Restaurants, Cafés, Budget, Child friendly 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…

It would be easy to wander past the narrow St Mary’s Street frontage of Empires. However, an inquisitive peer inside reveals a compact dark-wood interior that comes to life when illuminated by candles and coloured lanterns. A handful of ground-level…

Situated in among the pubs and clubs of the Cowgate, Bar 50 is an ideal place for students and backpackers to relax over a pint and a game of pool during the day, or kick start a great night out on a budget. With large pitchers of cocktails for under a…

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…

Still leaning to the bohemian with its mismatched wooden tables and bright Spanish tiles, the Metropole now aspires to a smarter bistro feel, both in decor and with its menu. This is a cafe that certainly covers all bases and would be equally at home…

There are two Café Marlaynes: the bijou Thistle Street restaurant and the contrastingly informal Antigua Street branch, which is split into compact café and large dining room. The café does a standard line in coffee, croissants and chat, laptops and…

Serving afternoon tea for over a century at Edinburgh’s iconic Balmoral Hotel, the Palm Court shows no sign of flagging. The shimmering Venetian chandelier and glass dome hover above neoclassical features and provide the stage for cake stands piled with…

With a name like Angels with Bagpipes and a location opposite St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, this restaurant is a tourist magnet. The upstairs area is compact with a pretty Edinburgh street view – but fear not, there is extra room on the lower…

Perhaps hoping that diners will be distracted by its association with the boy wizard and his chums, the erstwhile haunt of JK Rowling appears to lavish more attention on its Potter-themed loos than it does on its food. While, admittedly, it has recently…

Over the past few years Urban Angel has established itself as an essential part of the vibrant dining scene around Broughton Street. The uncluttered and inviting main room is well run by simultaneously enthusiastic, relaxed and efficient staff. The…

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…

Now well into its third decade in business, the much-loved Blue Moon on a Broughton Street corner must be doing something right. Maybe it’s the friendly, laidback atmosphere and genuine sense of welcome. Maybe it’s the low-key decor and gay-friendly…

Balfour’s diehards might be bamboozled when confronted by the enigmatic grey façade that has appeared on this erstwhile drinking den, but there’s no doubt that Leith Walk’s latest addition will soon attract an equally loyal – if somewhat different…

Some restaurants are all about the expectation game. Launched in London over 40 years ago, the Hard Rock has since exported its rather cookie cutter approach all over the world, but should you go in expecting generous portions of decent, if rather…

Drop down from the shoe-beaten pavement of Hanover Street into the comfortable ease of Urban Angel. The sunlight-brightened front room makes it easy to forget you’re in basement premises, while the quiet backyard courtyard, off the cosy rear dining…

The pillars holding aloft the Georgian ceiling at Centotre and clever use of booths provide nooks and crannies for romantic tete-a-tetes and broader spaces for parties and business lunches. There is a clear focus on the ingredients here: mozzarella…

Happy birthday to the Traverse Theatre. In 2013 the venue celebrates its Golden Jubilee and to mark the occasion its fondly regarded basement bar/cafe has an updated menu. Fried sea bass with crushed new potatoes, or tagliatelle with mushrooms…

Challenging preconceived notions of her native cuisine, Russian owner Maria has brought across fistfuls of traditional recipes and enough entertaining chat to span an enjoyable evening. Small cheery café and takeaway by day, the open kitchen and three…

Circle Café is a stripped back, bare-brick former bakery, serving big breakfasts such as mounds of French toast (unusually using baguettes) with crispy bacon, as well as generously sized, well presented bistro fare including pies, sandwiches and a…

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…

Occupying a prime double shop front on Portobello's main drag, Skylark is just what the neighbourhood has been crying out for, since evening eating options are somewhat thin on the ground. A daytime café with toys, books, food and events for kids (check…

There’s a resonance upon entering Café Grande, on the main drag of Bruntsfield, that makes it clear you have arrived in a neighbourhood institution. The easy friendliness with which the staff greet customers, the sense that diners at separate tables…

While their original Morningside deli (a Mecca for cheese addicts) has very limited sit-in capacity, the Stockbridge branch is significantly larger, with a smart seating area at the back, and a packed deli counter up front. Excellent French cheeses are…