The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.
Restaurant prices generally include VAT, which currently stands at 17.5%, although, on the whole, do not include a tip or service charge. The prices quoted below are for a three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or equivalent, including VAT.
GourmetThe AtriumSituated in the
same building as the Traverse Theater,
The Atrium offers sophisticated, contemporary and distinctive Scottish cuisine with a French flavor, such as honey roasted quail with Stornoway black pudding or Aberdeen Angus beef topped with pig’s trotter in a red wine jus. One of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants, it has flickering candelabras, cream-colored seats and an intimate atmosphere. The short lunch menu is good value at £13.50 for two courses or £17.50 for three.
10 Cambridge Street
Tel: (0131) 228 8882. Fax: (0131) 228 8808.
E-mail:
eat@atriumrestaurant.co.uk Website:
www.atriumrestaurant.co.uk Price: £40 (set dinner £25.00). Wine: £17.00.
Le Café St HonoréThere is a really romantic feel to this cosy French restaurant tucked away down a central side street, making it often quite hard to find. With crisp linen cloths, heavy mirrors and black and white marble floors, it is almost like being in Paris itself. Food is traditional French and the ’après-cinq’ fixed menu, which is served between 1700 and 1845, is good value. Dishes include venison wild berries and mushrooms or
boeuf bourguignon with mash.
34 North West Thistle Street Lane
Tel: (0131) 226 2211. Fax: (0131) 477 2716.
Price: £25. Wine: £13.50.
Restaurant Martin WishartThis acclaimed Leith restaurant well deserves its Michelin star, awarded in 2001. The decor is simple and cool with plain, cream walls, although the real star here is the food. Popular with business diners and local celebrities, the restaurant serves mouth-watering epicurean creations such as turbot and langoustine with truffle butter with a firm nod across the sea to France. A three-course lunch costs £20.50 while the best option for dinner is to sample Wishart’s sparklingly creative and critic impressing tasting menus. A real taste extravaganza costs £55 for five courses or £60 for six. Add in a glass of wine to go with each course and two diners are looking at over £200 for a full tasting dinner.
54 The Shore, Leith
Tel: (0131) 553 3557. Fax: (0131) 467 7091.
E-mail:
info@martin-wishart.co.uk Website:
www.martin-wishart.co.uk Price: £40. Wine: £20.
The Witchery by the CastleThis atmospheric restaurant, situated in a medieval building next to the Castle, is the place to come for a special occasion. The dark opulence and magical charm delights the eye, with heavy furnishings, fanlight windows, textures and plush patterns. Guests can dine by candlelight in this gothic space or follow the candles down the old stone stairs to the atrium section, which is much more open but still romantic and cosy. The modern Scottish cooking on show uses fresh ingredients like Aberdeen Angus beef to conjure up a steak tartare, as well as fresh seafood to put together a crustacean seafood platter that comes with a half lobster. The pre and post theater menus are perhaps the best fine dining bargain in the city at two courses for £12.50, though many diners do end up tempted by the desserts after the quality of the starters and mains. They also have lavish suites upstairs for those looking to stay longer.
Castlehill, Royal Mile
Tel: (0131) 225 5613. Fax: (0131) 220 4392.
E-mail:
mail@thewitchery.com Website:
www.thewitchery.com Price: £40. Wine: £13.75.
BusinessBritannia SpiceThere is not a bit of flock wallpaper in sight at this clean, modern Indian restaurant in Leith, though the maritime theme is played on a bit too much for some. There is plenty of polished wood and splashes of blue, inspired by the presence of the
Royal Yacht Britannia nearby. This restaurant has only been open since 2000 but has already won several awards for its food. The menu features a mix of unusual dishes from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Northern India, such as roast aubergine massala or
macch torkari (fish marinated in spices and cooked in a medium-hot sauce).
150 Commercial Street, Britannia Way, Leith
Tel: (0131) 555 2255. Fax: (0131) 555 0800.
E-mail:
info@britanniaspice.co.uk Website:
www.britanniaspice.co.uk Price: £20. Wine: £9.
NargileThis Turkish restaurant right in the city center has rapidly gained a reputation for great food. It has a cool contemporary interior and is particularly well known for its delicious, set meze dinners, such as the
ziyafet sofrasi, which includes chicken, shish and kofte kebabs, and the
sultan sofrasi with grilled swordfish and
firinda karides (king prawns). Dishes are served with roasted Mediterranean vegetables and rice. Nargile is a good place for a relaxed business lunch.
73 Hanover Street
Tel: (0131) 225 5755.
E-mail:
info@nargile.co.uk Website:
www.nargile.co.uk Price: £15. Wine £10.95.
