Grassmarket

Transformed in recent years from a traffic-heavy tourist spot into a leafy, European-ish avenue with ample al fresco dining options, the Grassmarket is a pleasant place to while away an afternoon in the capital. A historic marketplace and, far more gruesomely, place of execution, the plaza is beset on all sides by bars, hotels and independent shops, and hosts regular market events and the odd special festival extravaganza.