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Hours
Sun
17:00 - 22:00
Mon
17:00 - 23:00
Tue
12:00 - 14:3017:00 - 23:00
Wed
12:00 - 14:3017:00 - 23:00
Thu
12:00 - 14:3017:00 - 23:00
Fri
12:00 - 14:3017:00 - 23:00
Sat
12:00 - 14:3017:00 - 23:00
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.0
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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PRICE RANGE
£1.00 – £1.00
CUISINES
Italian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly
meals, features
Is this an ice cream shop?
Details
About
Sambuca is not the classiest of drinks, to say the least, more associated with a night on the tartan tiles than an elegant Edinburgh eatery, but at Sambuca Restaurant in Newington, they manage to strike a balance between the two. They offer superb Italian cuisine served up in a boisterous, family-run environment down on Causewayside, and when you head on over, you’re guaranteed a friendly welcome. Start with their antipasti – fresh mussels, proscuitto and melon or some cold-cured meats – and then move onto a main. There are plenty of pastas and pizzas, of course, but we’d go straight for their house specials menu which here at Sambuca means seafood: trout with lemon, sole in butter, prawns in tamarind and more. Take a trip to Causewayside in Edinburgh’s Newington for a great Italian meal: just remember to book your table ahead of time.
PRICE RANGE
£1.00 – £1.00
CUISINES
Italian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours
FEATURES
Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Table Service
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4.0
279 reviews
Excellent
151
Very good
62
Average
17
Poor
19
Terrible
30
CrocodileRoc
Worcester316 contributions
Oct 2021 • none
I didn't have high expectations but they were exceeded. We got dressed up and when we saw the furniture we thought why did we bother. It is fitted out in a very basic style no table cloth. The other clientele were also well attired so we did not feel out of place. It was not the most welcoming of restaurants as we had to hover by the door until one of the chefs came from the Kitchen and directed us to a table. The sole waitress was brilliant very attentive and looked after us very well. The food was not the best Italian in my view but my partner who is always critical of Italian food thoroughly enjoyed it. We had a good night out.
Written 11 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kay W
172 contributions
Nov 2021 • none
Lovely lunch with a wide choice of Italian specialities and plenty to suit non-meat eaters. We had freshly prepared bruschetta to start and pasta dishes with a green salad to follow, plus coffee. The chilled house white was good too. The food was tasty and very good value.
It is a traditional family-run eatery with a clear focus on the food. The decor is practical and, in keeping with good Covid practice, the tables are not laid in advance. It was a really nice change from the Italian chain restaurants in the middle of town.
Written 12 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary
9 contributions
Jan 2023 • none
The food is authentic, and some dishes might not be what you'd get from a typical chain-styled Italian (i.e. filled with double cream); instead, they taste like you are in Italy. I have been eating at Sambuca for 18 years, and the food is out of this world and super consistent. I have brought clients, friends and family, and they have all loved it. Enjoy.
Written 14 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dee090
822 contributions
Dec 2023 • couples
We have always enjoyed eating here and have been many times. We decided to book for Hogmanay to support a local business. When we arrived there seemed to be a weird atmosphere. Staff who are normally very friendly looked very unhappy. We sat down and were presented with a set menu which hadn't been advertised and we hadn't expected. I think it caught a few customers out. People who arrived after us saw the set menu and left. The restaurant wasn't full. Despite being a bit disappointed with the menu we decided to make the best of it and ordered starters & mains. The atmosphere by staff still seemed really strained throughout. The only dessert on the set menu was profiteroles. When we were ready to order we were told they'd run out. My husband had previously enjoyed their tiramisu but was told that had run out too. We were told we could have a scoop of ice-cream, which we really didn't want. We finished our bottle of wine & asked for the bill. They charged us for 3 courses. Given what we had, we felt it wasn't right to charge for a menu they hadn't been able to provide. We were told in no uncertain terms that it was Hogmanay and we'd refused ice-cream so the fixed price stood. We paid and left. Very sad. This is not a business we will support again. Hogmanay is only once a year..but it clearly means more to the owner than having repeat customers supporting his business many times throughout the year.
Written 31 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
freemantrave
4 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
Pre ordered for collection at 4pm, order to be ready at 8.30pm due to being at a big swimming competition and having very hungry athletes.
