Restaurants, Budget, Child Friendly, Edinburgh

5–7 Henderson Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5DH

A chippy that offers prawns with garlic and ginger – choice of single or supper, of course – alongside the traditional favourites has got to be something a bit different. L'Alba D'Oro (the name means 'dawn of gold') is a long-established leader in…

Arts Café

City Art Centre, 1 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DE

'Unpretentious' can often sound like an insult to a more insecure establishment, but here less fuss is ultimately more. And given that it is situated beside a huge art gallery, across from Waverley Station and within walking distance of various office…

Bijou

2 Restalrig Road, Edinburgh, EH6 8BN

At the corner of Restalrig Road, across from Leith Links, guests of Bijou can dine in a small, white sitting room cheerfully decorated with green plants and gold mirrors. The lunch and dinner menu celebrates Scottish cuisine and all dishes come in…

Bonsai

46 West Richmond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DZ

With the convivial hubbub of the closely packed tables, the sizzling steam and enticing aromas emerging from the kitchen, and the bold white, crimson and black décor, at Bonsai it's easy to imagine yourself in an izakaya in downtown Tokyo. And indeed it…

Browns Restaurant and Bar

131–133 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4JS

With a kitchen that can handle close to a thousand covers on its busiest days, Browns is no modest operation. No surprise, given that it's one of a chain of 14 owned by the gargantuan Mitchells and Butlers pub operators. The corporate ethos is classic…

Café DeLos and Café Soupson

National Museum of Scotland, 2 Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Looks aren't everything, but in a space like this even the most pedestrian meal feels a little bit special. Thankfully, Café DeLos has lunch well up to the impressive surrounds – the grand central atrium of the National Museum of Scotland. Plonked in…

Café North

North Edinburgh Arts Centre, 15a Pennywell Court, Muirhouse, Edinburgh, EH4 4TZ

If Café North was in the centre of Edinburgh, you would be fighting to get a table. So perfect is it for family lunches, every toddler in town would treat it like a second home. In reality, North Edinburgh Arts Centre (NEAC) is a little off the beaten…

La Cantina

72 Commercial Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6LX

When you enter La Cantina, the décor and ambiance leave you in little doubt that you're in a Mexican restaurant. The place is decked out in red and green, and pulses with salsa rhythms. Ranch-style furniture is laid out in rows and there are sombreros…

Chop Chop

248 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8DT

'Authentic' may be an over-used claim on many menus, but at Chop Chop it's entirely appropriate. Don't be fooled by the garish red and yellow façade: it might look like any other takeaway, but Chop Chop is the real deal. Genuinely charming and…

Creelers

3 Hunter Square, Edinburgh, EH1 1QW

Creelers at Hunter Square has been wowing fans for almost 13 years. A range of tourists, regulars and locals – though not the goths that hang out by the Tron – make up the clientele in this establishment, which comes to life in the evenings. Although…

Dolce e Salato

101/102 Dalry Road, West End, Edinburgh, EH11 2AX

Goethe once said that a man who has seen Naples can never be sad. Dolce e Salato, Rosario and Maria Sartore's new Pasticceria e Rosticceria in Dalry, transports each of its visitors to a very happy corner of Naples and invites them to linger over a…

Duck's at Le Marché Noir

14 Eyre Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5EP

If you are looking for an intimate dining experience with attentive service and classic, well-executed cooking, Duck's certainly fits the bill. It may be a bit out of the centre for true urbanites but it's certainly worth the walk down that steep hill.

The Engine Shed Cafe

19 St Leonard's Lane, Edinburgh, EH8 9SD

The Engine Shed has the delicious privilege of taking ethical business to a higher, smarter level. It was founded on a principle of truly equal opportunities by employing trainees with learning difficulties, but the quality of the food is even better…

La Favorita

325–331 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH6 8SA

The glow from the twin log-fired ovens is the first indication that pizza is taken seriously at this Leith Walk eatery. La Favorita combines the lightest, crispest bases (also available gluten-free) with a long list of both classic and more inventive…

Filmhouse Café Bar

88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9BZ

It is rare thing these days to find a place to eat that truly serves a purpose and functions without pretension, unnecessary frills or ideas above its station. The Filmhouse Bar has fulfilled such a role in Edinburgh for over 20 years, providing a…

Frankie's Restaurant

27 Bread Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9AL

It would be very easy to walk past this understated restaurant hidden among some of the more dubious haunts of Bread Street, but that would be a mistake. Owner Celena Collins gives a personal welcome at the door, in a nod to the overall experience of…

The Fruitmarket Gallery Café

Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DF

Many who regularly drop into this contemporary gallery housed in an old Victorian fruit and vegetable market don't make it past the ground floor café, such is the singular draw of the food. With a dedication to fresh produce and menu choices, lunch can…

Gallery Café

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh, EH4 3DR

Just as the galleries upstairs follow trends in contemporary art, the café capitalises on the current inclination towards fair trade, organic and seasonal ingredients, treating diners to a selection of wholesome, appetising and downright tasty meals.

Giuliano's

18–19 Union Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3NQ

Hidden behind a modest entrance with green neon signs and a rather retro ice-cream counter, the cavernous back room of this lively restaurant – a cheerful mix of tartan carpets and Italian holiday snap posters – comes as something of a surprise. At…

Giuliano's on the Shore

1 Commercial Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6JA

With its prime location opposite Leith's bustling shore and its family-friendly atmosphere, Giuliano's attracts a steady stream of regulars throughout the week, including lots of family groups. Live music from Italian singer Roberto Enzo on Monday and…

Howies

208 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4DE

This excellent value restaurant chain is now an Edinburgh institution and deservedly so. There are four restaurants, conveniently situated in the four areas of the compass of central Edinburgh. Waterloo Place, in the east, has been recently renovated…

Howies

10–14 Victoria Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2HG

This excellent value restaurant chain is now an Edinburgh institution and deservedly so. There are four restaurants, conveniently situated in the four areas of the compass of central Edinburgh. Waterloo Place, in the east, has been recently renovated…

Howies at Waterloo

29 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3BQ

This excellent value restaurant chain is now an Edinburgh institution and deservedly so. There are four restaurants, conveniently situated in the four areas of the compass of central Edinburgh. Waterloo Place, in the east, has been recently renovated…

Howies

1a Alva Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4PH

This excellent value restaurant chain is now an Edinburgh institution and deservedly so. There are four restaurants, conveniently situated in the four areas of the compass of central Edinburgh. Waterloo Place, in the east, has been recently renovated…

Italian Connection

84 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4HG

This takeaway is a real cheap and cheerful delight in an area where such things are not often appreciated nor expected. With over 20 pizzas on the menu, as well as a wide range of pastas, burgers and side orders, deciding what to have can be difficult.

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