Experience rustic, family style cooking at award-winning French restaurant La Garrigue. Sample the tastes of Languedoc at one of the most authentic restaurants in Edinburgh (Hitlisted in The List Eating & Drinking Guide 2012) or visit our fantastic little bistro in Leith.
Restaurants, Bistros & brasseries, Child friendly and "Edinburgh"
- Pink Olive
Pink Olive provides honest, unfussy, real food with relaxed friendly service that will appeals to all. - The Magnum Restaurant & Bar
At the Magnum we combine Scotland's best local ingredients with traditional flavours - Spoon
Spoon brilliantly fills the gap between the casualness of a cafe and the formality of a restaurant - Tempus
Our concept is quite simple: fresh, local, uncomplicated and delicious food
The Outsider
15/16 George IV Bridge,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1EE
‘Pink fur potatoes’ is probably a typo, but with a wine list that describes a South African chenin as ‘like falling from a white-water raft whilst passing through a peach grove’, all bets are off. The Outsider buzzes. A suspended mezzanine hovers over a…
The Basement Bar and Restaurant
10–12a Broughton Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3RH
Situated below street level, this bar looks like the sort of place American sitcom characters would head for after a hard day’s mirth-making, thanks to the obligatory neon sign, mustard-coloured walls and staff dressed in Hawaiian shirts. It could be…
A Room in the Town
18 Howe Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 6TG
A Room in the Town claims to be the place that ‘started it all’. ‘It’ is using quality Scottish produce to produce excellent eating at reasonable prices. Oh, and in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere too. Nearly 15 years on, this Room is still bang on…
Iglu
2b Jamaica Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 6HH
For all that it is tucked at the far end of a side-street, Iglu has established an enviable profile, priding itself on serving seasonal, locally-sourced, organic and wild foods in the cosy upstairs restaurant and downstairs bar area. Proving high…
Blue Moon Café
1 Barony Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 6PD
On a corner off Broughton Street this gay-friendly diner serves up simple hearty food at reasonable prices. Lunch is a particularly good deal with main courses all under £6. Daily specials include a couple of soups, which might be a velvety smooth leek…
Spoon Café Bistro
6a Nicolson Street,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9DH
Home life getting you down? Move here. Seriously. It’s open from 10am till 10pm, serving everything from morning rolls through to a three-course dinner. There’s free wi-fi. People bring you drinks. The furniture is cool kitsch-retro-chic. If only the…
A Room in the West End
26 William Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 7NH
A cheery atmosphere awaits in a Room in the West End in the basement under Teuchters pub in William Street. With its red walls, chunky furniture and three wee booths at the back if you want a bit of privacy, the style is informal. Here you’ll find…
The Boat House
22 High Street,
South Queensferry,
City of Edinburgh,
EH30 9PP
The undisputed gem in South Queensferry’s culinary crown, The Boat House has great Rail Bridge views, relaxed surrounds and a confident, creative pair of hands in the kitchen. Split into two parts – with a newly renovated seating area upstairs sans…
A Room in Leith
1c Dock Place,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6LU
With its prime waterfront setting, complete with large wooden conservatory, outdoor dining terrace and even a small floating pontoon, the Leith outpost of the 'A Room In …' chain is a busy and buzzing destination. There is more than a little European…
Metropole
33 Newington Road,
Edinburgh,
EH9 1QR
Taken over recently by the folks who make Canonmills’ Circle Café go round so nicely, the improvements at Metropole are clear. Always a pleasant, airy space, the mix and match floral crockery remains, as do the diner-style booths, though they’ve been…
Urban Angel
1 Forth Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3JX
Seasonal, local and organic are the buzz words for these bright, informal, modern bistros. A high proportion of the menu is made up of daily specials making the most of what produce is best that day. A nourishing parsnip soup is enlivened with mustard…
Elliot's Restaurant
Apex Hotel, Waterloo Place, 23–27 Waterloo Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3BH
Competing with hundreds of bars and eateries, it’s a hard-knock life for hotel restaurants in Edinburgh. Elliot’s, part of the Apex chain’s Waterloo Place hotel, does its best to keep guests in and even tempt the locals along with some smart deals…
Teuchters Landing
1c Dock Place,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6LU
The pub sister of the A Room In… chain of restaurants, both Teuchters are directly connected to the Leith and West End branches of the restaurant. As if offering a frankly stunning range of alcohol (over 90 single malts in Teuchters; a wealth of…
The Cellar Door
44–46 George IV Bridge,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1EJ
Located on the Old Town's busy George IV Bridge, the Cellar Door dishes up sweet treats and coffee in a small street-level patisserie, while hidden from view downstairs is the restaurant. The unassuming interior has high ceilings, warm beige walls and…
Smoke Stack
53–55 Broughton Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3RJ
