Edinburgh, French 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”.

“A very decent choice in the posh neighbourhood of Morningside” – Roisin & Matthias Llorente’s “very friendly” and “always reliable” bistro has a strong fanclub, both amongst the locals and visitors who have truffled it out, some of whom would say it’s “Edinburgh’s top dining option” thanks its “exceptionally well-prepared” and reasonably priced modern Scottish dishes and “personal” service.

“No pretension here, just good food at the right price” – Jérôme Henry’s New Town venture (est 2017) attracts consistently enthusiastic reviews and “it’s not to denigrate the talent of the chef (quite the opposite) to say that it’s almost akin to a top-class brasserie – it takes wonderful ingredients and puts them on the plate with the minimum of interference”. Some diners feel that the “surroundings seem a bit pedestrian” in comparison to the high quality of the cuisine, whereas others feel that “it gets the balance of formality and informality just right”.

“French romantic at its best… I felt transported 500 miles south” – Neil Forbes’s “intimate brasserie” is a long-term fixture of the New Town, and wins glowing all-round praise for its “lovely cosy atmosphere” and “delicious” food that’s “always consistent”, too.

“The hearty food and wine of the Languedoc” dominate the menu at Jean-Michel Gauffre’s “enjoyable” Old Town stalwart, which celebrates its 20th anniversary next year 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”.

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.

“The French bistro food always hits the mark” at this “friendly” 10-year-old West End outfit with a “lively and convincingly authentic atmosphere”. Chef-patron Fred Berkmiller, from the Loire Valley, also owns L’Escargot Blanc nearby.