Restaurants, Bistros & brasseries, "Edinburgh"

Generous platefuls, unfussy service and a cheery neighbourhood vibe make this bistro a pleasant choice to while away a weeknight, and the large street-level windows and hurried comings and goings of the area’s students and young professionals provide…

Bijou came under new ownership in 2011 but both head chef Alastair Berry and the quirky but useful menu formula of offering most items in bijou, medium or large size have remained. The low-key interior features a sprinkling of café-style tables, a small…

Tucked in among the gastropubs and fish restaurants of The Shore, Diner 7 offers something a bit different – namely well-cooked and presented steaks and burgers in an easy-going and unpretentious low-lit diner. Snuggled up in a booth with a bottle of…

Tucked away down a West End lane, the potentially secret Sygn deserves a wide audience. An appealing but not overtly flamboyant retro-chic interior includes a private party area for your own shindig, with service that is positively chummy. ‘I Heart…

With its sleek lines, darkened underground vibe and loud, clubby soundtrack in competition with the hubbub of well-oiled conversation, Tonic is very much cut from the same cloth as the style bars of George Street and its surrounding area. Where this…

The name suggests Arctic chill but inside is a warm, softly lit bar, with exposed brickwork and book-lined shelves. The main restaurant is upstairs but food is served in both areas. Celebrated for being an ecologically sustainable restaurant (they boast…

The National Museum of Scotland is a busy place. With free entry, acres of treasure-filled rooms to explore and proper consideration given to entertaining young people, the place is popular with school groups, tourists and children of all ages. The…

If you’re an Edinburgh WAG looking for a bite to eat before a night on the town with your footballer boyfriend, Le Monde will be one of your first choices. The world is your oyster in this boutique hotel with international themed bedrooms, dining areas…

This split-level space is an exercise in sleek, functional mid-century modernism – a combination of whitewashed walls, wood, glass and metal proving perennially popular with Edinburgh’s trendier denizens. A prime Old Town location draws in a steady…

Sitting atop the Royal Mile, and home to the International Festival box office, it is not surprising Cafe Hub is popular with tourists. Recently it has also been trying to attract locals with a mix of takeaway deals and increased emphasis on their own…

It’s what everyone wants to find, local or visitor: the hidden gem that, through clever use of ingredients, manages simultaneously to guarantee you a good meal, offer something a bit unusual, and do it for blindingly good value. Since taking on this…

The central section of Thistle Street does not want for quality restaurants, so competition is fierce, which is to the diner’s benefit as each establishment works hard to impress. For six years Iris has been a draw for good food in stylish but not…

For exactly a decade, First Coast has been an oasis of tasteful cheer in the relatively under-served area of Dalry. Prices have remained almost static for years, with the result that now they offer eye-poppingly good value for thoughtful, reliably good…

Fashionable Indigo Yard in Edinburgh’s West End packs in crowds of after-work drinkers in power suits and clean city Barbours, unwinding over cocktails, champagne, chilled pints and wines in showy shaped glasses. Food-wise, there's a customer-pulling…

With only the odd model ship hinting at its original function as a seaman's mission (and thankfully nothing to indicate another past incarnation as a house of ill-repute), the Mal instead exudes a distinctly Parisian feel, dressed in rich, dark hues and…

Cosily tucked away in Bruntsfield, Three Birds is a popular local bistro with aspirations to bring inventive dining to the neighbourhood. The owners’ creative spirit engages from the moment you enter the dining room, so although tables may be a bit…