Phil Wang’s Go-To Edinburgh Fringe Spots, From Handmade Noodles to Hidden Pubs
Phil Wang has been coming to the Edinburgh Fringe for more than a decade — around 14 visits in total — and he says the festival town feels special. He loves the way the old city splits into two levels, with Cowgate below, and compares it to a medieval Hogwarts-like town. These are the places he returns to year after year.
For food, Wang heads to Noodles and Dumplings on South Clerk Street, where he had one of the best wonton noodle soups of his life in 2017. The noodles and wontons are made in the shop, and small cold platters of nuts and pickles cost about £1. After he posted about it, the place became a favourite among comedians. Mosque Kitchen, closer to the centre, feels like a canteen: big portions of rice and curry, cheap prices, and spinach, nans, pakoras and raita on offer. It’s busy with comedians and works well for a quick, filling meal between shows. Macau Kitchen, run by Kei and Hoeyyn, is described as the only Macanese restaurant in the UK. Wang discovered it in 2019 while reviewing restaurants on Twitter and named it his winner; the owners framed his tweet and put it on the wall. It’s tiny and hard to get into, with food mixing Malaysian, Macanese, Chinese and Portuguese. He suggests the sour pork curry.
For drinks, the Pleasance Courtyard is the most accessible and consistently lively bar area, with comedians milling around and occasional celebrity sightings. Summerhall, tucked inside old medical school buildings, has a cosy pub called the Royal Dick and a terrace. Brass Monkey has floor cushions and nooks; Wang calls it the best date spot in Edinburgh.
Among venues, he rates Monkey Barrel 3 as a fantastic standup room and Pleasance Beneath as a cool escape from the heat and crowds. Between shows, he makes a point of visiting the Museum of Scotland to see a carved whale jawbone made by a British crew in the 19th century, enjoys the views from Calton Hill without the Arthur’s Seat hike, and loves the fairytale feel of Dean Village.
He also highlights 2026 shows from Ed Night, Bella Hull, Joseph Morpurgo and Pierre Novellie. Wang’s own new show, Uh Oh, tours the UK from September 2026.