Casual dining:
Italian
39A Queensferry Street , New Town 0131 226-2977
This is a good choice for a large group that includes children. Bar Roma is located in New Town, just off the west end of Princes Street. The restaurant is large, and bright and is a particularly comfortable place to take children, although the crowd is a mixture of old and young people, couples, and families. The atmosphere is lively with all the people and the young energetic waiters.
The menu is an extensive range of Italian fare including pizzas, pastas and classics like veal. The price was fairly inexpensive.
Pizza
9 Elm Row, New Town 0131 556 1588
This is on the same block as Valvona & Crolla and is at least as well known. The look of the place is a bit bizarre, full of junky knick knacks. The staff are very friendly and the owner walks around in a kitschy looking vest. The menu includes the strange combinations that the Scottish seem to like on pizza – tuna and kernel corn? But the pizzas are cooked in a wood fired oven, not often seen in UK pizza places. Prices are cheap so the place is packed with families eating huge pizzas.
Henderson’s
Vegetarian
94 Hanover Street, 0131 225 2131
This is a bistro, salad bar and wine bar which still looks a bit like the late night hangout it used to be. Undoubtedly the best place to get vegetarian dishes or catering to food allergies in a town not too friendly for non-meat eaters. It seems to be open at all hours for snacks or meals or just a drink ranging from beer and wine to fresh squeezed juices. Self-service and reasonably priced. Henderson’s also has a health food shop with take away food items and organic food and drink shopping.
Palm Court, Balmoral Hotel
1 Princes Street, New Town 0131 556 2414
This is a great spot for tea, formal British style tea, in other words, a late afternoon lunch. In a city where a lot of places won’t serve lunch after 2:00 p.m., this is a good place to go if you can’t last until dinner time. Even children have liked this spot of Victorian aged elegance. There’s a curving bar along one wall, high back banquettes and tables in the rest of the room, and a huge chandelier over head. It’s a very comfortable little oasis. You can get a very proper tea served in china cups and your own teapot accompanied by an assortment of sandwiches followed by a three tiered cake tray of pastries. Or you can come in for soup and sandwiches and beverages a little stronger than tea. A bit of a rarity, you can order champagne, Bollinger, by the glass.
Grape
The Capital Building, 12 - 13 St Andrews Square
More of a upscale bar than a restaurant, it is a good place for a late lunch after shopping at nearby Harvey Nicks. Located in what looks like an old bank building with high ceilings, lots of windows and wood, the lunch menu provided a good selection of fairly standard fare including wraps, ciabattas, flat breads, sandwiches with fries, salads, pastas and burgers. Nothing inspiring but a good place to remember when others are closed.
Fine dining:
Dubh Prais (pronounced Doo Prash)
Local Traditional Scottish Cuisine
123b High St, Royal Mile 0131 557 5732
If you think you would like to try haggis, try it at Dubh Prais where it’s served as an appetizer with a creamy whisky sauce. Dubh Prais is located midway down the Royal Mile. If you aren't looking for it, you might miss it. A sign with a black pot (which is what Dubh Prais means in Gaelic) over a white door identifies the restaurant, which is located down a set of stairs. Only eight tables are available, so a reservation is a good idea. The basement location is without windows and the decor is all on a Scottish theme with the rustic painted walls featuring Scottish historical characters. The ambiance is more homely than elegant but it fits with the family run feel of this place.
In addition to the haggis, the menu features regional ingredients prepared with a Scottish theme. Fish, seafood, venison, lamb, and beef are usually on the menu. The menu changes regularly to suit what is available. The chef/owner repeatedly proves that Scottish cooking can be as good as anywhere in the world. .
The small staff is very friendly, efficient and helpful. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner but closed Sundays and Mondays. Not too expensive.
Forth Floor
Contemporary
St. Andrews Square, New Town 0131 524 8350
The restaurant is on the fourth floor of Harvey Nichols store (Harvey Nicks to the locals), which is located in New Town in an area full of fashion boutiques. The spelling of Forth is not an error, but a signal that you will be provided with dramatic views sweeping from the Firth of Forth to the Edinburgh castle. The huge windows and plentiful, but discreet, lighting give the space a light airy feel consistent with the look of the store.
There is both the stylish restaurant with white table cloths, and the more informal lively brasserie, which is especially good for lunch either before or after strenuous shopping on the floors below). They have quite reasonably priced sandwiches and salads.
Dinner is more expensive. The service we received in the restaurant for dinner, and the brasserie for lunch, was brisk and efficient.
