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.
Must 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.
Address: 19 Elm Row, Edinburgh EH7 4AA
Edward Murray and Dale Mailley's stone-cottage kitchen in Royal Terrace Gardens in Edinburgh, opened in 2012, a shared-table no-choice set-menu room sourcing.
Order: There is no choice; the daily-changing seven-course set menu is the only option.
Tip: Communal long-table seating; book three days ahead. Vegetarian version available with notice.
Edward Murray and Dale Mailley's stone-cottage kitchen in Royal Terrace Gardens in Edinburgh, opened in 2012, a shared-table no-choice set-menu room sourcing.
Order: There is no choice; the daily-changing seven-course set menu is the only option.
Tip: Communal long-table seating; book three days ahead. Vegetarian version available with notice.
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.
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 daily.
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.
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 GBP 25 and the best New Town lunch deal.
Roberta Hall-McCarron's Bonnington Road dining room in Edinburgh, opened in 2017, a Michelin Bib-listed neighbourhood kitchen running British-leaning seasonal.
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.
Fort and Field on Portobello High Street in Edinburgh, opened 2024, a wood-fired neighbourhood kitchen on the seaside running open-fire grill plates.
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.
