6 splurge rooms in Edinburgh, editor-picked. tasting menus and the full big-night-out treatment in Edinburgh. All Edinburgh food.
The Kitchin ★ 4.9
leith · 78 Commercial Quay, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6LX
Tom Kitchin's Commercial Quay dining room in Leith, Edinburgh, opened in 2006 and held a Michelin star within seven months, the kitchen that brought Scottish.
Tip: Lunch is half the dinner price and runs the same kitchen. The Tom's Sunday lunch (the chef's table) gets cancelled less than the evening tasting if you book it.
Restaurant Martin Wishart ★ 4.8
leith · 54 The Shore, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6RA
Martin Wishart's Shoreside Leith dining room in Edinburgh, opened in 1999 and Michelin-starred since 2001, the city's longest-running modern French tasting kitchen.
Tip: Lunchtime four-course menu at GBP 50 is the value play; same kitchen, same sommelier, half the dinner price.
Lyla ★ 4.8
leith · 30 The Shore, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6QN
Stuart Ralston's Shoreside Leith fine-dining room in Edinburgh, opened in 2024 and Michelin-starred within twelve months, a 14-seat tasting counter overlooking.
Tip: Counter seats numbers 1 and 14 face the open pass directly. Tasting menus only; no a la carte.
Condita ★ 4.7
marchmont-meadows · 15 Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SL
Conor Toomey's Marchmont neighbourhood kitchen in Edinburgh, opened in 2018 and Michelin-starred from 2020, a no-choice tasting menu in a 20-seat residential.
Tip: Bookings open 60 days ahead on the dot at 10:00 GMT. The whole month sells in under an hour. Set a calendar alarm.
Number One at The Balmoral ★ 4.4
new-town · The Balmoral Hotel, 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 2EQ
Mark Donald's basement dining room inside The Balmoral hotel on Princes Street in Edinburgh, Michelin-starred from 2003 to 2024 and still running fine-dining.
Tip: The Bollinger Bar upstairs (also at the Balmoral) takes walk-ins for a glass of fizz before service. Smart-casual dress code enforced.
The Witchery by the Castle ★ 4.3
old-town · Boswell's Court, 352 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NF
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 landmark.
Tip: Ask for The Secret Garden, the second dining room down the stairs; the candlelit version of the experience.