Edinburgh, Scottish Restaurant Guide

“Still the best in Edinburgh” – Martin Wishart delivers “a glorious celebration of Scottish fare” at this “slightly formal” operation. “This is serious no-nonsense cooking from the canapés, to the amuse bouche, and you can opt for the tasting menu, à la carte, vegetarian tasting menu and fish tasting menu; plus a fantastic selection of wine and wine flights”. Stylewise, it’s “a classic modern dining room” in “a nice location by the water in Leith”, and “with a level of service akin to that of a top London hotel”. “The only quibble is the very limited choice at lunchtime” although the set deal is “overall very good value for the price”.

“I would travel a LONG way for these exceptional, innovative flavours” says a London-based reporter about this Fountainbridge fixture, opened in 2012 in the “charismatic” space of a converted Victorian warehouse, and serving a selection of Ben Radford’s Scandi-influenced tasting menus (from four-courses to eight-courses), offset by a “long” wine list of exclusively natural wines from small European producers.

“Lives up to the hype, year after year” – fans of Tom Kitchin’s Stockbridge gastroboozer insist it serves “hands-down the best pub grub in Edinburgh”. “The menu has a Scottish focus and the décor is fairly tartan-heavy, so it’s a perfect place to introduce visitors to Scottish pub food”. “Charming staff” and “a nice choice of kids’ options” add further to the appeal. Even some fans, though, acknowledge that it’s “not cheap”.

Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s “relaxed and informal” Leith warehouse conversion remains one of Edinburgh’s most-mentioned destinations thanks to Tom’s “innovative” dishes that are (aside from “the odd minor glitch”) “generally very skillfully made”. Ratings would be even higher, were it not for one or two reporters who judge it as “overpriced and underwhelming”, but this remains a minority verdict.

“Stupidly expensive but bags of fun” – James Thomson opened his “warm, quirky, and brilliant” (if somewhat touristy) sixteenth-century merchant’s house very near Edinburgh Castle 40 years ago, and it’s undoubtedly “very atmospheric” both in its Gothic oak-panelled dining room or beautiful ‘Secret Garden’. The traditional Scottish cuisine is OK, but its main distinguishing culinary feature is “a heavyweight wine list backed up by a strong selection of malt whiskies and other digestifs”. Plan on over-indulging? Book one of its glam bedrooms.

“It’s always a pleasure to dine” at this “beautiful restaurant, slightly off the beaten track in glorious Edinburgh” – the “contemporary décor” is matched by “sublime, beautifully cooked” modern European dishes, which benefit from chef Maciej Szymik’s “very different presentation”. “Staff are welcoming and attentive”. There’s now a sibling brasserie in the West End, Otro.