Hitlisted within 5 miles of Edinburgh

Meaning ‘home’ in Swedish, Hemma is the latest addition to Mike and Anna Christopherson’s string of Scandinavian style bars. And with its soft furnishings and quirky interiors, it does indeed have a laidback, homely atmosphere, despite the modern feel…

Beer and burgers are the main draw at Holyood 9a, and both are worth a trip to this corner of the Old Town. A selection of 11 beers is permanently on draught and, combined with another 10 rotational pumps, constitutes one of Edinburgh’s best selections…

Bonsai Bar Bistro provides a clear rebuttal to the notion that Japanese cuisine in the UK is expensive and exclusive. The small but perfectly formed restaurant is known for its welcoming atmosphere and has a wide-ranging menu that offers something for…

Rivage may seem an understated presence from the outside, but there’s nothing low-key about the restaurant’s menu or the kitchen’s execution of it. Husband and wife team Ryad Meeajane and Catherine Thomson look after the kitchen and front of house…

Kampong Ah Lee Malaysian Delight is a compact, canteen-style restaurant serving authentic Malaysian food in basic but comfortable surroundings. Its small shop front may be easy to miss, but it remains well known and popular with students seeking an…

When you head to Tanjore, and it’s heartily recommended you do, there are two reasons to bring an appetite. First, this is where to sample the finest Southern Indian cuisine in Edinburgh. Second, you’ll be tempted to order everything on the enticing…

Ajay Bhartdwaj, owner and head chef of Kalpna, has spent over 30 years correcting the particularly British sensibility that Indian cuisine ought be a meaty affair. Indian cookery in its most traditional form is almost entirely meat-free; something which…

The name 21212 derives from its unusual menu concept, offering two choices for starter, main and dessert interspersed with soup and cheese (you can choose to have three, four or five courses). However, what’s truly original is chef Paul Kitching’s style…

Anteaques is to tea drinkers what Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory is to small children. A smell of floral blends wafts between rows of tin caddies filled with weird and wonderful concoctions for the teapot. Forget lunch and savoury snacks, you won’t…

Something of a Glasgow stalwart, the Edinburgh branch of Mother India’s Cafe opened in 2008 and has replicated the popularity of its western sibling. Serving up Indian food in tapas-sized portions ensures the restaurant maintains a buzzing social feel…

Rocking the boho bedsit chic, with elegantly mismatched retro furniture, lampshades and crockery, this is one Spoon that’s unquestionably more loving than greasy. The menu’s packed with wholesome, healthy options, a decent proportion of which are…

Run by two talented chefs with impressive restaurant experience between them (including The Atrium, The Kitchin, The Outsider, Café St Honore and Falko), Gardener’s Cottage is a relatively new addition to Edinburgh dining. Be transported out of the city…

Proud to call itself Edinburgh’s first Lebanese restaurant, Beirut offers some of the best-value lunch deals in town. Its keen pricing and reasonable BYOB charges make it an attractive option for anyone looking for interesting food without breaking open…

Playing host to world-class work, the Fruitmarket Gallery is a well-regarded contemporary art venue incorporating a popular café and a terrific bookshop. One café wall displays past and present exhibition posters and, although tables are tightly packed…

Despite its tiny size, revolutionary soup cafe Union of Genius is a big presence on Edinburgh's food scene. Their fast-food approach to soups is perfectly customer friendly, with a choice of six daily concoctions (for example a traditional cream of leek…

Perfectly framed by Ondine’s windows, a couple flirt at a bus stop on George IV Bridge. Their bus arrives and they disappear, off to continue their story somewhere else. Could they, should they have come in for dinner? Ondine feels like one of those…

From the moment you pass through the chic bar en route to the restaurant upstairs, your senses will be assailed by a riot of colour, rich flavours and music shared with the rest of the building. Seats covered in fabrics from the Missoni fashion house…

Disguised as an old warehouse, Earthy Market Café is a surprising hidden gem for those who love all things wholesome and hearty. Earthy, which also operates a bistro-café and small shop in Canonmills, is an operation run by people who care about food…