Stac PollyOf the two branches, the one on Dublin Street is warmer and more rustic, while Grindlay Street is decked out in more formal tartan. Both are strong on venison and pheasant, though it is the famous starter, filo pastry parcels of haggis with plum sauce, that brings in many devotees. The focus is on Modern Scottish food served up with a minimum of fuss in surrounds that are homely rather than trying to impress too much. The set lunch menus are decent value at £14.95 for two courses and £17.95 for three.
29-33 Dublin Street
Tel: (0131) 556 2231.
8-10 Grindlay Street
Tel: (0131) 229 5405. Fax: (0131) 228 3299.
E-mail:
bookings@stacpolly.com
Website:
www.stacpolly.comPrice: £35. Wine: £14.95.
Thai LemongrassThis award winner is a favorite with those in the know, so booking is advised. As the title suggests, cuisine is Thai and dishes might include monkfish in coconut cream or sea bass in coriander and lemongrass. The decor is fairly relaxed with lots of earthy shades, wooden chairs and slate floors.
40-41 Bruntsfield Place
Tel: (0131) 229 2225. Fax: (0131) 229 8544.
Price: £25. Wine: BYOB
Tower RestaurantWith wonderful views over the city and an open-air terrace for rare sunny days, the
Tower is the sort of restaurant that people want to stay in all afternoon. Situated on top of the
Museum of Scotland, the restaurant offers contemporary Scottish cuisine in a strikingly modern and stylishly opulent interior, with furnishings incorporating aluminum, velvet, tweed, oak and leather. Oysters are a specialty, while on the main menu sturdy dishes like rolled suckling pig sit alongside lighter touches like sea bream in olive tapenade. A two-course theater supper, which costs £12.50, is available between 1700 and 1830.
Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street
Tel: (0131) 225 3003. Fax: (0131) 247 4220.
E-mail:
mail@tower-restaurant.com Website:
www.tower-restaurant.com Price: £35. Wine: £13.75.
TrendyOrocco PierThis new restaurant/bar/hotel by the water’s edge in South Queensferry offers unbeatable views of both the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge. The old inn was totally refurbished in 2003 and now boasts sweeping windows, an outdoor terrace and plenty of stylish hard wood. Waiting staff are friendly and attentive and the menu covers everything from traditional Scottish through to Mexican. In summer 2005 a new outdoor terrace opened, really opening up those stunning views of the bridges and the Firth of Forth.
17 High Street, South Queensferry
Tel: (0131) 331 1298. Fax: (0131) 331 4731.
E-mail:
info@oroccopier.co.uk Website:
www.oroccopier.co.uk Price: £22. Wine: £13.50.
BudgetBar RomaIn the West End of Edinburgh,
Bar Roma is one of the city’s most reliable restaurants, not only for its tasty Italian food but also for its lively atmosphere. It always seems to be busy here and the food is fresh and of good quality – pizzas, pasta dishes with rich tomato and cheese sauces and a great tomato, mozzarella and avocado salad. The interior is light and bright with large windows, polished wood and chrome fittings. It does get busy at weekends and diners should book if they want to visit on a Friday or Saturday night.
39A Queensferry Street
Tel: (0131) 226 2977.
Price: £20. Wine: £11.50.
Bell’s DinerSmall and popular Stockbridge restaurant where yearnings for burgers and steaks are easily satisfied. The burgers are the real highlights in a buzzy place that is not ideal for cosy couples but is great for no nonsense affordable food that fills people up before another round of sightseeing.
7 Saint Stephen St
Tel: (0131) 225 8116.
Price: £16. Wine: £11.50.
Café HubIn the heart of the Old Town,
Café Hub is housed in the headquarters of Edinburgh’s International Festival. This lively café is modern and arty, with lots of bright yellow and blue hues, as well as modern artworks on the wall. While it serves coffee, sandwiches and snacks throughout the day, it also offers more substantial dishes at night. The food is good quality and the menu features dishes such as saffron risotto and the freshest of salads. The atmosphere is generally relaxed – except during the Festival, of course.
Castlehill, Royal Mile
Tel: (0131) 473 2067. Fax: (0131) 473 2016.
E-mail:
thehub@eif.co.uk Website:
www.eif.co.uk/thehub Price: £22. Wine: £10.50.
Personal RecommendationsKalpnaSituated in the area of Edinburgh dominated by the university,
Kalpna is an Indian restaurant that even has Indians queuing to get in. It is small, simply decorated and unpretentious inside, but the food (all of which is vegetarian) is delicious and inspired. Specialties include spicy Kashmiri dishes and lots of pistachios, and the
kulfi (Indian ice cream) is especially creamy. Good value set lunches at £4.50.
2-3 St Patrick’s Square
Tel: (0131) 667 9890.
Price: £15. Wine: £10.
