Italian££canonmills-inverleithMon-Sat 09:00-18:00
Valvona and Crolla's caffe-bar on Elm Row in Edinburgh, opened in 1934 (the bistro since 1996), the back-of-deli dining room for Scotland's longest-running.
Order: The carbonara made with house-cured pancetta and the Pugliese antipasto board.
Tip: The deli at the front sells the same dry pasta and tinned tomatoes the kitchen uses; shop while you wait for your table.
Modern Scottish££canonmills-inverleithThu 17:00-20:30, Fri-Sun 12:30-14:30 17:00-20:30
Peter Adshead's restaurant in the 1836 William Playfair stone cottage at Royal Terrace Gardens in Edinburgh, opened May 2026 on the former Gardener's Cottage.
Order: The £25 two-course lunch by the kitchen garden door; available Friday to Sunday from 12:30.
Tip: Lunch sittings 12:30-14:30 Friday to Sunday are the casual entry point; evening flips to a fixed five or seven-course set.
Cafe£leith
Leith Walk's converted police-box coffee counter in Edinburgh, opened 2016 inside a 1950s Glasgow-style box, serving filter coffee and seasonal pastries.
Order: A flat white and the cardamom-and-pistachio cake.
Tip: There is no seating; coffee in hand on Leith Walk's central reservation is the local move. Cash only most days.
Modern British£££tollcross-west-endTue-Sat 09:00-14:30 18:00-21:45, Sun 09:00-15:30
Lloyd Morse, James Snowdon and Ruairidh Buchanan's Palmerston Place dining room in Edinburgh's West End, opened in 2021 in a former bank, a Michelin Bib.
Order: The whole roast chicken for two and the sourdough with cultured butter.
Tip: The bakery counter sells off the day's bread at 16:00. Sourdough and cinnamon buns go first.
Japanese£££new-townDaily 12:00-14:30 17:30-21:00
Stuart Ralston's Thistle Street basement in New Town Edinburgh, opened 2019, a Japanese-inflected small-plates kitchen with sashimi, rice and fermented sides.
Order: Wagyu tataki with truffle, miso-glazed octopus and a glass of Aged Junmai sake.
Tip: Counter seats look directly onto the sushi pass. Lunchtime bento sets are £25 and the best New Town lunch deal.
Modern British£££bruntsfield-morningsideWed 12:00-14:15, Wed 17:30-21:15, Thu 12:00-14:15, Thu 17:30-21:15, Fri 12:00-14:15, Fri 17:30-21:15, Sat 10:00-14:15, Sat 17:30-21:15, Sun 10:00-14:15, Sun 17:30-21:15
Roberta Hall-McCarron's Bonnington Road dining room in Edinburgh, opened in 2017, a Michelin Bib-listed neighbourhood kitchen running British-leaning.
Order: Beef tartare with smoked oyster, and the set lunch on Friday for three courses at half price.
Tip: Roberta also runs Eleanore around the corner on Albert Place for walk-in small plates.