Best restaurants in Edinburgh

About Daniel's Bistro

Hearty French provincial cooking has made Daniel’s Bistro a popular spot in Edinburgh’s Leith for years.

About The Green Mantle

Popular with students and other local residents, the Green Mantle on West Crosscauseway is a quirky, modern bar housed in a traditional Edinburgh pub setting. Live music, sports and a very popular quiz night keep the Mantle buzzing. Located in the heart of the Southside, it is a much loved and evolving veteran of the local pub scene.

About Lime Kiln

The Lime Kiln is a welcoming and family friendly casual dining restaurant on Almondvale Boulevard in Livingston. It has a smart, contemporary interior with a mix of booths and standalone tables. The outside dining area is always popular when the sun is out. The well stocked bar offers everything from classic draught beers such as Stella and Guinness to Champagne. Customers are as welcome to drop by for a coffee and cake as they are to settle in for a three course dinner.

About The Constitution Bar

A good-looking hangout, The Constitution Bar is, not surprisingly, on Leith’s Constitution Street. Stripped stone walls, clever lighting and simple, comfy seating give it a contemporary feel. Live music, plenty of sports and a great selection of interesting beers from Scotland and beyond mean that it always has a buzz about it. The outside seating is popular for al fresco beer-supping when the sun is out.

About Harajuku Kitchen

Grown out of a street food business, Harajuku Kitchen is an informal and sunny Japanese restaurant. The sushi and sashimi may be the stars but the other sections of the menu have much to recommend. The noodle soups and noodle stir fries are always popular while others prefer dishes like the teriyaki chicken; panko-breaded pork with Japanese curry or the mixed tempura. The popcorn flavoured green tea is fun.

About Ignite Restaurant

Ignite is an Indian restaurant on Morrison Street in Edinburgh’s West End. The warm, rich decor reflects the warm welcome which the staff extend to their customers. Linen table cloths and highly polished glasses demonstrate Ignite’s ambitions to offer a sophisticated dining experience. Ideal for a business lunch, romantic dinner or a group celebration, Ignite enjoys a convenient Haymarket location.

About Rodi Restaurant

Rodi is a small and welcoming Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant towards the top of Morrison Street. The restaurant is simply decorated with pictures of beach scenes and Turkish curios. The open plan charcoal grill is the star of the show and the source of much of the menu. Expect
engaging, friendly staff rather than reserved, formal service.

About The Bonnington

Launched in early 2013, The Bonnington in between Leith Walk and Ferry Road has quickly won a loyal customer base in the Bonnington area. A local pub, it offers regular live music, quiz nights and great bar comfort food – all served with a smile and some cheery banter. On the crossroads of Pilrig Street, Bonnington, Broughton and Newhaven Roads, The Bonnington is a cracking neighbourhood bar which also has a children’s licence until 22:00.

About The Everest Nepalese and Indian Restaurant

Located on Home Street in Tollcross, The Everest Nepalese and Indian Restaurant is a simply decorated, family-run restaurant. It welcomes couples and family groups and is well suited to group celebrations. Its proximity to the King’s Theatre and cinemas such as the Cameo, Odeon and Filmhouse make it ideal for a pre-show bite to eat.

About Lancers Brasserie

A popular fixture on the Stockbridge restaurant scene since the mid-Eighties, Lancers Brasserie serves Bengali and North Indian dishes. Decorated in a contemporary style, this Hamilton Place restaurant has three dining rooms, all with a regimental theme. As well as the Officers’ Club private dining room, there is the main Lancers’ Mess and the Regiment Club which features a large mural of Bengali cavalry.

About LaSal

LaSal is a cosy, restaurant and tapas bar run by a Spanish family on Howden Street. It is a relaxed, informal place. Decorated with colourful flamenco posters, it is equally suited for family celebrations, group dinners and quiet meals for two. The Alba Flamenco school is next door. Diners should not be too surprised if their weekend meal is sound tracked by a strummed guitar and the clack of heels on the dining room floor.

About Gali Restaurant

Established in 2005, Gali is a family-run Italian restaurant on West Maitland Street. Popular with West End shoppers and local workers during the day, at night it pulls in visitors to the city, family groups celebrating, friends out for a meal and couples keen on a romantic dinner. Decorated with quirky pictures of pasta fans, Gali is a friendly, casual spot for an Italian meal.

About The Townhouse Restaurant - Edinburgh Grosvenor

The Town House Restaurant in the Grosvenor Hotel is on Grosvenor Street – handy for Edinburgh’s business district as well as many visitor attractions. With an airy, clean and modern layout, it is an elegant yet informal restaurant serving Scottish and modern European dishes.

About Tutto Matto

Opened in late 2015, Tutto Matto is a funky, modern Italian restaurant on Nicolson Street. Handy for the Festival Theatre, it has a contemporary rustic interior fitted out with wood block features and decorative pizza oven paddles. The open plan kitchens provide their own fast moving theatre.

About Agoon Pani Indian Cuisine on the Shore

Agoon Pani Indian Cuisine on The Shore is a spacious restaurant in Leith – right in the heart of one of Edinburgh’s most vibrant eating out scenes. Light and bright, the dining room has a large, colourful mural and big windows that give onto The Shore. A family-run business, it prides itself on the warmth of its welcome.

About Ginger Restaurant

Ginger Restaurant is a Indian and Nepalese restaurant which is slightly tucked away on South College Street. Compact and simply decorated with a striking mural over the bar, it is a cosy spot for a pre-theatre dinner, romantic night out or big celebration with friends and family.

About Passage To India

Passage to India is a cheery Indian restaurant on Union Place. Sitting opposite Edinburgh Playhouse, it is ideally located for a pre-theatre dinner and, of course, also welcomes dining couples, family get-togethers and groups. Fitted with a smart, contemporary interior, the dining rooms are decorated with pictures of classic Indian scenes.

About The Brasserie at the Glasshouse

The Brasserie at the Glasshouse is part of the five star Glasshouse hotel on Greenside Place in Edinburgh city centre. Glass walls flood the restaurant with light and give dramatic views of nearby Calton Hill. Comfy armchairs and upholstered benches in Paris green and forest hues give the Brasserie a peaceful, relaxing ambience.

Before or after dinner you can enjoy a drink in the recently renovated Snug whisky bar, which serves a selection of almost 100 types of Scotch. You can sip your dram by the fireplace or on the roof garden and even pair it with a premium cigar. And if whisky isn’t your tipple of choice, then the bar’s team of expert mixologists can also craft you a cocktail.

About Seasons Vietnamese

Edinburgh is well served for Thai restaurants but there is less opportunity to try dishes from its nearby neighbour. Seasons Vietnamese Restaurant on Newhaven Road is helping to change that. If you have ever wondered what people eat in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, now is your chance to find out. As with many of the noodle shops of Vietnam’s capital, the decor at Seasons Vietnamese Restaurant is functional rather than plush.

About Junction Restaurant

Part of the Holiday Inn Edinburgh City West on Queensferry Road, Junction Restaurant is a cheery spot. Bright, spacious and light, it has large windows which look out onto the hotel’s leafy grounds. It is sunny in summer and cosy during the capital’s more brisk seasons. Naturally, non-residents are as welcome to dine as those staying at the hotel.