SuruchiOpposite the Festival Theater,
Suruchi serves exceptionally good northern Indian vegetarian cuisine but also features mouth-watering dishes from across the Indian subcontinent. The menu is bilingual: it gives the Indian name of the dish and a description in Scots, the language that many Scottish people speak, a language which is recognized as more than a dialect but does not feature on many menus around town.
14-A Nicolson Street
Tel: (0131) 556 6583. Fax: (0131) 622 7227.
Website:
www.suruchirestaurant.co.uk Price: £22. Wine: £10.
Nightlife:The days when Edinburgh’s nightlife was a bit tame and local punters went through to Glasgow for a decent night out are long gone. Edinburgh is booming and its nightlife is following suit with well-heeled locals fuelling a scene that is bolstered by a steady stream of tourists throughout the year. There is no one set area for nightlife with George Street in the New Town, the High Street area of the Old Town, the university sector and the Grassmarket all popular haunts. Broughton Street tends to attract a ’mixed’ clientele, while the seaside quarter of Leith is popular with the trendy set. The city’s pubs range from traditional taverns with hundreds of years of history behind them, to slinky modern style-bars. After pub closing time, Edinburgh’s club scene offers everything from easy listening to the latest progressive trance, via 1970s and 1980s revival evenings. Live music can be heard everywhere from intimate pubs to the huge Murrayfield Stadium.
Some clubs may require smart dress and alcohol can normally be purchased until 2300. Certain pubs and bars may stay open until 0100, café-bars and restaurants until 0300 and clubs until 0300 (until 0500 during the festival). The legal drinking age is 18. Drink prices vary enormously, depending on the venue - beer varies between £2 to £3 per pint.
Nightlife listings are provided in
The List magazine (website:
www.list.co.uk), available in newsagents.
Please note: Smoking in enclosed public spaces is now banned throughout Scotland.
Bars: Some good traditional pubs are
Bow Bar, 80 West Bow, and
Café Royal Circle Bar, 17 West Register Street (which also features great seafood). There are plenty of pubs lining Rose Street (a pedestrianized road behind Princes Street) but the Victorian grandeur is often blighted by hen and stag parties. Also worth trying is
The Canny Man’s, 239 Morningside Road, with its highly unusual bric-a-brac décor - beware as cameras are banned. More stylish places to hang out include the
Malmaison Hotel Bar, 1 Tower Place, Leith,
Ricks, Frederick Street, the
Opal Lounge and the
Candy Bar, both on George Street, and
Indigo Yard, Charlotte Lane. Depending on your favorite tipple, go to the
Malt Shovel, Cockburn Street, or
The Bow Bar, The West Bow, Victoria Street, to sample whisky; the
Cask and Barrel, 115 Broughton Street, for real ale, or
Bar Kohl, 54 George IV Bridge, to work your way through the many vodkas on offer. A popular new meeting place is the
Villager, 49-50 George IV Bridge. Leith offers everything from raffish old pubs like the
Port o’ Leith, 58 Constitution Street, that are not for the faint hearted through to bright style bars like
Bar Sirius, Dock Place.
Casinos: The
Berkeley Casino (tel: (0131) 228 4446; website:
www.casinocity.com/uk/edinburgh/stanedin/), next to the Caledonian hotel, at the west end of Princes Street, and
Gala Casino (tel: (0131) 338 4444; website:
www.galacasinos.co.uk), Maybury junction, 10 minutes from Edinburgh airport, both require membership, which takes 24 hours to clear. A passport or a driver’s license is required for proof of age (over 18 years only). Dress code for both casinos is smart-casual - Gala does not allow blue jeans, sportswear or trainers.
Clubs: Edinburgh’s club scene is lively and clubs quickly fall in and out of fashion.
The Honeycomb, Niddry Street, and
Cabaret Voltaire, 36-38 Blair Street, are fairly hip. The
Cavendish, 3 West Tollcross, caters for an older crowd and specializes in roots and reggae with dedicated African and Latin nights.
Opal Lounge on George Street (website:
www.opallounge.co.uk) and
Peppermint Lounge, Chambers Street, are also popular. During the festivals in August a number of impromptu events spring up - check with
The List magazine at all times of year for the latest listings or check out the local record shops for flyers.
Live Music: The
Royal Oak, 1 Infirmary Street, is an unpretentious folk bar, while
Sandy Bell’s, 25 Forest Road, also has informal folk sessions.
Eighty Queen St, 80 Queen Street and
Henry’s Jazz Cellar, 8 Morrison Street, both feature live jazz while
Bannerman’s, 212 Cowgate, regularly features new bands.
Whistlebinkies, 4-6 South Bridge, is a well established live music bar, with bands playing every night. Check
The List magazine for fortnightly (weekly during the August festivals) listings.
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