Order text came through at 8.10pm to say cancelled. No explanation at all.
We then had to quickly run around finding somewhere at short notice to fuel kids.
I will be spreading the word among the athlete community to avoid this restaurant due to very poor customer service.
Written 7 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda H
5 contributions
Aug 2021 • family
Went to get granddaughters hair cut a few doors down.
Went in for quick lunch. OMG was the best lasagna I've ever had! Daughter had a pasta dish was beautiful also 10/10 thank you service was fast and food red hot x granddaughter also ate the lasagna (faint) will be back as soon as we are in Edinburgh.
Written 15 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
deepfriedmarsbar2015
Gateshead14 contributions
Feb 2023 • couples
Sambuca is proof that the best things can be found off the beaten track. Very unassuming from the outside, but inside it is cosy, comfortable and inviting. Visited here with my boyfriend, who had seafood pasta- delicious and plentiful! I had the chicken and mushroom pizza; clearly handmade, with delicious authentic thin crust and very generously topped. Profiteroles for dessert, which again were gorgeous, both in presentation and taste. Polite, friendly service also. We are sad that we are not local- we would be regulars! Highly recommended.
Written 16 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter P
Ostend16 contributions
Nov 2024 • couples
We spent three days in Edinburgh and found Sambuca in the list of recommended eateries in our guesthouse.
Went there the first night, and we were si taken with the friendliness of the Italian staff there, and the authentic quality of the food, that we ate there on all three of our nights in Edinburgh!
Big compliment were the many guests there that told us they have been coming there for many years
Highly recommended!
Written 9 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
UncleBenny9
Windsor39 contributions
Sept 2022 • couples
My wife and I had a lovely dinner at this unpretentious little Italian restaurant. The seafood risotto was as good as any I’ve ever had, and my wife really enjoyed her scallopini. Service was efficient and friendly, prices very reasonable. Highly recommended.
Written 19 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anco M
Aberdeen752 contributions
Sept 2022 • family
We visited Sambuca on a Friday evening. It was close to where we were staying. Given the excellent quality of the food it was surprisingly quiet. The food was excellent, though. Whether it was the starters (a spaghetti carbonara, melon, caprese, garlic & cheese bread), the mains (pizza, a steak and veal) or the amazing desserts, the evening was a great success. Sambuca deserves more people.
Written 16 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jules
Newcastle-under-Lyme7 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
Tucked away from the Main Street, well worth looking out. Unpretentious and delicious cuisine that is just like Italian home cooking. We always make a trip out of our way to here when we visit family in Edinburgh. My husband loves the lemon sole (the fish is always really fresh) and I am vegetarian, so am spoiled for choice here. The pizzas are really thin and delicious. Can’t wait until our next visit !
Written 17 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Babyface J
Fife317 contributions
Feb 2024 • friends
First time visiting there with my pal. I had a lovely spaghetti Napoletana and my pal enjoyed his cheese and tomato pizza. We had a lovely Flat White cuppa afterwards. Nice place, quick service and friendly staff.
Written 5 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JohnCol
56 contributions
Aug 2021 • none
We spent a week in Edinburgh and ate out at several restaurants. This one was the worst. The room is very stark, more like a cafe. The menu was quite extensive and we had pretty standard Italian fare. I'm afraid the cooking left a lot to be desired. My scampi in a sauce was just about edible. The sauce wasn't nice at all. My partner's penne was stogy and also not very good. Service was ok, but for food, there are a lot better places nearby.
Written 4 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hols2014
Slough211 contributions
Aug 2021 • none
A very unassuming outside and a basic layout this restaurant is a real find. Super food-sole in lemon sauce amazing and has kind and profssional service. Due to a reduced Fringe and following the pandemic this place deserves support. A super little restaurant well worth locating and not too far as a walk from th Commonweath Pool.
Written 20 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KehanHuli
1 contribution
Oct 2020 • none
We've been there before the lockdown, and we had some Spaghetti and Tortellini. Both tasted pretty amazing. The portions were satisfying and overall very delicious. Not too expensive as well! Staff is very helpful, friendly, and kind. We will go there again for sure, after the lockdown.
Written 2 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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