I’m always amazed by all the great restaurants in Edinburgh, and how diverse the cuisines are across the city. The city has delicious comfort food, amazing cafes, and some surprising hidden gems for exceptional fine dining. There are also some restaurants that I wouldn’t recommend for various reasons, such as large chains serving microwaved food, but it’s best not to bring those up. I compiled this list primarily for the guest of my food tour, as they are the stops I often mention along the route of the tour. However, the list is ever-changing as places close, lose their amazing chefs, update their menus, etc.
Here’s my ongoing list of the best restaurants in Edinburgh and a Google Map with all the locations. Make sure to check each restaurant’s website for current opening times, menus, and prices.
Best Fine Dining Restaurants in Edinburgh
The Cellar Door
This small restaurant is the epitome of a hole-in-the-wall gem. Located on George IV Bridge, most of the restaurant is one floor below street level and partially built into the arches of the bridge for an amazing ambiance. 
The food is worthy of a Michelin star in my opinion, but much more reasonably priced. At the time of this writing, a six-course Taste of Scotland dinner is only £49.
Wedgwood the Restaurant
This small restaurant halfway down the Royal Mile is another great place for an incredible Taste of Scotland menu that won’t break the bank. They’ve had a Michelin recommendation in the past which was well deserved, especially as Paul Wedgwood has won an award for best chef in Scotland.
Monteiths
Here’s another hidden gem down one of the side streets (closes) off the Royal Mile. It’s part of a three-restaurant group including The Chop House and The White Horse, all of which are excellent and on this list in their respective categories. This is another Scottish fine-dining restaurant with a very short menu of the best seasonal dishes.
Angels with Bagpipes
This is my last recommendation for a good fine-dining restaurant on the Royal Mile. It’s an independent gem managed by a brother and two sisters in their parents’ home. The food is locally sourced and seasonal, and I’ve heard some locals raving about the quality.
Fazenda Rodizio Bar and Grill
My fiancée is Argentine and loves Argentine meat, and she says Fazenda is one of the best Argentine steakhouses anywhere. They have around 18 swords of different steaks and other meats to select from. 
Don’t forget to turn your paddle to red when you’re getting full, and try to avoid the salad bar so you can focus on the delicious meats. Unlimited sides are also included.
The Outsider
This independent restaurant on George IV Bridge is another great option. It’s a short menu (always a good sign) and there are several specials each day. Best of all, they have some of the best prices in this category of fine dining restaurants.
Le Petit Beefbar
Riccardo Giraudi opened the first Beefbar restaurant in Monaco, and the Edinburgh branch is the 24th location for the group. Riccardo Giraudi is one of the top butchers in the world, and the only importer of Japanese Kobe beef in Europe.
Le Petit Beefbar, located in the InterContinental Hotel on George St. in Edinburgh’s New Town, serves some of the highest-grade meat I’ve ever eaten. The 900-day grain-fed Japanese Black just might be the highest-grade beef available in Edinburgh.
Hawksmoor
The Hawksmoor started in 2006 and was recently named as the 2nd best steak restaurant in the world (it’s regularly in the top 20). They are one of my top recommendations in Edinburgh for a fantastic steak (obviously), but also for the best Sunday roast in Edinburgh. They also have one of the best sticky toffee puddings in town.
Michelin Restaurants 2025
The Michelin guide features 31 restaurants in Edinburgh for 2025, most of which I haven’t actually been to as they’re outside my budget. However, I’ve had plenty of local friends raving about them. Refer to the Michelin Guide for a description of those restaurants.
Exceptional Comfort Food in Edinburgh (Burgers, Pizza, etc.)
MUMs Great Comfort Food
Mums just might be the best comfort food restaurant in Edinburgh. It opened in 2003, although it was called The Monster Mash until 2010. I’ve eaten at MUMs countless times, and I’ve never had a bad meal there. They have a great selection of sausages for their bangers and mash, the steak and ale pie is absolutely massive, and they use Campbells butchers for the hamburgers and haggis. Most of their servings can easily be shared between two people.
City Restaurant
The City Restaurant has been a family-run place for over 60 years and is renowned for its fish and chips. You can get either a flaky or a crispy coating. The pizzas were pretty good too, although I would stick with their fish dishes. My dad loved their salmon steak, which was easy for him to eat without his teeth. Sadly, I wasn’t really impressed by their haggis, neeps, and tatties.
Union of Genius
I found Union of Genius shortly after my first arrival in Edinburgh back in 2015, and it’s been one of my favorites ever since. They serve the best soup in town and at a great price. Each day, they serve six soups – two meat, two vegetarian, and two vegan. Nearly all their soups are gluten-free, and many are dairy-free. They make their soup fresh each day from scratch. Three of the soups will be the same all week, and three change daily. Read the full article I wrote about why: It’s Smart to Eat at Union of Genius in Edinburgh!
Chix
This is yet another of my favorite restaurants in town. As I understand, the owner used to be a chef at The Fat Duck, one of the top restaurants in the world. When he returned to Edinburgh, he started his own venture making chicken sandwiches, and I’ve yet to find one better than his. Every ingredient is fresh and of the highest quality.
