Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
A clear-tasting lamb-and-barley soup with leek, carrot, turnip and split peas, simmered for hours. Edinburgh's standard winter starter and the soup of every household kitchen.
Scotch broth has been on Scottish kitchen tables since the Middle Ages, originally as a peasant pot-meal of mutton bones, barley and whatever root vegetable was in the larder. Samuel Johnson ate it in Edinburgh in 1773 and pronounced it good; James Boswell teased him for the conversion. The barley-and-lamb version became the standard restaurant offering through the Victorian hotel kitchens. The Edinburgh bistro version today uses a long-simmered lamb-bone stock, pearl barley swelled in the pot, and the vegetable cut diced rather than peasant-rough.
5 editor picks for Scotch broth in Edinburgh, ranked by editorial score. All Edinburgh signature dishes · Scotch broth across every city.
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.
The Dome on George Street in Edinburgh's New Town, opened in 1996 inside the former Commercial Bank building, a glass-domed grand brasserie room running.
OrderSmoked salmon platter at lunch and the roast beef Wellington at dinner under the central dome.
TipThe Georgian Tea Room at the back is a quieter alternative if the main hall feels too touristy at peak hours.
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.
Scotch broth makes more sense with someone from Edinburgh explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
1 day
Full Day Rail Tour from London: Discover the world of Scotch whisky on a guided tour in Edinburgh. Learn about the production of single malt Scotch whisky and enjoy a ...
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 · 3h 18m
Enjoy a true Scotch Whisky Experience with guided whisky tasting and 3-course lunch or dinner at the award-winning Amber Restaurant in Edinburgh. Includes six regional...
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