Edinburgh Restaurant Guide

The “perfect neighbourhood bistro(t)” – “a lovely little place a little way out of the centre” in Morningside “but well worth the taxi ride or walk to get there”. “It’s not exactly cheap ’n’ cheerful but very good value, using excellent ingredients and the cooking has a nice local feel”. “Staff are brilliant and very knowledgeable” and overall this remains one of the most satisfactory places to eat in the city.

“Like the difference between travelling in a Rolls Royce and an ordinary car” – “the highest of standards are maintained year after year” at Martin Wishart’s Leith HQ, which remains “one of the best restaurants in the UK”. “Imaginative, flavoursome dishes, are beautifully (but not ostentatiously) presented”, by “professional” staff who are “friendly and attentive, but never obtrusive”. “New furnishing and decoration is an improvement” in recent times to this contemporary dining room, near the waterfront.

“So unusual” and “romantic”, this “very suave candlelit basement” in the Old Town serves “top-quality Italian charcuterie and cheese, excellent pasta, fish and meat dishes, and an outstanding wine and drinks selection (primarily, but not exclusively, Italian)”. Opened in 2010, it is part of the local Vittoria group.

“An amazing experience”: individualistic chef Paul Kitching serves some “exquisite” (“perhaps a tad too complicated?”) cuisine and a notable wine selection, according to fans of his “cosy” Georgian townhouse, where he celebrates his tenth anniversary in 2019. The enigmatic title refers to the number of options on each of the five courses of his signature changing menu.

“Such a special place to dine” – the Waldorf Astoria’s “splendid” Caledonian dining room provides a perfect setting for the Galvin Bros’ “flavoursome, exciting and creative” French-based grande cuisine, which achieved the highest ratings of its seven-year tenancy this year.

Roy Brett’s “fun” haunt is set around a stylish oyster bar (£1 a pop during ‘oyster happy hour’ 5.30-6.30pm) in the Old Town. A “superb choice” of “spanking fresh fish and seafood is lovingly prepared” (“the roasted seafood platter was worth the flight alone: freshest produce carefully cooked, and a genuine thing of beauty”).

“Edinburgh’s leading gastropub” – Tom Kitchin’s “awesome and very popular” Stockbridge venture provides “astonishing quality without any pretentiousness” – “fine cooking of fine ingredients” comes at “affordable prices” in a “pleasantly relaxed” and “upscale” environment. “I love the fact that the best of the best is available to most people!”