Clamshell

The Clamshell has been frying on the Royal Mile for around forty years under the same family ownership, making it one of the longest-running food businesses on the High Street. The frontage is modest — there are just a handful of tables inside and a handful of stools at a counter — but the location, a short walk from the junction with South Bridge, puts it squarely in the path of the Old Town's heaviest visitor traffic.

The menu is classic chippy with a Scottish accent: haddock in batter, chips, scotch pies, smoked sausage, and burgers. The deep-fried Mars bar has appeared on several travel lists as a must-try novelty. It also serves a "Braveheart" pizza. TripAdvisor ratings cluster around 3.8 out of 5 from 428 reviews, with recurring praise for generous portions, hot fresh chips, and staff described as giving "every customer an extremely warm polite welcome." The kitchen runs late — Sunday to Thursday to midnight, Friday and Saturday until around 2am — meaning it catches post-theatre and post-pub trade as well as the afternoon tourist wave.