A short walk south of the Royal Mile lies Bruntsfield, one of the first places in the world where golf was played, and where the first golf society was established (on Bruntsfield Links) in the early 18th century.
Today Bruntsfield has a well-maintained city-village feel, and is a haven for a fine array of locally-managed businesses, with only a handful of chain stores interrupting the accumulation of independent traders . There's a heady bunch of barbers, beauticians and stylists as well as quirky up-cycled furniture shops and craft jewellers, alongside traditional community premises like a family-owned butcher, a fishmonger, and a community greengrocer.
But it's the array of food joints which makes the main drag of Bruntsfield Place truly worth a wander, whether you're a local or a visitor.
Fine dining, Italian style
The Main Courses
For fine dining, book a table at Osteria del Tempo Perso, currently celebrating its first year in the area, to enjoy authentic Italian dishes served up in classy and comfortable surroundings. Or treat yourself to a spontaneous night off from cooking and washing up, and take advantage of the two courses for £10 menu at Montpeliers bar and restaurant. With a fine selection of more than 25 beers and ales, including regularly changing guest brews, they are also the longest-serving of all the local eateries as they've been been trading from the same premises for more than 20 years. The Three Birds Restaurant, a small but perfectly formed provider of contemporary British cuisine, nestles at the top of Viewforth, with an intriguing array of creative and original dishes on their daily lunch and dinner menus.
The Morning After
Whether you're needing to shake off the excesses of the night before with a strong coffee, or simply want a quality cooked breakfast, Project Coffee is open from 7.30am most mornings, offering a friendly and comfortable place to gather your thoughts and set yourself up for the day ahead. Their full breakfast is generally portioned and their coffee is (as you'd expect) freshly ground, and with a fine selection of homemade scones and cakes, you can catch up with a selection of morning papers in the comfy sofas, or take a stool at the window and idly watch the world for a while.
The Picnic
On one of the rare warm days of a Scottish summer, you can pick up the necessary ingredients for a picnic on the Links from Falko, specialising in artisan breads and all manner of exquisite German cakery, and its Italian-oriented neighbour 181 Delicatessen, which stocks a great range of meats, cheeses and sweet treats. Both also offer sit-in services too, for those statistically more likely days when the sun just don't shine.
Organic treats from the Chocolate Tree
The Sweet Tooth
Bruntsfield also boasts Coco, an artisan chocolatier providing a myriad of hand-crafted truffles and other indulgent confectionery; fabulously luxuriant Italian ice cream from Nardini's cafe and gelateria; Meadowberry frozen yoghurt (for the moderately more health-conscious); richly warming hot chocolate and organic handcrafted slabs of brown gold at the Chocolate Tree; and an exclusive provider of Artisan Cheesecakes opening soon.
A popular suburban green space
Even on only moderately pleasant summer evenings, the air in Bruntsfield can be heavy with the aroma of barbecues wafting over from the expansive green space, where a mix of families and students alike seize every opportunity to enjoy the best of British al fresco dining. And, of course, the area maintains its links (so to speak) with the past, with visitors still able play golf for free on the public short-hole course. Clubs and balls are available to hire for a small fee from the adjacent Golf Tavern, which also serves as a handy place to enjoy a post-game pint.
All this just a short walk (or an even shorter bus ride) away from Edinburgh's centre. No wonder the locals might prefer that Bruntsfield stays a well kept city secret.
See more things to do in Edinburgh from Time Out.