Fort and Field on Portobello High Street in Edinburgh, opened 2024, a wood-fired neighbourhood kitchen on the seaside running open-fire grill plates.
Must order: The flat-iron steak from the woodfire and the charred hispi cabbage with anchovy butter.
Tip: The wood-fired pizza Wednesday is a half-price deal and the local crowd shows up early.
Address: 152 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh EH15 1AB
Hawksmoor's Edinburgh branch on West Register Street in New Town Edinburgh, opened in 2019 inside the former National Bank of Scotland Hall, the steakhouse.
Order: The 800g porterhouse for two from native Scottish beef and the beef-dripping fries.
Tip: Express menu before 18:30 and after 22:00 runs three courses at GBP 28; the express menu version of the same kitchen.
Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack's Stockbridge gastropub in Edinburgh, opened in 2013, the casual sibling to The Kitchin running British classics in a Comely Bank.
Order: Fish and chips with mushy peas, or the Sunday roast that books out a week ahead.
Tip: Children's menu is taken seriously here; meatballs and mash is a proper plate.
The Edinburgh outpost of the London Bombay-Irani cafe on St Andrew Square in Edinburgh, opened in 2016, a 200-cover all-day room in the former Bank of Scotland.
Order: Bacon naan roll at breakfast, house black daal at any other time.
Tip: No dinner bookings under six; walk in from 17:30 and wait 30 to 60 minutes. Basement bar pours while you queue.
Howies on Victoria Street in Edinburgh's Old Town, the flagship of David Howie Scott's Scottish-bistro mini-chain opened 1990, an everyday Scottish-classics.
Order: Haggis bonbons with whisky cream and the Aberdeen Angus steak with peppercorn sauce.
Tip: Pre-theatre two-course menu 17:30 to 19:00 is GBP 22, the best value in the Old Town.
Michele Civiera's Hunter Square pizza counter in Edinburgh, opened in 2016, the Old Town slice-counter serving Roman al taglio square-tray pizza into the small.
Order: The salsiccia e friarielli slice and a square of margherita; eat at the counter or on the cobbles outside.
Tip: Open till 02:00 on weekends; the only proper food on the Royal Mile after midnight that is not a kebab shop.
The Dundas Street pizzeria in Canonmills Edinburgh, opened 2019, a 60-second wood-fired Neapolitan kitchen with 00-flour dough and Italian San Marzano tomatoes.
Order: The Geek Margherita and the salsiccia-and-friarielli with stracciatella.
Tip: Their second branch on Drum Street takes walk-ins more reliably than the Canonmills original.
