18 mid-range rooms in Edinburgh, editor-picked. the comfortable everyday-good rooms in Edinburgh — no surprise on the bill, real cooking. All Edinburgh food.
Dishoom ★ 4.6
old-town · 3a St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2BD
The Edinburgh outpost of London's Bombay-Irani cafe chain on St Andrew Square, opened in 2016, a 200-cover all-day room in the old Bank of Scotland HQ building.
Tip: No dinner bookings under six; walk in from 17:30 and the wait is 30 to 60 minutes. Drinks at the basement bar while you wait.
Dishoom Edinburgh ★ 4.6
old-town · 3a St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2BD
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.
Tip: No dinner bookings under six; walk in from 17:30 and wait 30 to 60 minutes. Basement bar pours while you queue.
The Gardener's Cottage ★ 4.5
canonmills-inverleith · 1 Royal Terrace Gardens, Edinburgh EH7 5DX
Edward Murray and Dale Mailley's stone-cottage kitchen in Royal Terrace Gardens in Edinburgh, opened 2012, a shared-table no-choice set-menu room with produce.
Tip: Communal long-table seating; book three days ahead for the popular Friday-night sittings. Bring cash for the wine pairing.
The Scran and Scallie ★ 4.5
stockbridge · 1 Comely Bank Road, Edinburgh EH4 1DT
Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack's Stockbridge gastropub in Edinburgh, opened 2013, the casual-counterpart to The Kitchin running British classics in a Comely Bank.
Tip: The kids' menu is not patronising; the meatballs and mash is a proper plate. Sunday roast books out a week ahead.
The Scran and Scallie ★ 4.5
stockbridge · 1 Comely Bank Road, Edinburgh EH4 1DT
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.
Tip: Children's menu is taken seriously here; meatballs and mash is a proper plate.
Pizza Geeks ★ 4.5
canonmills-inverleith · 138 Dundas Street, Edinburgh EH3 5DQ
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.
Tip: Their second branch on Drum Street takes walk-ins more reliably than the Canonmills original.
Locanda De Gusti ★ 4.5
tollcross-west-end · 102 Dalry Road, Edinburgh EH11 2DW
Rosario Sartore's Dalry Road kitchen in Edinburgh, opened in 2013, a family-run Neapolitan dining room running pasta, seafood and wood-fired pizza in the West End.
Tip: The lunchtime three-course express menu at GBP 18 is one of the city's best Italian-value deals.
The Gardener's Cottage ★ 4.5
canonmills-inverleith · 1 Royal Terrace Gardens, Edinburgh EH7 5DX
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.
Tip: Communal long-table seating; book three days ahead. Vegetarian version available with notice.
Baba ★ 4.4
new-town · 130 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4JZ
Baba on George Street in Edinburgh's New Town, opened in 2018 by the Kyloe steakhouse group, a Levantine small-plates kitchen serving mezze and charcoal-grill.
Tip: The mezze deal at lunch (four plates plus a drink for GBP 22) is one of George Street's best value menus.
Harajuku Kitchen ★ 4.4
bruntsfield-morningside · 10 Gillespie Place, Edinburgh EH10 4HS
Kaori Simpson's Bruntsfield Japanese kitchen on Gillespie Place in Edinburgh, opened in 2013, a family-run kaiseki and izakaya room cooking authentic Tokyo.
Tip: The Bruntsfield branch is the original; the Stockbridge offshoot is brighter but the south-side room takes more walk-ins.
David Bann ★ 4.4
old-town · 56-58 St Mary's Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SX
Chef David Bann's vegetarian dining room on St Mary's Street in Edinburgh, opened in 2002, the city's reference vegetarian fine-dining kitchen with a candlelit.
Tip: Pre-theatre two-course at GBP 22 runs to 19:00; the wine list is genuinely thought through.
Edinburgh Larder ★ 4.4
old-town · 15 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh EH1 1NB
Edinburgh Larder bistro on Blackfriars Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh, opened in 2009, an all-day cafe-restaurant serving Scottish-provenance breakfast.
Tip: Closes by 16:00 most days; the original cafe on Blackfriars Street is the calmer of the two rooms.
Valvona and Crolla Caffe Bar ★ 4.4
canonmills-inverleith · 19 Elm Row, Edinburgh EH7 4AA
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.
Tip: The deli at the front sells the same dry pasta and tinned tomatoes the kitchen uses; shop while you wait for your table.
Fort and Field ★ 4.4
portobello · 152 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh EH15 1AB
Fort and Field on Portobello High Street in Edinburgh, opened 2024, a wood-fired neighbourhood kitchen on the seaside running open-fire grill plates.
Tip: The wood-fired pizza Wednesday is a half-price deal and the local crowd shows up early.
Fishers in the City ★ 4.3
new-town · 58 Thistle Street, Edinburgh EH2 1EN
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.
Tip: The original Fishers Bistro on the Shore in Leith is the smaller, more atmospheric sibling if you want the Old Port version.
Contini George Street ★ 4.3
new-town · 103 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 3ES
Victor and Carina Contini's George Street dining room in Edinburgh, opened in 2004 in the former Lloyds Bank, an Italian-Scottish bistro serving Mediterranean.
Tip: The high tea at 15:00 to 17:00 is a quieter alternative; Sunday family lunch is a long-running tradition.
Howies ★ 4.0
old-town · 10-14 Victoria Street, Edinburgh EH1 2HG
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.
Tip: Pre-theatre two-course menu from 17:30 to 19:00 is the value play. The Waterloo Place branch is the second-best room.
Howies Victoria Street ★ 4.0
old-town · 10-14 Victoria Street, Edinburgh EH1 2HG
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.
Tip: Pre-theatre two-course menu 17:30 to 19:00 is GBP 22, the best value in the Old Town.