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Iris

Iris
47a Thistle Street
Edinburgh, EH2 1DY
Phone: 0131 220 2111
Email:
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  • Food served: Mon–Sat noon–10.30pm; Sun 11am–10.30pm
  • Number of wines sold by the glass: 13
  • Also offers: Gluten-free options, Children's portions
  • Music on stereo: Blues, jazz, light R&B
  • Capacity: 58
  • Largest group: 58
  • Open since: 2007
View larger map of EH2 1DY
  • Average price:
     £11.95 (set lunch)
     £20 (evening meal)
  • House wine: £12.95 per bottle

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Eating & Drinking Guide

The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.

The New Town location naturally lends itself to business lunches and out-of-hours socialising, but a keenly priced lunch offer, imaginative à la carte and new Sunday brunch menu make Iris a genuinely crowd pleasing, mid-range all-rounder. A main course of chicken supreme comes decadently stuffed with langoustines and finished with a garlic cream sauce, while a lighter dish of roasted monkfish on puy lentils, smoky chorizo and finely chopped vegetables is no less bursting with flavour. Dishes are attractively presented but not always generously accompanied, so novel side dishes such as sweet and sour roasted tomatoes, or fried sweet potato with chilli and coriander mayonnaise are well worth considering. A concise dessert list encompasses the stunningly simple (vanilla pod ice-cream) and the really rather special. A slice of griddled pineapple is topped with a remarkable sea buckthorn sorbet that hits the taste buds with an almost pyrotechnically sour, sherbety fizz. The décor is chic and contemporary and the staff have a knack of making even the busiest service seem smooth and effortless. All in all, it’s a winning formula.

  • High point: Good food in a stylish setting
  • Low point: Table-spacing can be a little intimate

The LIST Card F48

Buy a LIST Card

This restaurant offers the standard 2-for-1 LIST Card promotion for:

Lunch: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu

Dinner: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu

Remember: book by phone (0131 220 2111) and ask for a LIST Card booking.

The LIST Card is a dining scheme that gives you promotional two-for-one offers at a range of restaurants in Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond. Find out more.

Reviews of Iris (47a Thistle Street, Edinburgh)

4. ecopressure, Edinburgh – 7 April 2011, 8:18pm4 starsIrisReport

Used our List Card at Iris yesterday for a great pre theatre meal. The decor was modern and tasteful, the inside was much bigger than I had expected.
Our menu was varied, exciting and to be honest we could have happily eaten any of the choices. Service was prompt, friendly but not overbearing.
We will be back at full price! as we felt very welcome.

3. Murmarjan, Edinburgh – 8 March 2010, 4:22pm4 starsIrisReport

We enjoyed our lunch at Iris and found the food to be excellent. It was just a pity that we found the premises rather cold. On speaking to others who have visited Iris it would seem this is a common complaint. Surely the comfort of your diners should be part of the dining out experience!

2. portygal, Edinburgh – 29 September 2009, 9:42pm5 starsIrisReport

I really like Iris - the food is excellent and the staff very friendly and attentive. I've recommended this to friends for both special occasions and business dinners, and they've not been disappointed.

1. McAllister/Kwek, Iris – 18 May 2009, 8:26pm4 starsIrisReport

Early Monday evening visit. Only one other table so very attentive waiter. White bread and butter on arrival. Would have preferred brown but we are struggling to fault this place! Starters excellent. Mussels huge with a generous helping of bacon and pinenuts in creamy sauce. Deep fried squid rings light and tasty with a zingy lemon garlic mayonnaise. Mains of steak in a lemony pepper sauce and chicken supreme stuffed with languistines. Both delicious but did have to add sides of green beans and sweet and sour tomatoes (unusual and well worth tasting). Desserts of chocolate truffle torte and lemon tart with berry coulis finished it off nicely. Exciting start to our List card experience. Certainly didn't feel like we were treated half as well as we were paying half the price.

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