Restaurants, Student friendly and "Edinburgh"
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- Bell's Diner
Visit this Edinburgh institution for a warm welcome and the best burgers in town - Filmhouse Café Bar
fresh affordable food - breakfast, lunch & dinner, cakes & snacks, vegetarian selection. Open 7 days 10am–late. - The Canon's Gait
Impeccable gastro pub food, Royal Mile’s best real ale, with cellar bar available for hire - David Bann
Vegetarian Restaurant in Edinburgh, Scotland. Serving Top Class Vegetarian Cuisine.
Assembly
41 Lothian Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1HB
A popular student venue despite – or indeed perhaps because of – its closeness to the ubiquitous student unions. No doubt another plus is its good value food and two-for-one drinks deals. The battered leather sofas and twinkling fairy lights are…
Avoca Bar & Grill
4-6 Dean Street,
Edinburgh,
EH4 1LW
Just a few steps from the hurly burly of Stockbridge, Avoca attracts more drinkers than diners during the week but normally sees that trend reversed at weekends. A traditional wooden bar is the centrepiece, with stools, settees and a couple of window…
Barioja
15-19 Jeffrey Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1DR
The older establishment of the burgeoning Edinburgh tapas bar scene, Barioja remains a popular and central destination for diners looking for quick snacks or an evening meal. Its red-hued interior is fresh and modern, and makes a centre-piece of a…
The Basement Bar and Restaurant
10–12a Broughton Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3RH
While the bustle of city life proceeds at street level, down below, and largely hidden from view, drinkers in this traditional bar sip beers from around the world, whether it’s the local Innis & Gunn or far-travelled favourites Corona and Tiger.
Bell's Diner
7 St Stephen Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 5AN
If you're looking for proper quality fast food; plump and juicy burgers that sing with sweetness and steaming piles of chips, if you’re looking for a cosy restaurant with battered wooden furniture and soft lighting that exudes warmth and friendliness…
Biblos
1 Chambers Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1HU
With a name that means ‘book’ it is hardly surprising Biblos has gone for the decadent library theme. Leather Chesterfield sofas, wingback chairs and dark wood abound, and, in case the point still hasn’t hit home, they even have small pictures of…
Black Bo's (Restaurant)
57–61 Blackfriars Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1NB
Black Bo’s is another restaurant which has graced the Edinburgh vegetarian scene for over 20 years. If this were to draw you to the conclusion that they must be doing something right you’d be spot on. The shabby chic bistro-style interior is…
The Blue Parrot Cantina
49 St Stephen Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 5AH
With 17 years of producing spicy delights from under its bejewelled wings the Parrot can lay claim to status as a Stockbridge institution and it’s easy to see why it has survived so long in locals' affections. The menu may not stray too far from…
The Caley Sample Room
42–58 Angle Park Terrace,
Edinburgh,
EH11 2JR
Proximity to Tynecastle and Murrayfield stadiums has long made this bar a busy watering den but recent years have seen a more serious food offering emerge, making this a very worthwhile venue all week and not just on match days. The bare brick wall and…
Cameo Bar
23 Commercial Street,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6JA
The Cameo Bar doesn’t seem to have settled on a single decorative style. There is a touch of the contemporary (see the beige suede benches); there is a little Edwardian (see the red and brown flock wallpaper) and there is a bit of traditional pub (dark…
The Canon's Gait
232 Canongate,
Edinburgh,
EH8 8DQ
Located further down the Royal Mile than the plethora of bars and restaurants surrounding St Giles, the Canon’s Gait is a stone’s throw away from the Palace of Holyrood at the bottom. The gilt lettering and rich red exterior are difficult to miss, and…
City Café
19 Blair Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1QR
Things have been a-changing at the City Café in the last year or so. Glittery, red laminated tables, leather booths and a jukebox evoke the kitschy glamour of a classic American diner, and the food at City Café is made to match. Starters big enough to…
The Cloisters
26 Brougham Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9JH
