Restaurants, Outdoor dining, "Edinburgh"

Friendly and speedy service, and a lunch menu deal of two courses for £7 (three for £10) make Kurdish and Middle Eastern Nawroz a popular choice among the student population, who pop in for a hearty kebab or shawarma after lectures. It’s spacious and…

‘Whenever he goes on holiday, he comes back with another one.’ Fifteen tequilas ranging from pure blue agave unaged silvers right up to oak-aged añejos suggest that somebody is clocking up serious air miles, and make for a drinks menu that’s a definite…

When you head to Tanjore, and it’s heartily recommended you do, there are two reasons to bring an appetite. First, this is where to sample the finest Southern Indian cuisine in Edinburgh. Second, you’ll be tempted to order everything on the enticing…

To the uninitiated, arriving at Elbow is a particular treat, not least for its eccentric layout, with a mezzanine reached by a rickety staircase and a ground level boasting leather booths fitted into various nooks and crannies. The décor, which includes…

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…

Oishii is everything you would expect from a Japanese restaurant, from its shining black walls and benches to the red accents and white paper lanterns in the window. Take a seat at the sushi bar and watch Chef Katsuo deftly fold, roll and slice…

Although there is a corporate feel to Strada’s clean lines and functional décor, the spectacular view of Edinburgh Castle from its outdoor tables is surely a one-off. And when it comes to the food, quality is a notch above the standard fare served up by…

This popular neighbourhood cocktail bar is just far enough off George Street to feel intimate, and attracts a varied clientele, from sports enthusiasts in for the big screens to post-work, cocktail-hungry young professionals. There’s the sense that it…

Bigger and with a slightly more sophisticated vibe than Boda, its nearby sister venue, Victoria is able to fill up its extra space with clientele ranging from pushchair-wielding parents in the daytime to a fairly cosmopolitan crowd of an evening, with…

Barioja, right next door to sister restaurant Iggs, distinguishes itself from its more mature, refined sibling by offering a wide selection of tapas in a laidback atmosphere. The smart interior features a well-stocked bar, comfortable leather benches…

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…

Proud to call itself Edinburgh’s first Lebanese restaurant, Beirut offers some of the best-value lunch deals in town. Its keen pricing and reasonable BYOB charges make it an attractive option for anyone looking for interesting food without breaking open…