Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
A thick smoked-haddock soup with potato, onion and milk, named after the Moray village of Cullen. Edinburgh's standard winter-warmer starter; on every Scottish menu in the Old Town.
Cullen skink first appears in print in Meg Dods' Cook and Housewife's Manual in 1827, though the dish itself is older fishermen's fare from the Moray Firth. The Edinburgh bistro circuit adopted it as a heritage starter through the 1980s, when Scottish provenance returned as a kitchen marketing pitch. The naturally-smoked Finnan haddie (haddock cured over green wood) is the canonical fish; the soup should be milk-based, never cream-thickened, and the potato is roughly broken rather than blended. The World Championships of Cullen Skink have run since 2010 in Cullen itself, and Edinburgh's bistro versions reliably circulate through the top placings.
4 editor picks for Cullen skink in Edinburgh, ranked by editorial score. All Edinburgh signature dishes · Cullen skink across every city.
Also in: Glasgow.
Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack's Stockbridge gastropub in Edinburgh, opened 2013, the casual-counterpart to The Kitchin running British classics in a Comely.
OrderThe fish and chips with mushy peas, plus a starter of Cullen skink to share.
TipThe kids' menu is not patronising; the meatballs and mash is a proper plate. Sunday roast books out a week ahead.
James Thomson's medieval-tavern dining room at the top of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, opened 1979 inside Boswell's Court, the city's heritage-cuisine.
OrderThe Scotch beef Wellington for two and the haggis with whisky-cream sauce as a starter.
TipAsk for The Secret Garden, the second dining room down the stairs; the candlelit version of the experience.
The New Town offshoot of the Leith Fishers seafood mini-chain in Edinburgh, on Thistle Street since 2001, a brasserie-style room running East Coast fish.
OrderCullen skink for starters and the whole grilled lemon sole with brown butter.
TipThe original Fishers Bistro on the Shore in Leith is the smaller, more ambient sibling if you want the Old Port version.
Howies on Victoria Street in Edinburgh, the Old Town flagship of David Howie Scott's Scottish-bistro mini-chain opened in 1990, the city's everyday Scottish.
OrderHaggis bonbons with whisky cream as a starter and the Aberdeen Angus steak with peppercorn sauce.
TipPre-theatre two-course menu from 17:30-19:00 is the value play. The Waterloo Place branch is the second-best room.
Cullen skink makes more sense with someone from Edinburgh explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore Edinburgh’s Georgian 200 year-old New Town on a food walking tour. Enjoy a Scottish gin cocktail, smoked salmon canapes, port and chocolate, haggis, ice cream ...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore Edinburgh’s rich history through its iconic cuisine! Taste, learn, and feel the soul of Scotland on our unforgettable Secret Food Tour through the heart of the...
Guided tour · 50 - 75 minutes
Enjoy a guided tour and tasting in the vault of world's most famous Scotch whisky collection. Discover the art of blending and the secrets of single malt whisky across...