Situated in an old church in Tollcross, Cloisters is a dependable, straight down the line pub. Here you will find an open fire, large solid wooden tables and a bunch of friendly locals enjoying a pint of ale from the well stocked bar. There isn’t a…
David Bann
56–58 St Mary's Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1SX
They say that once you reach the top the only way is down, but this is far from the case for David Bann who, for almost ten years, has been at the forefront of vegetarian dining in Edinburgh. There are no vegetarian clichés to be found here, only…
Dragonfly
52 West Port,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2LD
Although it's located on a spur from the Grassmarket, this cocktail bar offers a different sort of buzz to the tourist pubs. There been a recent shuffle of ownership but much remains the same. Kickboxing ninja wallpaper and anime inspired artwork from…
Earl of Marchmont
22 Marchmont Crescent,
Edinburgh,
EH9 1HG
A biannual facelift due in April 2011 may see the décor spruced up but otherwise it is business as usual as the Earl continues to serve as both child-friendly café and student watering hole. In its café guise it offers freshly squeezed orange juice…
Ecco Vino
19 Cockburn Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1BP
Edinburgh’s wine bar scene might be expanding, but this intimate cubby hole on Cockburn Street has a decade on all of them. Ecco Vino is firmly Italian in its menu: generous plates of antipasti share a billing with enticing fish and meat dishes, pastas…
The Elephant House
21 George IV Bridge,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1EN
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…
Elephants and Bagels
37 Marshall Street (Nicholson Square),
Edinburgh,
EH8 9BJ
If you’re looking for a lunch or snack option that healthy and filling, planet-friendly and low in salt, sugar as well as food miles, then Elephants and Bagels offers a handy solution. A penchant for pachyderms is a bonus; mostly customer-drawn they…
Favorit
19–20 Teviot Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2QZ
Favorit is a late night diner for the young and hip and – most importantly – for those with the munchies. Black and white chequered tiles, retro tables and benches and a large, red neon Favorit sign set the scene. All that's missing is Pulp Fiction's…
Filmhouse Café Bar
88 Lothian Road,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9BZ
The Filmhouse has been Edinburgh’s home of independent and arthouse cinema for many years, and its café-bar has long been a place to meet fellow cinephiles and chew over the plot with a pint. Just as the cinema itself is like an old friend to many, so…
The Fruitmarket Gallery Café
Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1DF
The Fruitmarket Gallery café continues to impress with carefully thought-out menus and attention to detail. The excellent art gallery and book shop entice a broad spectrum of people through the doors with dynamic, sometimes challenging exhibitions…
Gordon's Trattoria
231 High Street, Royal Mile,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1PE
Gordon Scott is keen to promote his restaurant as a family venue. And there is no risk that he will fall foul of the trade descriptions act, with brother Gary imparting his profound industry knowledge, daughters Daniela and Vanessa now involved in the…
The Granary
32–34 The Shore, Leith,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QN
This split-level restaurant and bar is well positioned on the Shore with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and views of the Water of Leith. With its seductive brown leather sofas, dark wood floors, rugs and realistic-looking gas-powered fires, you’ll…
Hamiltons Bar and Kitchen
16–18 Hamilton Place,
Edinburgh,
EH3 5AU
Hamiltons tries to be all things to all people, and it pretty much succeeds. It’s a buzzing bar with pop art strewn walls, a music venue, a stopping-off point for coffee or brunch, a meeting place for business people, and a restaurant with an…
Hard Rock Café
18–20 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 2PF
Brace yourselves. A trip to the globe-straddling Hard Rock Café is more experience than mere meal out. Leave any resistance at the door and let your smiling server lead you into a bear pit of gaudy cocktail-fuelled groups on work nights out…
The Hudson Hotel
7–11 Hope Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 4EL
On first appearance there is very little to lift the Hudson out of that popular subcategory of pub that should perhaps be termed 'elegant Edinburgh bars that also serve food'. Like so many it is a haven of shining dark wood, subtle lighting and…
Iglu
2b Jamaica Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 6HH
