Restaurants, Italian within 5 miles of Edinburgh

In a tiny shop front in the midst of Leith’s gastronomic heart sits this unassuming family-run Italian restaurant. Despite its bijou dimensions, being cheek by jowl with other patrons isn’t a problem when you’re surrounded by cheerful locals enjoying…

Owner Gino Stornaiuolo named his establishment in tribute to his two grandmothers, whose faces adorn the walls of a room in which space has been well exploited. However, it is the contribution of his parents that brings the restaurant to life. While…

Run by chef Angelo Cimini and Gina Giubarelli, who ran Bellini restaurant in Edinburgh’s New Town until 2009, the Italian-oriented cook school aims to teach people how to prepare delicious, healthy meals. Classes are informal and hands-on, and can be…

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…

There’s a reason Giuliano’s has been a stalwart of the Edinburgh Italian scene since 1990. There is a vibrant buzz to the long, sprawling restaurant, which is effectively two adjoined rooms decorated with pictures representing each of the 22 regions of…

Takeaway review An expansion of L'Alba d'Oro, the fish and chip ship next door famed for a menu and extensive wine list that tosses up combinations like crocodile and chips washed down with a bottle of Krug, Anima also goes beyond the conventional…

Divino can fairly count as one of Edinburgh's hidden gems. Set among the pretty murky shadows off Candlemaker Row and under George IV Bridge, this is a surprisingly sophisticated, enchanting subterranean venue of rough-stone walls, clubby leather seats…

Takeaway review A slick and confident operation based halfway down Leith Walk, with an outlying takeaway/delivery hub on Morningside Road, La Favorita's pizzas have set a marker for the genre in Edinburgh, the blast of heat from proper wood-fired ovens…

For two decades, Guliano’s on the Shore has attracted tourists, a band of regulars, and budding pizza chefs keen to try their hand in the kitchen, which sits at the rear of a dining area split into two bright and airy rooms. Waterside dining is possible…

There’s something a bit special about Jamie Oliver’s new venture on George Street. Sitting in the splendidly renovated Assembly Rooms, the restaurant is artfully divided into clever little nooks and crannies, with bread stations, meat bars, pasta…

Not far from Haymarket’s busy hub, Morrison Street’s Papoli is a little ray of sunshine. While still retaining its roots in Italian cuisine, in August 2012 it welcomed new management and a slowly evolving shift in emphasis towards a more rounded…

Opened late in 2012, the major draw at this modern diner-style restaurant is the wood-fired pizza oven and notably low prices. A rich and chunky chicken broth followed by pizza or pasta for under £6 to sit in at lunchtime is remarkable. Pizzas emerge…

Al Dente is a small, rustically decorated venue that boasts two draws: country-wide Italian cooking from Chef Antonio and an enthusiastic Italian welcome from patron Graziano. The menu is seasonal and aspires to give the diner the whole of Italy, with…

There’s something of a Giuliano’s theme to this stretch of Union Place, with the original restaurant, the takeaway next door and this incarnation just a few doors down. Don't be too alarmed by the name: Edinburgh's brisk easterly wind is kept at bay by…

Occupying an enviable position in a former bank building near Holy Corner (latterly home to a branch of Howies), Tony Macaroni’s new venture Alla Romana has seen the interior refurbished in the style of an upmarket Roman street café, all marble and…

Owned by the same people who run the neighbouring Rapido, Asti is a refined, relaxed eatery in comparison to its neighbour, specialising in decent Italian dishes rather than fast food. Painted a pleasing shade of mocha, this café-cum-restaurant takes…

Family-run Bar Roma is a place to watch waiters conduct crowds of obliging clientele bellow ‘Happy Birthday’ to their nearest and dearest. It is a bustling, friendly environment, decorated with classical kitsch and even boasting an olive tree. The wide…