Christmas seems to arrive earlier each year, with supermarkets flaunting decorations before November even begins, but for me, the festive season does not truly start until Edinburgh’s iconic Ferris wheel lights up the city centre. Edinburgh’s Christmas market opened last weekend and was recently named the best in the UK, beating flashier festive markets like London and Manchester.

However, it tends to have more mixed reception among locals who in recent years have complained about how overcrowded and expensive the stalls have become, with one person stating they paid £10 just for one pint. I grew up in Edinburgh, and some of my fondest childhood memories are of freezing yet happy walks through the Christmas lights or riding the fairground attractions, and this year, I wanted to go back and see if it is still worth the visit. One of the biggest reasons I was looking forward to visiting the Edinburgh Christmas market was to try out the city’s most famous hot chocolate that has exploded in popularity on social media. 

Upland Roast specialises in Vietnamese coffee but it was quickly become iconic for its “proper” hot chocolate, complete with toasted marshmallows, a big chocolate flake and a fine dusting of cinnamon. 

Whenever I see a picture of the hot chocolate online, I’m always struck by the bustling queues in the background, and the Edinburgh Christmas market was no exception. 

As soon as I entered, one stall immediately stood out with a massive line which was, unsurprisingly, the Upland Roast stall.

I decided to wander around the other stalls first to see if the queue would die down, and I’m glad I did as I ended up stumbling across the Erin Knitwear stall, which had lots of adorable wool knick-knacks and I couldn’t resist buying a little sheep keyring.

I also hopped on the merry-go-round, but after half an hour it was clear the line wasn’t getting any shorter, so I finally decided to brave it, but to my surprise, it moved far quicker than I expected.

I even timed it on my phone, and I was in the queue for less than six minutes. That might sound long, but considering how huge the line looked, I was honestly astonished by how efficiently everything was running, especially with only two staff members.

After being served the hot chocolate, which cost me £6.80, I went to a table nearby and I was immediately warmed up by the drink. It was rich and felt like drinking melted chocolate thanks to the full-boded cocoa flavour without being too heavy or thick. 

I really enjoyed it, and if I had to sum up the drink and my experience I would say: absolutely worth it. 

That might be controversial, but there is nothing cosier than sitting drinking a mug of really fancy hot chocolate with with merry-go-round and a brilliant Christmas light display in sight. 

The hot chocolate is made with really high-quality ingredients, and because it’s something I treat myself to only once a year, it always feels like a special experience. 

One thing that genuinely impressed me about the rest of the market was how many free samples I got to try. I tasted different pancake spreads at Curious Curds, chocolate honey from the Edinburgh Honey Co., and even a small gin sample from the Pilgrim’s stall. 

It meant I did not feel pressured to spend a lot to enjoy myself and I only ended up buying the hot chocolate, so the whole outing did not seem that expensive. 

For me, the hot chocolate was worth the price, but I can see how the costs could add up quickly if you are a local visiting multiple times throughout the season.

If you are only planning to visit the Edinburgh Christmas Market once, though, I would absolutely recommend splurging on a fancy hot chocolate. After all, how often do you get to sip something so delicious while taking in a spectacular view of a castle?