Edinburgh Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: For “great seafood”, “right in the centre of town”, you could do worse than this “easygoing”, well-preserved Victorian emporium with gilt-and-glass interiors – though you’ll find it “quieter and more civilised at lunchtime”.

2021 Review: “New to Edinburgh and certainly living up to its reputation”: the “classy” first Scottish outpost of the famous steakhouse chain – housed in the former Bank of Scotland HQ on St Andrew Square – opened in 2018, and it’s hard to imagine feedback that’s much more positive: all locals extol its “perfect steak”; “friendly” and “well-informed service”; and “great wines”.

2021 Review: “Fan-bloody-tastic!” – for “sumptuous” tapas dishes or a “different type of breakfast” (a top tip here), in a “fun, buzzy atmosphere”, this “very welcome addition to the Edinburgh dining scene” (the first offshoot of the celebrated Parsi chain outside the Big Smoke) is just the ticket.

2021 Review: “An ever-evolving, fun take on Mexican street food offering zingy flavours (plus a damn fine margarita)” all “efficiently served” in a “bright and buzzy” environment seems to have protected Thomasina Miers’s popular chain from much of the casual dining fall-out of recent times; and it remains “the most dependable of fast(ish) food chains” for many reporters. In particular, it’s “perfect for kids”, and families appreciate that “you fill up well for the price”. At the end of 2020, as a result of the Pandemic, the chain was rescued by Dick Enthoven, the billionaire owner of Nando's who put in £4m in exchange for a majority stake.

2021 Review: “Lots of ladies lunching” indicates that this branch of Richard Caring’s Ivy roll-out is hitting an important segment of its target market. With its “reliably slick service” and “stylish surroundings”, it “doesn’t let you down” on keeping up appearances, but there’s a familiar feeling that, beneath the gloss, “the food is just ordinary” – and “rather overpriced”.

2021 Review: “The lift ride up to the 39th floor is part of the fun”, when you visit the “amazing” City branch, in the Heron Tower, of this US-based chain (with siblings in Vegas and Miami): a Hollywood-esque scene, complete with a ritzy cocktail bar; vertigo-inducing outside terrace; and svelte dining room boasting “incredible views”. But while it can offer an all-round “great experience” – not least “fabulous” funky, fusion fare – its “pretty-looking” dishes come at extragalactic prices and sceptics feel that “you can eat this style of cuisine better elsewhere” nowadays. (Gripes of an overly “sweet note” to dishes also crept in this year). Its two-year-old WC2 sibling likewise has a superb setting on top of Covent Garden Market, overlooking the back of the Royal Opera House. But while it, too, is “all very slick and fashionable”, it, too, charges “obscene prices albeit for decent food” and – lacking the high-rise glam of the Square Mile – can seem more “clinical” and “pleased with itself”.

The "iconic sporting and country estate is launching its first ever city outpost" in Spring 2022, taking over the old Bank of Scotland headquarters in New Town, and offering bedrooms, a private members' club and an all-day restaurant.

2021 Review: David Howie Scott’s flagship venue at the foot of Calton Hill celebrates its 30th anniversary last year as a purveyor of inexpensive Scottish classics. The odd reporter feels that it’s “nice enough, but not the stand-out it could be”, but that’s within the context of pretty solid ratings overall. There are two spinoffs in Edinburgh and one in Aberdeen.

2021 Review: “The hearty food and wine of the Languedoc” dominate the menu at Jean-Michel Gauffre’s “enjoyable” Old Town stalwart, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary and remains “a fine place to dine”. There’s also a “huge wine list, mainly from southern France with many rare and unusual bottles from Languedoc and Roussillon”.

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.

2021 Review: “The setting is lovely” at this intriguing, all-day yearling (open from breakfast): a cantilevered structure, partially suspended over Calton Hill, with panoramic views across Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth. It’s a partnership between The Gardener’s Cottage restaurant and Collective (the organisation that has redeveloped the City Observatory), and all reports say it serves “great” modern bistro fare.

2021 Review: The oldest trad boozer on the Royal Mile (est 1742) has now been reincarnated as an oyster and seafood bar – the name switching connotation from the equine to the maritime. It has won immediate high ratings for its “outstanding” crustacea.

2021 Review: “Expect a twist on the ordinary” at Gordon Craig’s “cracking” three-year-old – “a modern space” with greige tongue-and-groove panelling, which has proven “a very welcome addition to the restaurant scene in Stockbridge”. “It’s difficult to describe the cuisine, but it is deliciously eclectic, with some lovely, unusual flavours”: “not always 100% successful but interesting and for the quality, very good value”.

2021 Review: This “consistently entertaining” and “very French bistro (better than many in France nowadays!)” is a “reliable” source of reasonably priced classic dishes, with “friendly” (if “slightly chaotic) service”. The Antigua Street branch closed down a couple of years ago.