Haddington Restaurant Guide

Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s restaurant-with-rooms in the village of Gullane on Scotland’s East coast sits just a stone’s throw from Muirfield golf course, and a 30-minute drive from Edinburgh. All reports are complimentary without ever hitting any heights – viz. “great place to stay and a good restaurant, if you do stay the breakfast is spectacular”.

2022 Review: “A very classy experience with little or no fault to find”, say fans of the Roux-branded operation at this well-known Lutyens-designed golfing hotel, which looks towards the Firth of Forth, although it again attracted only a limited volume of feedback. Also acclaimed: “a lovely country-house ambience for a perfect afternoon tea, with spot-on service”. (Albert Roux, who passed away in early 2021, had been in charge of managing the cuisine here, but now it’s handled by his son, Michel Roux Jr).

Gob-smacking views over the North Sea underpin the appeal of this down-to-earth caff, which occupies six shipping containers perched on a cliff edge and a converted horse trailer (opened by Jo and Stuart McNicol as a farm diversification project in 2018). It was highlighted this year in the Times by Chitra Ramaswamy who noted “one of the best tables I’ve sat at this year. No, ANY year” and "brilliantly done” Korean panko-fried chicken bo ssam with “giant chips, skin on, dusted with plenty of paprika and drizzled with aioli”. Reports please!

Mitchell Ramsay was just 21 when he took on ownership with his older sister, Alannah, of this wood-panelled harbourside fixture in April 2025; the siblings had worked in the kitchen under former owner Jack Findlay for two-and-a-half years, earning praise as “young chefs performing to a consistently high level”. Their cooking makes the most of the region’s larder and seafood in a menu of ‘modernised classics’.

A Leith institution, set in a 17th-century watchtower (and with an offshoot in the city centre) – this stalwart venue “has been around for years, and it’s superb”, with “great fresh fish simply cooked but served with style and gusto” (for instance, “enjoyable crab burger”) – “a go-to for business lunches (always open, always reliable)”. Top Menu Tip – “try the queenie scallops; they’re stunning”.

This small, family-operated trattoria in “a popular seaside town” celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, with a reputation for cooking that’s “always delicious” backed up by “excellent service”. Founder Angelo Cocchia is the welcoming face out-front, while his daughter Daniela and her husband Daniele di Marco run the kitchen.

2024 Review: “It’s just a shack on the port but the lobster or fish ’n’ chips are spectacular” at this venue perched on North Berwick Harbour, which is open seasonally from April to October. Their suppliers are accredited by Marine Scotland, and if you fancy a change from the national dish opt for crab tacos or chowder.

Following on from his City Centre venue, Dean Banks launched this second spin-off in Leith in November 2024: a seafood specialist which has only generated limited reviews in our annual diners’ poll as yet, but where what we have is all optimistic (“a lovely fish restaurant with delicious, reliable fish dishes, as close as you can get these days to proper serving of dishes such as ‘Sole Veronique’”). His original ‘Dulse’ in the West End (at 17 Queensferry Street) also inspired praiseworthy feedback (“an excellent selection of food and an ample selection of wines. Watch out for special offers which make it more palatable to the wallet!)”.