Prestonpans Restaurant Guide

This “absolute stalwart”, in a 17th-century watchtower by the Water of Leith, delivers “great fresh fish, beautifully cooked in a kitchen the size of a 50p piece” – “lovely staff, all very hectic, but it just works”. The flagship of a small group established more than 20 years ago, some reporters find it “slightly more relaxed than the city branch”. Top Menu Tip – “the prawn cocktail is to die for”.

Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s Leith HQ occupies a converted warehouse and has shown amazing longevity since it opened in 2006 as one of the Scottish capital’s most commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll. There are gripes here in the feedback we receive, almost entirely to do with those who feel the experience is “good but overpriced”. On balance, though, positivity is still the order of the day and the vast majority of reports acclaim it as somewhere that “never disappoints, with always something really interesting and fabulous on the menu”. Choose from either a three-course à la carte (for £125 per person); or there is a tasting option (at £155 per person) – “the theatre of the service is extraordinary, with front of house staff who are attentive but not overly so, carefully choreographing the emergence of food from the kitchen. Behind the glass screen, the chefs and kitchen staff beaver away in an organised and calm manner and the ambience is lovely. Yes, it was on the expensive side, but as a theatrical gastronomic experience it was worth every penny… it‘s just a shame that we live nearly 500 miles away”.

“Flavours just sing and they are so good with textures and deft seasoning” at Roberta Hall-McCarron’s renowned foodie hotspot – “a small dining room with a laid-back atmosphere”. Numerous best meals of the year are reported here from either a three-course menu for £69 per person, or a five-course version for £89 per person. All of the good number of reports we receive from its dedicated fan club say it’s plain “terrific”.

“Truly exceptional food and always-lovely service” have won renown for this six-table operation on the south side of the city, which provides a no-choice tasting menu experience for which you are advised to leave two-and-a-half hours. In March 2024, chef Conor Toomey moved on and Tyler King is now at the stoves. Given this change so close to our annual diners’ poll, we’ve left it unrated for the time being.

“A stalwart in Edinburgh and one we always gravitate to” – Paul & Lisa Wedgwood’s basement on the Royal Mile is “is a conveniently located gem right in the middle of Edinburgh”. All reports attest to its “brilliant attention to detail”. “Paul is a passionate forager and you can always find something really interesting that you want to know more about on your plate” – and his seasonally changing menus are “beautifully sourced” and “excellent”. There’s a “great selection of wine by the glass as well as the bottle” too.

“It’s a bit out of the way down Leith Walk” and “you have to go into the shop to find it”, but it’s “worth a detour” to discover the café behind this “Edinburgh legend” – a deli and wine merchant that’s been going strong since 1934, and where diners profit from a truly miniscule (£6) corkage fee on any of the fine wines available in the store. Also on the menu, “great coffee (as you‘d expect) and a wide variety of Italian dolce and snacks” (“if the pizza is on at lunchtime, have it – you won’t regret it”).

This pioneering venue, just off Holyrood Road, was founded back in 2002, and even with far more competition locally these days has kept its crown as the city’s best-known veggie; the “very enjoyable” food (“even for non-vegetarians”) combines Scottish traditions with influences ranging from the Med to Japan (think veggie haggis alongside tofu stir fries).

“Delicious, perfectly cooked Indian small plates always hit the spot” at this spin-off from the well-known Glasgow original, which – with a convenient and very atmospheric location – nowadays achieves greater feedback than the original. Although billed as ‘tapas’, “helpings are more than generous”.

With two cousins in London – not to mention others in Vegas, Singapore and throughout the Gulf states – this long-trailed newcomer finally debuted on the 10th floor of the W Hotel after years of waiting. It offers a similarly glossy combination of striking metropolitan decor (bars, oudoor terraces, indoor trees) and luxurious Latino/Japanese bites (tacos, tempura, sushi), and although it has yet to inspire any feedback in our annual diners’ poll it inspired a thumbs-up from The Scotsman’s Rosalind Erskine in her December 2023 review: “undoubtedly a stylish place to be seen but unlike some venues like this, the food actually stands up to scrutiny”.

“A real treat. A top experience” – “it’s afternoon tea in a posh hotel... but they know what they’re doing and do it very, very well” in the elegant glass-domed lounge of this Edinburgh landmark: “savoury food and patisserie both excel, in a space that is so beautiful they‘d be full even if the food was dross!” all served by “brilliant staff who provide great theatre: the tea pouring is something else!”. This year’s biggest complaint? “A huge array of delicious food… but way too much for me!”

Marcelline Levicky’s “friendly” New Town staple is a “small but buzzing French-style bistro” that has been of note for its “good value” cooking for aeons and remains distinctly amicale to the wallet (the set lunch is £18.90 and dinner a far from extortionate £32.50).

“The same quality of steaks that you always get with Hawksmoor, in a fabulous space in a great building” – feedback that suggests no dip in quality for this outpost of the well-known steakhouse chain (which most recently opened in Chicago). As with its London siblings, though, its middling ratings are a result of high prices and a slight sense of “hype”. Also “it’s a very big and striking room, but can easily feel a bit empty”.

“Great fun if you don’t mind queuing on the pavement… and the food is great” – this northern outpost of London’s famous Indian chain on St Andrew’s Square was the first outside the capital (it opened in 2016). Similarly based on the Parsi cafés of Mumbai, it has seemed a fraction less all-conquering, though, as south of the border: feedback is nearly all positive, but not in as huge a volume as one might expect. Top Tip – “I despise their evening no-bookings policy. I will never eat there for dinner. But I love their bacon naans so much, and you can book for breakfast. So I go for breakfast and have a fantastic time!”

“You’d have to travel a long way to find another dining room as grand” as this sumptuous cupola-topped venue – the eye-catching old Bank of Scotland above Waverley station – which is now part of the first city hotel spin-off from the storied Perthshire hotel (replete with “beautiful” bedrooms, rooftop bar and members’ club). Some 98 years younger than that grand icon, which celebrated its centenary in 2024, the all-day restaurant, which turns out upscale brasserie fare from sharing dishes to a decadent dessert trolley, failed this year to elicit huge amounts of feedback: brunch, previously a highlight, is now once-monthly only, while the other victuals can seem “good but not exciting”, thus “not up to the elevated surroundings”.

“For a large chain, they still do pretty much unbeatable Mexican fusion fare”, say fans of these “busy and atmospheric” street-food cafés, now with 11 London branches and three others around the UK. That said, there are also some niggles in feedback; and the sentiment is widespread that – though “still enjoyable” – the food can seem “a little mass-produced”. Even so, practically all diners still consider them “dependable for a quick, cheap ’n’ cheerful bite”. Top Tip – the new, 150-cover Paddington branch is their first opening in six years and puts a focus on sustainability and a menu including some larger sharing plates (e.g. grilled Achiote Seabass, Lamb Barbacoa and Chimichurri Cauliflower).