A meat-lovers’ mecca since 1996, Smoke Stack reinforces its menu’s focus on beef with its spartan interior, the deep-crimson walls visually echoing the shade of a quiveringly rare fillet steak. While there are salads, fajitas and a few vegetarian…
The Terrace Brasserie
Royal Terrace Hotel, 18–22 Royal Terrace,
Edinburgh,
EH7 5AQ
Situated on one of the grandest Georgian streets in Edinburgh is the dining-room of the Royal Terrace Hotel. The concise menu features some interesting ideas that lift it above the usual brasserie fare. For starters the soft sweetness of the scallops is…
Toast
146 Marchmont Road,
Edinburgh,
EH9 1AQ
Marchmont's residents have been withholding information from the rest of the city: they have jealously guarded the fact that Toast, tucked up at the top of Marchmont Road, is such a delight. It's understandable, given that queues for seats in the small…
E:S:I - Englishman, Scotsman and an Irishman
46 Queen Charlotte Street,
Edinburgh,
EH6 7EX
Located just off the Links this modern split-level bistro draws in both Leith professionals and passing visitors. The restaurant’s name is a reference to the nationalities of the guys behind the venture: the Scotsman has since left, the Englishman is…
Iris
47a Thistle Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 1DY
It’s hard to leave Thistle Street without eating a great meal somewhere, but Iris easily holds its own in this competitive neighbourhood in which every square foot of restaurant space is put to work. Here, however, soft panelling and carpeting in a…
Maxies Bistro and Wine Bar
5b Johnston Terrace,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2PW
An up-to-date review of Maxies will appear here shortly …
Porto & Fi on the Mound
9 North Bank Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2LP
Those who cherish Porto and Fi's café in Newhaven will feel right at home in this city centre offshoot. The morning rolls and muffins, gorgeously Bunterish home-made cakes plus dishes adaptable to a light lunch or hearty supper are all here. But while…
Urban Angel
121 Hanover Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 1DJ
Seasonal, local and organic are the buzz words for these bright, informal, modern bistros. A high proportion of the menu is made up of daily specials making the most of what produce is best that day. A nourishing parsnip soup is enlivened with mustard…
Café Cassis
Salisbury Hotel, Salisbury Road,
Edinburgh,
EH16 5AA
Tucked under the Salisbury Hotel in the quieter reaches of Edinburgh’s southside, Café Cassis makes good use of its semi-basement situation. Beyond the tight entranceway, the interior is warmly lit, welcoming and relaxed, and backs onto a…
Reds
254 Portobello High Street,
Edinburgh,
EH15 2AT
The sign reading ‘Six buggy limit’ says it all. If you live in Portobello and have small children, chances are you’ll know Reds and its large, soft cage – sorry, play frame – in the back room, where your offspring can slide and scamper while you eat or…
Tempus
25 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 2PB
Large mirrors and bold works of art line the walls of the George Hotel's plush dining room, the ceiling is elaborately decorated and lit by huge chandeliers. Understated it isn’t but, despite the opulent surroundings the atmosphere is one of casual…
Bia Bistrot
19 Colinton Road,
Edinburgh,
EH10 5DP
'I do the food and he does the booze and the money.' It obviously works, because Roisin and Matthias Llorente’s unassuming little eatery in a run of shops near Morningside’s Holy Corner has won a Michelin mention and a following of locals who, if they…
Good Seed Bistro
101/102 Dalry Road,
Edinburgh,
EH11 2DW
With terracotta flagstones, dark red walls and dim lighting there’s a definite Mediterranean feel to the surroundings at Good Seed, in keeping with the food. It’s one of a clutch of good restaurants now established in an area that was long…
Kyloe Restaurant & Grill
The Rutland Hotel, 1–3 Rutland Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2AE
Kyloe, previously the Restaurant at the Rutland, has been reborn as a place for all things beef. Occupying a grand, first floor space, it’s decked out with cowhide booths and other bovine-themed furnishings. The playful interior, however, belies a…
Museum Brasserie
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1JF
They invented a lot of stuff, did the Scots, and many of those inventions are on display at the all-new National Museum of Scotland. The equally all-new Museum Brasserie echoes this pioneering spirit by quietly reinventing the tourist attraction dining…
The Water of Leith Café Bistro
52 Coburg Street,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6HJ
Set on a sunny corner beside the water of Leith this bright little café-bistro draws locals, families and couples alike with its quality food and friendly ambience. A printed menu covers the basics but the blackboard is the main show here, presenting a…
Whiski Rooms
4, 6 & 7 North Bank Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2LP
Despite sitting in the heart of tourist territory, Whiski Rooms attracts a mixture of diners including professionals, locals of all ages and students, as well as the expected flow of visitors. Created in 2011 from a former bank and bookshop, the Whiski…
Bisque Bar & Brasserie
Bruntsfield Hotel, 69 Bruntsfield Place,
Edinburgh,
EH10 4HH
Bisque is the restaurant for the Bruntsfield Hotel, next to Bruntsfield Links, found down a set of steps from the car park. Unassuming at the front, the focus inside is on a wall of glass leading into an unusually large, paved, afternoon sun-trap…
The Magnum Restaurant & Bar
1 Albany Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3PY
