Lothian is the home of Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, and the second most visited city in the United Kingdom. Over the past 10 years or so, there has been a rise in the number of halal restaurants, cafes and butchers in the Edinburgh metropolitan area, which coincides with a rise in the number of Muslims (predominantly Indian/Pakistanis and North Africans) coming to live here. Unfortunately there are still not enough halal eateries to meet demand. Glasgow, which is about 35 miles away along the M8, has a much more varied choice of halal restaurants due to the presence of a much larger Muslim community there. Still, there are options worth considering. The majority of halal restaurants in Edinburgh are of Indian/Pakistani origin and include
Bangalore Tandoori Restaurant,
Kebab Mahal and
Iman's Restaurant, along with
Mya Restaurant (Thai) and
Elfalafel (Middle Eastern). Given the tourism advantage, Edinburgh's offerings could increase, giving its Glaswegian neighbours a run for their money.