers where to eat around both.
Arriving early in the day
Coming in on an early train for a matinee? Taste of Italy opens at 8am. A full Scottish (£13.25) will keep you going until the interval and beyond. There’s more on morning options in our guide to the best breakfast in Edinburgh.
Where Taste of Italy fits
There are plenty of places to eat near the Edinburgh Playhouse. Chains at the Omni Centre suit people who want a familiar menu, and St James Quarter has a wide choice under one roof.
Taste of Italy is for people who want something closer to the real thing, without the formality. It’s part of the Vittoria Group, the Crolla family’s group of Edinburgh Italian restaurants, and the sourcing reflects that: DOP and IGP products, from the extra virgin olive oil to the Bufala Campana; a spicy salami that takes six weeks to cure; organic free-range chicken and beef from Aberdeen. You can read more about the cafe and its pre-theatre food.
It’s also quick, it’s good value, and it’s two minutes from your seat. On a show night, those three things matter more than anything else.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest restaurant to the Edinburgh Playhouse?
Several places sit within a five-minute walk, including restaurants in the Omni Centre next door. Taste of Italy, at 9 Baxter’s Place at the top of Leith Walk, is around a two-minute walk from the Playhouse doors.
Do I need to book for pre-theatre dinner near the Playhouse?
Many restaurants nearby recommend booking on show nights. Taste of Italy doesn’t take reservations, so just walk in. Arriving before 6pm for a 7.30pm show gives you the best chance of a table straight away, especially for larger groups.
How long before an Edinburgh Playhouse show should I eat?
Plan to sit down around two hours before curtain up, finish about 30 minutes before, and allow a few minutes to walk over. Doors usually open around 45 minutes before the performance, but check your ticket.
Is there anywhere to eat near the Playhouse after a show?
Yes. Taste of Italy is open early till late every day, so you can stop for gelato, coffee, cake or a cocktail after the show. Several bars on Leith Walk and Broughton Street also stay open late.
Can I get takeaway near the Edinburgh Playhouse?
Yes. Most of the Taste of Italy menu can be taken away, and you can order ahead for collection or get delivery through Deliveroo.
Is there parking near the Edinburgh Playhouse?
The nearest multi-storey car parks are at the Omni Centre and St James Quarter. They get busy on show nights, so public transport is usually easier. The Picardy Place tram stop is a minute from the theatre.
Before the curtain goes up
If you’ve got tickets for the Playhouse, the simplest plan is the best one. Have a look at the full menus, turn up at Baxter’s Place an hour or so before you need to be in your seat, and order the carbonara.