Food and Drink in St Andrews
Despite being a fairly small town, St Andrews is full of a wide range of options for food and drink, from cosy cafes for your daily latte to Michelin starred restaurants for a celebration. To help you settle in for the first few weeks, here are our recommendations of a few places to get you started.
Firstly – and most importantly – are the University Cafes. There are several spread around the various university buildings. For foundation students, you’ll most likely use Updates Cafe in the Physics building, Fairlie’s cafe in the Medicine building, the Rector’s cafe in the main Union building, and Franki’s cafe in the main library. You can find full details of all of the University cafes here – Cafes – Community facilities – University of St Andrews
These cafes provide a good range of refreshments, from teas and coffees to panini and jacket potatoes. They’re among the cheapest places to get food and drink in town, and usually run meal-deal offers which provide an even greater discount. While they may not be your destination for a birthday celebration, they’re likely to be the places you use the most during your studies, so get familiar with them. Often, these cafe’s also provide a wider selection of food such as protein-heavy meals for gym fanatics, and a selection of korean and japanese options from CombiniCo. Speaking of which…
CombiniCo – 91 South Street, St. Andrews KY16 9QW
https://www.combinico.com/
Korean & Japanese
CombiniCo was created a few years ago by former St Andrews students, and has been a great success. From their small 6-table shop in South Street, they provide a range of lunchtime options – Sushi, Bento boxes, Japchae, Chicken Katsu, Miso Aubergine and more, as well as a range of soft drinks.
Munch – 209C South Street, St Andrews KY16 9EF
https://www.munchstandrews.com/
Sandwiches, lunch options
If you feel like something a bit simpler, Munch is a great lunchtime option. They offer a range of hot and cold sandwiches, and occasional larger options like macaroni cheese, at a reasonably affordable level. Be careful when you leave – there are often seagulls waiting outside to snatch food from unprepared customers!
Space Café – 76 South Street, St. Andrews KY16 9JT
https://www.spacecafe.co.uk
Coffee/Bagels
SPACE is part of a larger block of student accommodation at the far end of South street, but their downstairs coffee shop is open to all. They make great coffee, as well as a range of sandwiches and bagels. They also have a record collection and turntable which you’re welcome to use – or you can even take your own records in to play! A lovely place to relax in the evening.
The Rule – 116 South Street, St. Andrews KY16 9QD
https://www.socialpubandkitchen.co.uk/rule-st-andrews
Pub – soft and alcoholic drinks, hot food
At first look, The Rule doesn’t seem that impressive – a standard pub with TVs showing sports. However, they provide a simple, clear menu of burgers, wraps, pizza and a range of other food at a manageable price. When winter comes, and you need somewhere to warm you up at lunchtime, this place can be a relief to find.
Mozza – 39 Bell Street, St. Andrews KY16 9UR
https://mozza.co.uk/
Pizza / Italian
Mozza is an italian restaurant spread over two floors, on one of the small roads between Market St and South St. Their pizzas are great quality, as is their (more limited) selection of pasta and desserts. If you’re unsure what you want to order, you can choose ‘Option 13’ and the chef will make you a surprise random selection of whatever they feel like.
Janetta’s Gelateria – 31 South St, St Andrews KY16 9QR
https://jannettas.co.uk/
Ice Cream / Gelato
Janetta’s is a St Andrews institution (pictured above). Making ice cream for over 100 years, they have a huge range of flavours and options, as well as cakes and coffee. Open 7 days a week, with a new stand also open in Dundee, a trip to Janetta’s on a hot summer day is an absolute necessity.
This list is only an introduction – our students have also recommended Taste, Subway, Little Italy, Shawarma House, The Cottage Kitchen, Jahangir, and there are new places opening all the time. Have we missed your favourite? Let us know and we can add it to the list!