Restaurants within 5 miles of Edinburgh

Situated next door to Holyrood Palace, this café is the obvious place to grab a sandwich or hearty bowl of soup after visiting the Queen’s Gallery and Palace, or after an invigorating trek round Arthur’s Seat or tour of the Scottish Parliament. With…

New to Meadowbank, Japanese restaurant Nagoya feels like it needs a little time to grow into itself. Let’s hope that it does, because this is an area that sorely needs a cosy neighbourhood restaurant or two. It’s a promising beginning – a neat-as-a-pin…

Husband and wife team Colin and Irene Chiu run this friendly neighbourhood restaurant perched just off the main road through Meadowbank. Named after an emperor’s summer palace, Xanadu’s own decor is simple and functional with Chinese scenes on the pale…

Takeaway review With an extensive if slightly predictable roster of Indian and Bangladeshi meals, the fact that the list of specialities is almost longer than the selection of traditional curries doesn’t exactly guide customers towards what they do…

Billing itself as Edinburgh's new home of 'soul food' this Afro-Caribbean take away in Meadowbank has big plans: lunchtime opening starts in May 2012 and they are scouting sites for a dedicated restaurant. These are bold moves for a tiny site with just…

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…

Holyrood feels strangely disconnected from the rest of the city despite (or because of) being home to both parliament and palace. Still, should you find yourself down this way at least you can get a decent bite to eat. A fairly mainstream menu features…

From its location to its choice of pizza toppings, Kilderkin is slightly odd but pretty great. Initial impressions are of a slightly dodgy boozer, with its dim lighting, basic decor and unprepossessing exterior. Inside, however, you’ll find one of…

An integral cog in Broughton’s flamboyant, predominantly gay, after dark merry-go-round, Café Piccante isn’t your usual chippy, with its disco ball, late night drinks licence and DJ on Friday and Saturday nights. Catering unapologetically to the fried…

The Engine Shed acts as a training school to springboard adults with learning difficulties into meaningful, satisfying work. Trainees prepare, cook and serve all the food, as well as making the famously good bread, tofu, hummus and cakes, all of which…

Easter Road’s Ricebox is a top-quality Chinese takeaway. The menu is as extensive as you could hope for, with a variety of standard and inventive dishes including a thorough range of pak choi and tofu options. Meals can be delivered or picked up and are…

As Edinburgh’s oldest pub, having first opened its doors as far back as 1360, Duddingston’s Sheep Heid Inn has a true country pub feel despite being just a few minutes’ drive from the centre of town. Inside the bar’s main area, the decor is understated…

Beer and burgers are the main draw at Holyood 9a, and both are worth a trip to this corner of the Old Town. A selection of 11 beers is permanently on draught and, combined with another 10 rotational pumps, constitutes one of Edinburgh’s best selections…

With its classic interiors and traditional pub front, one could be forgiven for mistaking the Auld Hoose as a run-of-the-mill, slightly antiquated boozer. But with a jukebox featuring the best of goth, punk and metal music, and being a meeting place for…

Bonsai Bar Bistro provides a clear rebuttal to the notion that Japanese cuisine in the UK is expensive and exclusive. The small but perfectly formed restaurant is known for its welcoming atmosphere and has a wide-ranging menu that offers something for…