The name Iglu suggests a frostiness that couldn’t be further from reality in this warm and welcoming eatery. Iglu’s ethical approach to food and drink is worn large and its daily-changing menu of locally sourced, seasonal and welfare-rich food is…
The King's Wark
36 The Shore,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QU
The term ‘gastropub’ does not get a lot of airing north of Hadrian’s Wall, but it is an apt moniker for the King’s Wark. On one hand, this is a solid old Leith pub, all dark wooden nooks and crannies, that serves up ales to a mixed crowd of tourists…
Malone's Irish Bar
14 Forrest Road,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2QN
Malone's Irish Bar certainly can’t be accused of misrepresenting itself. Owned and run by natives of the Emerald Isle, the cavernous property oozes Irishness from its street-level entrance area, the large central room with tables for dining and large…
Mamma's American Pizza Company
30 Grassmarket,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2JU
Once the go-to place for Edinburgh’s pizza guzzlers, Mamma’s still enjoys a lively following on the weekend, given its Grassmarket location. It may lack the bone fide mamma-in-residence of its title, but certainly tries to make up for that with the…
Mezbaan South Indian Restaurant
14/14a Brougham Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9JH
This unassuming Tollcross eatery packs some serious culinary clout with Shabu Natarajan – UK South Asian Chef of the Year 2010 – in the kitchen. Though sparsely decorated and rather cramped, Mezbaan’s main attraction is undoubtedly the food. On the…
Monster Mash
20 Forrest Road,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2QN
In April 2010, Monster Mash relocates a grand total of 15m up the road. But fans need not fear: the biggest change will simply be more space to spend your money. As 20 Forrest Road will see restaurant seating for 65, private dining for 25 and outdoor…
Negociants
45–47 Lothian Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1HB
Negociants celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year as one of the most popular bars among Edinburgh’s student population. Year-round the place bustles, particularly at weekends, while the Edinburgh Festival brings a tourist clientele attracted by…
Nile Valley
6 Chapel Street,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9AY
At lunchtime, this Sudanese restaurant ranks high as uni students' fast food of choice with its huge khobz wraps of falafel, hummus, aubergine or grilled chicken salads. After the afternoon lull, it is nice to see the transformation from a takeaway…
The Orchard
1/2 Howard Place, Canonmills,
Edinburgh,
EH3 5JZ
This pub has had a major transformation since it left behind its status as a tired old boozer and became a relaxed neighbourhood destination. The main space is bright and open, and leather benches and tables along the walls ensure plenty of tucked-away…
The Original Mosque Kitchen and Café
Edinburgh Central Mosque, 50 Potterrow,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9BT
Without delving too deeply into some slightly murky internecine politics, we can report that once again there's curry being served in the courtyard beside Edinburgh's Central Mosque. Previous occupants 'Mosque Kitchen' established a new restaurant…
The Scottish Parliament
Horse Wynd, Holyrood,
Edinburgh,
EH99 1SP
Designed by Spanish architect Enric Miralles, who died before its completion in 2004, the Scottish Parliament building occupies an architecturally diverse corner of Edinburgh at the foot of the Royal Mile, with Dynamic Earth, the Queen’s Gallery and…
The Street
2 Picardy Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3JT
Within close proximity to some of Edinburgh’s best LGBT venues, The Street acts as a lively pre-club pit stop. Disco balls reflect off the floor-to-ceiling windows at the front, which allow views of the passing nightlife, and catchy chart tunes are…
Tonic
34 North Castle Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 3BN
Update: subsequent to the publication of this review, Tonic is once again serving food with a tapas menu available Wednesday to Sundays, noon to 9pm.
Tonic celebrated a decade in Edinburgh in 2010 by changing its focus. The brief food menu is no longer…
Villager
49–50 George IV Bridge,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1EJ
Villager was the bar which started the trend for pared-down cool with its retro stylings, vintage paraphernalia and stencil-graffiti art adorning the walls. These days other places have followed suit so it feels a little less unique and a little more…