The food is Scottish ingredients fused with Mediterranean and Far Eastern ingredients. Starters have included seared Oban scallops with heather honey glaze, and smoked salmon with pine nuts. Non-seafood choices for mains include braised oxtail flavoured with Glayva and rosemary, and duck with sautéed foie gras. The lamb dish was delicious. The wine list is sizable. The restaurant is open for lunch 7 days a week, for dinner Tuesday to Saturday. The brasserie is also open for late breakfast. Dinner reservations in the restaurant are strongly recommended as this is a popular spot.
Grain Store
Contemporary
30 Victoria Street, 0131 225 7635
The Grain Store is located in the Grassmarket area just south of Edinburgh Castle. The streets are full of old buildings tightly crowded together. If you aren’t looking, you can easily walk past the door for the Grain Store. The door is on street level, but the restaurant is located on the upper level of Victoria Street, next to the arched elevated walkway of Victoria Terrace.
The Grain Store used to be storage for the shops below. You walk up a nondescript stairway and into the restaurant, which consists of a number of small stone walled, huge timbered rooms. They still retain the feeling of an ancient building. At nighttime, the lighting is very subdued, which adds to the private and potentially romantic feel to the place,.
The tables are made of substantial oak wood, polished to a gleam and not covered with linen so the look is not stuffy or formal. The food at the restaurant is much the same. The cuisine at the Grain Store is described as Scottish, which means local products and produce. The menu is not long but has a number of choices -- oysters, Angus beef, hare, chicken, and risotto. The flavours of the food come through in the not overly fussy preparation. The sweets, chocolate torte and lemon mousse, were excellent. The wine list had a reasonable choice of inexpensive and mid-priced wines.
The Witchery by the Castle
French
Castlehill The Royal Mile, 0131 225 5613
The Witchery by the Castle has two distinct settings. There is the original, low ceiling, tapestry walled dining room, and the Secret Garden with its high ceiling and arched windows. Both have the same menu. Each can make for a romantic setting for dinner and both provide privacy while dining. Located barely a step away from Edinburgh Castle, you may want to decide which room you want before making a reservation—you will need a reservation. Despite the very high prices, it is a very popular spot. Check the celebrity guest book; Ewan McGregor’s in there.
The menu is French with a wide range of choices, and the wine list could take a year to read. The service was impeccable, although not particularly friendly. The food is very classic gourmet French. The menu includes typical French offerings of oysters and foie gras as starters. The Witchery has long been a prestige dining spot in Edinburgh. Overall, the setting is more impressive than the food given the prices.
Contemporary
The Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0131 225 3003
The Tower Restaurant, on top of the Museum of Scotland, is owned by the same owner as the Witchery by the Castle. Like that restaurant, this one also looks spectacular. But instead of castle-like, the Tower is sleek and modern with tweed banquettes, suede and brushed aluminum chairs, and velvet hangings. When the weather permits, there are tables on the terrace. The space is long and all the tables have a view out the window, although some have better views of the Castle than others. Despite the style, the feel is informal and comfortable.
The menu is Scottish with some Mediterranean influences. Particularly memorable were Argyll oysters and the char-grilled Angus beef for dinner. The kitchen is open to requests.
Reservations are recommended for dinner, but for lunch, they are not so essential since you can tour through the museum (which has no admission charge) while you wait for a table. The restaurant is open Sunday evening, a time when many others are closed.
Scottish Contemporary
13b Dundas Street, New Town (0131) 556 8407
Haldanes has a good reputation for Scottish food and the fact that they have a number of private rooms in their basement location. There are comfortable squashy sofas in the rooms and a small patio garden. The Scottish is basically traditional Scottish ingredients but the dishes have a modern twist. Good wine list.
The Pompadour
Scottish, International
Caledonian Hilton, Princes Street 0131 222 8777
The grand dining room in the Caledonian Hilton has the romantic feel of a bygone Edwardian elegance, rather like the hotel - damask upholstery, large tables and Chinese paintings on the walls. Staff is very attentive and most seem to be French. The evening menu is upmarket such as foie gras with prune and Armagnac compote or John Dory roasted with a ragout of scallops and langoustines. Generally, traditional dishes on the menu which change seasonally and prices not unreasonable. Very good wine list, although expensive, and good views of Princess Street and the Castle. The restaurant, like the hotel, is not as well regarded as the Balmoral and seems to lack popularity among Edinburgh diners.
54 The Shore, Leith, 0131-553-3557
Very much like the high end London restaurants with plenty of attentive staff, lots of extras as part of your meal. Incredible food. The decor is very tasteful and the atmosphere is relaxing. Everything was beautifully presented and so tasty. The menu is mainly French but with a Scottish twist. For example, the mean started with a plate of six little amuse bouches which included a tiny lollipop haggis. The menu is not extensive but there were a good range of choices to suit a variety of palates. The wine list is very good.