A genuinely warm welcome and an impressive côte de boeuf are but two memorable highlights of a visit to the Magnum. Or, there’s the light, thin pastry of crab and Lammermuir smoked cheese tart and its unusual accompanying salad of red peppers and smoked…
Montpeliers Bar and Brasserie
159–161 Bruntsfield Place,
Edinburgh,
EH10 4DG
A favourite of Bruntsfield’s young professional set for two decades, the apparently recession-proof Montpeliers sowed the seed for a successful and diverse group of bars and restaurants including George Street glam joints Tigerlily and Rick’s. Here…
Ocean Kitchen Bar & Grill
Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6JJ
A shopping mall wouldn’t be everyone’s choice of an ideal dining experience, and slap bang in the middle of the main food court, Ocean Kitchen Bar & Grill isn’t the most atmospheric dining experience. However, if you’re lucky enough to get a seat by…
Pink Olive
55–57 West Nicolson Street,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9DB
Tucked in beside the Fringe hotspot of Bristo Square, Pink Olive is a charming, snug, family-run and eponymous bistro. Olive, the owner’s gran, supplies the rhubarb from her garden, and granddad-in-law grows the apples for the delightful chutney which…
First Coast
97–101 Dalry Road,
Edinburgh,
EH11 2AB
Anyone who believes great food can’t be found west of Haymarket is missing out. First Coast’s marine wainscoting, cream walls and natural wood create a serene blend of smart, bright and comforting. So it is with the food. A menu featuring grain salad…
Hadrian's Brasserie
The Balmoral, 1 Princes Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 2EQ
Hadrians may be located within the iconic Balmoral Hotel, but it manages to avoid the usual hotel restaurant curse of deserted dining rooms and sub-par food by enticing in locals with tempting menus which change frequently. Service is faultless, with…
Leith Lynx
100-102 Constitution Street,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6AW
Since taking over Leith Lynx in July 2011 new owner and chef John Winnik has overhauled the menu and modernised the cooking. The dishes make good use of seasonal ingredients sourced locally – as a result the menu changes constantly and offers plenty of…
Mums Great Comfort Food
4a Forrest Road,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2QN
Whoever the mysterious Mum was, she clearly had no time for airs and graces. Mum’s is the original Monster Mash from back in 2003, but this incarnation appeared in 2010 and has been keeping the army of dedicated fans full of robust, no-nonsense cooking…
Porto & Fi
47 Newhaven Main Street,
Edinburgh,
EH6 4NQ
Open views across the Firth of Forth make this bright, modern café-bistro the ideal place to admire Edinburgh’s stunning seascape. Indeed, a love of this setting is evident in everything from the artist paintings on display to the owners' sourcing of…
Santo's Bistro
23 Canning Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 8EG
In the context of the starkly oppressive high-rise offices off Lothian Road, this family-run café is a welcome retreat in which to linger over comforting daily specials or grab lunch to go. With their older sister Locanda De Gusti – one of Edinburgh’s…
The Suburban Pantry
12 Hillhouse Road, Blackhall,
Edinburgh,
EH4 2AG
Take one modest space in a run of suburban shops. Add a chef who cooks fresh food with imagination and care. Stir in a partner with an eye for interior design, and who waits tables with a smile. Result: full house for dinner Thursday to Saturday and a…
Agua
Apex City Hotel, 61 Grassmarket,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2JF
Agua, located on the ground floor of the Apex City Hotel, may not be able to compete with the peerless view of Edinburgh Castle offered by its sister restaurant, Heights, in the Apex International, a few doors down. But Agua does offer a well-considered…
Bijou
2 Restalrig Road,
Edinburgh,
EH6 8BN
Since coming under new management in late 2011 this small bistro on the edge of Leith Links has been spruced up and dusted down. The atmosphere is casual and the welcome friendly, and as for the food, it puts many pricier city centre places to shame.
Café Grande
184 Bruntsfield Place,
Edinburgh,
EH10 4DF
Café Grande has sat among Bruntsfield’s mish-mash of ever-changing shops for a good while now, and it seems well pitched for the market that surrounds it. Decked out in classic French bistro red, the walls are a cacophony of old prints, chalkboards and…
Mansion House Bistro
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo, 134 Corstor-phine Road,
Edinburgh,
EH12 6TS
Reappropriated from its previous use as a private members’ club within the last twelve months, this grand old house in the heart of Edinburgh Zoo is being put to work as a somewhat finer dining establishment than the other cafes scattered around the…
Metro Brasserie and Café Bar
Apex International Hotel, 31–35 Grassmarket,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2HS
Metro Brasserie fills the barn-like ground and basement floors of the Apex City Hotel in buzzing Grassmarket. Ground-floor diners eat at small window tables with views of the castle, while the basement level seems reserved for larger hen or birthday…
Monster Mash
20 Forrest Road,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2QN
In April 2010, Monster Mash relocates a grand total of 15m up the road. But fans need not fear: the biggest change will simply be more space to spend your money. As 20 Forrest Road will see restaurant seating for 65, private dining for 25 and outdoor…
