Edinburgh, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: Owned by the Crolla family (who started Valvona & Crolla, Scotland’s oldest deli and Italian wine merchant – see also), this sixteenth century fine dining spot is a beacon on the otherwise touristy Royal Mile owing to its “well-cooked and well-seasoned” Scottish fare and “good value Sunday lunch”; for a truly intimate dining experience, try ‘Halo’, upstairs, which seats just four.

“Is this the most amazing restaurant space in Edinburgh, if not Scotland?” – “perched high up on Calton Hill and looking down on the city” from a striking cantilevered structure – “who could resist the irresistible view of the Rose of the North?”. The bistro-style food is “thoroughly excellent” in some accounts – in others it’s “great... but not as good as you want it to be, when you really want it to match the amazing setting”.

David Bann’s “top-notch” and “creative” meat-free cooking produces “beautifully presented dishes, often of complex structure and ingredients”. Now in its 21st year, his Canongate venue is, fans insist, “not to be missed when in Edinburgh!”.

2021 Review: “Get the best seats in the place” (at the back, which offers “beautiful views” of the castle) to make the most of a visit to this city-centre staple, also turning out “enjoyable” cuisine of a modern European bent.

“Excellent food and service” win all-round approval for this chic New Town venue from chef-owner Stuart Ralston: a follow-up to his Aizle which is inspired by his time in NYC (and named after his roomate there). There are strong Asian influences in the cooking, and a “front-of-house bar for a pre-dinner drink, sadly a rarity these days”. Top Menu Tip – “the sesame prawn toast is a favourite (as is the North Sea crab!)”.

Paul Kitching’s “wonderfully exciting food” has been a highlight of Edinburgh’s dining scene for almost 15 years, served in the signature ‘formation’ of his restaurant’s name: a choice of 2 starters followed by 1 soup, a choice of 2 mains, 1 cheese and 2 desserts, the line-up changing every week. There’s a “beautifully decorated and elegant drawing room for pre- and post-dinner drinks”.

2021 Review: This “real gem” on the road to Leith – “family-run with flair and passion” – “uses unusual cuts of locally sourced meats and seasonal produce to keep the cost of lunch to £10”. It’s “intimate and cosy, but on a hot summer’s day, sitting outside sipping wine and eating the amazing fresh food the kitchen sends out is a real treat”.

The Radford family’s Victorian warehouse conversion remains “relentlessly inventive and delicious”, a decade after they were among the first to bring the lessons of ‘new Nordic’ cuisine to Scotland, with foraged or pickled ingredients presented in industrial-style premises. Head chef James Murray (ex-Lyles, Le Manoir & Nur in Hong Kong) joined the team last year. Natural and low-intervention wines are also an important part of the experience. Even a diner who felt “the food is overhyped” said “what an amazing place!”

“A superb location, where the chef's culinary skills are effectively displayed” – Dean Banks is succeeding where others have failed in this plush and “romantic” dining room, dating from 1925. Culinarily speaking, it’s in a similar ambitious vein to his St Andrews venture, Haar, and even a reporter who thought it is “maybe a bit pricey” concludes that “the quality of food and the high standards effectively make this a no-brainer to visit”.

“Every course is delicious and made with meticulous care” at Paul Gunning’s small venue in a Stockbridge basement. In the evening the choice is between a 5-course and 7-course tasting menu, and it provides “excellent value (especially at lunchtime with the set 2-course and 3-course menus)”.

2022 Review: “In the Caledonian Hotel (Waldorf Astoria)” for the past couple of years, in a space previously occupied by the Galvin brothers, Mark Greenaway's hyped modern English and Scottish venture may be a little ill-named (it's less about sharing plates than heftier options) but receives feedback that’s notably sound, including for the “fab” puds and “well-presented” Sunday lunch.

2022 Review: “Good all round” – this popular and well-priced Marchmont venue keeps a local crowd happy with the French-accented dishes sent out by its owner-chefs, a Sicilian/Canadian couple who live nearby. A proper two-course lunch costs under £20, which adds to the appeal.

“Amazing – a faultless, fixed tasting menu, and the best wine pairings ever” – so say fans of Conor Toomey’s small venue a short taxi ride from the city centre. “I hate choice, so I love that there is none!” – the surprise multi-course meal takes about three hours and in 2023 prices will rise to £140 per person.

Roberta Hall-McCarron’s Leith operation opened in 2018 and relocated to this larger location in late 2021 (the original premises now housing her other venture, Eleanore, see also) and its style is “much more ‘grown-up’ in its new home”. It delivers “amazing food and great value” from a short and enticing menu. Locals note it’s “bonkers popular… admittedly, it’s exactly the kind of restaurant you want near your house…”. (To reserve, you must leave credit card details with a £45 cancellation fee if you cancel within 24 hours of the booking).

Opened, along with several other big-name London restaurants, in the new St James development in November 2022.

This “outstanding sharing plates restaurant” is “baby sister to the Little Chartroom”, and occupies the site it vacated when founders Roberta Hall & Shaun McCarron needed bigger premises for their main operation. But there’s no suggestion that Eleanore is a secondary consideration, and its “tasty changing menu” wows all who are lucky enough to bag a table.