Rhubarb - Prestonfield House, Priestfield Road, 0131 225 1333 website: presonfield.com
Opening Times: Mon - Sun: 12:00 - 15:00 18:00 - 23:00
British UK, Scottish, Seafood
You may want to go for the setting. Rhubarb restaurant is located in the restored 17th century Prestonfield House, now a hotel. The house is set on 18 acres of parkland a short 10 minute drive from the centre of Edinburgh yet you feel you have completely left the city as you drive up a entry road and can notice Highland bulls grazing in the pasture beside the house.
Diners are greeted at the door by a black kilted doorman and then led to a salon to peruse the menu while sipping on drinks and sampling the plate of amuse bouches. The antlers which formed the legs and arms of many pieces of furniture gave the room a bit of an over the top hunting lodge feel.
Dinner is served in two dining rooms both decorated with rhubarb red coloured wallpaper and chandeliers hanging from the domed ceiling giving a feeling of old world opulence. To complete the ambiance, a peacock was sitting in the tree outside the window. There are also several private dining rooms.
The menu is basically French with some innovative twists. I had a starter called asparagus salad that was an interesting combination of differently prepared asparagus. The mains offered a good choice of meats, poultry and seafood. For dessert, an assiette of rhubarb desserts seemed a must and the tart tatin was very good. The wine list offers many excellent choices.
Ducks at Le Marche Noir - 14 Eyre Place (New Town), 0871 7147259 website: ducks.co.uk
Lunch: Tuesday - Friday 12 noon - 2.30pm Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday 6.00pm - 10.30pm
This place was described as French bistro but it is more upscale than what most would consider a bistro. The restaurant is on a quiet New Town street with two small rooms, tables with white linen table cloths and good quality wine glasses. It has received awards from Wine Spectator for its wine list. The menu is not extensive but emphasizes good Scottish ingredients prepared in classical French style. Prices are very reasonable for the quality.
The Kitchin - 78 Commercial Quay, Leith, 0131 555 1755 website: thekitchen.com
Closed Sun & Mon. Open Tue to Thu 12.30 - 1.45, Lunch & 6.45 - 10.00, Dinner
Open Fri & Sat, 12.30 - 2.00, Lunch & 6.45 - 10.30, Dinner
Scottish/French
This restaurant opened in 2006 and has already won a Michelin star. The area in Leith is very attractive with a cobbled walk and waterways near the shore.
The interior is contemporary, not formal, with polished chestnut-coloured wood floors, steel grey walls and petrol blue armchairs in the bar lounge area. Then around the corner (past floor to ceiling wine cabinets) you walk into the intimate, softly lit restaurant, decorated with silver silk leaf patterned wallpaper, dark wood tables, fresh flowers and candles. For added entertainment an open window offers a fine view of the theatre kitchen with its hanging racks of glistening pans and the chefs hard at work.
The restaurant advertises its kitchen philosophy as From Nature to Plate. The ingredients are always fresh and seasonal. Vegetables, poultry, game and fish are sourced locally and across Scotland. The menu offers specials each night according to fish in the market that day. There’s a chef’s special if the whole table wishes to partake. The wine list was good.
Oloroso 33 Castle St., 0131 226 7614 website: oloroso.co.uk
Open 7 days a week - Restaurant Service: Lunch 12noon - 2.30pm (12.30pm Sunday) Dinner 7pm - 10.30pm; Bar: Coffee from 11am (12 noon Sunday) Food 12 noon - 10pm (12.30pm Sunday) Alcohol 12 noon - 1am (12.30pm Sunday)
Oloroso has a very contemporary, trendy feel. The atmosphere is vibrant and many of the patrons look stylish. The food was good and the views great.
The entrance is discreet and exclusive, located in the lobby of an office block. You take the lift to the 3rd floor, then a short flight of steps to the roof top level. (There is a lift for disabled or wheelchair users).
The restaurant takes up a huge space on the corner of George Street and the top of Castle Street, with an outdoor patio terrace wrapping all the way round. The colour scheme in cream, beige, and coffee makes it very airy and bright. On arrival there is a reception welcome desk dividing the swanky cocktail bar featuring long suede sofas, and the main restaurant with two long walls of high windows offering fine views of the Castle. During the summer, a new Champagne and oyster bar is on the terrace.
The restaurant has snow-white linen table cloths, huge wine glasses, and a smart casual dress code.
The menu described as contemporary Scottish changes daily depending on what is seasonal and fresh.