There are now two locations around Edinburgh, with a third pop-up from time to time at festivals.
East Pizza
This just might be the best pizza in town. Vanesa certainly thinks so. They only have one location at the Bonnie and Wild Scottish marketplace (the best fine-dining food hall in the UK). The Napolese-style pizzas are made entirely with fresh, organic Scottish ingredients, and there are some great options on the menu.
My favorite is the meat fest, but the four cheese is also a good choice.
Burgers and Beer
Another good restaurant on the Royal Mile is Burgers and Beer, just behind St. Giles Cathedral. As the same suggests, they have a good variety of both (although I don’t particularly enjoy beer myself). The burgers are a bit larger than average, and the meat comes from a good local butcher. Their sister restaurant is The Piper’s Rest, which is mentioned below as a great gastropub.
Bread Meats Bread
Aside from being a great name for a burger and sandwich restaurant, they also serve really good burgers and sandwiches. There are plenty of options to choose from, including the Luther burger, which has two donuts instead of a burger bun (I haven’t tried that one, nor do I plan to).
My favorite is the black and blue burger (mushrooms and blue cheese), although I was bummed that they took the pretzel bites off the menu. There are three locations in town, including one on North Bridge just off the Royal Mile.
Down the Hatch
It’s really a hard call, but this might be my current favorite burger restaurant in Edinburgh. The smash burgers are incredible, and they have daily specials. One of the daily specials is a croger – a burger in a croissant covered in maple syrup. I really wish that would be a regular item…or maybe I don’t, as I’d be getting it every day. Their milkshakes are fantastic and, since the owner is Canadian, they also have the best poutine in Scotland.
The Chop House
This is the one establishment in this category that I haven’t been to yet, but I’ve had a lot of local friends recommending it as one of the best steak restaurants in Edinburgh. They are a sister restaurant to Monteiths and The White Horse, both of which are also on this list. There are now two locations in Edinburgh: The Old Town and Bruntsfield.
Oink
Oink is a local legend. Every day, they bring in a whole, roasted hog and serve some of the best pulled pork in town. That’s the only item on the menu – a small, medium, or large pulled pork sandwich, or just pulled pork in a box. There are two toppings and five sauces, and I’ve seen scores of people in line. There are now three locations around the city center.
Tupiniquim
Tupiniquim is one of the first street food stands I went to in Edinburgh, and to this day it remains one of my favorites. I completely understand how they still have a 4.9-star rating on Google Maps after over a decade in business. They have some of the best crepes ever, and I don’t even understand how they’re gluten-free. The price is perfect. The only downside is that you may have to wait in line for over an hour, but it’s well worth the wait.
Wings
Wings is another hidden gem just a few steps off the Royal Mile. Located on Old Fishmarket Close, this establishment lives up to its name, serving some of the best wings in Edinburgh. The main menu only has two items – wings and boneless wings (a.k.a. chicken nuggets), but there are about 80 different sauces. There are a few side dishes too, but there’s also a table you can reserve to play Mario Go Kart, or you can even get the Cards Against Humanity deck to play with your sticky fingers.
Some of the Best Gastropubs in Edinburgh
A gastropub is a pub that also has food options. Pub refers to a public house, a building anyone can enter for an alcoholic drink, as opposed to a private house.
George IV Bar
George IV Bar is currently my main go-to gastropub in Edinburgh. Everything on the menu is fantastic – haggis, neeps and tatties, burgers, fish and chips, pies, bangers and mash, sticky toffee pudding…I’ve yet to have a bad meal there. They also have some of the best Cullen skink in town, which is why I’ve brought nearly every food tour there for over a year now.
The Piper’s Rest
Another gastropub where everything on the menu is fantastic. I just might have had their Freedom Fries a few too many times. No, not American fries; freedom for Scotland! A large bowl of properly cooked chips (steak fries), topped with crumbled haggis, bacon, crispy onions, and a whisky sauce. They also put the Cullen skink in a sourdough bread bowl. The main room looks like a Highland hunting lodge, and the prices are very reasonable. In other words, one of the best.
Indigo Yard
I’m always surprised by how many locals don’t know about Indigo Yard. Then again, it’s hidden down a little alley. The menu is interesting – it’s not big but there’s a little bit of everything. I like some of the unique dishes they do, and I’ve yet to have a bad meal there. They also do a fantastic Sunday brunch promotion…if you like cocktails.
Teuchters Landing
The Teuchters Landing is another epitome of a hidden gem. It’s down a little sidestreet in Leith, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find better food in Edinburgh. This independent gastropub, like all others on this list, locally sources all its food and cooks everything to perfection. My top recommendation here is the full Scottish breakfast, which they do better than anyone else in town with a full twelve ingredients on the plate! They have some of the best prices in town too. Plus, all the areas to sit, inside and out, are beautiful.
Arcade Bar Haggis and Whisky House
This independent pub is located at the top of Cockburn Street (pronounced “co-burn”). They say they have the best haggis in town, and I agree they’re one of the best. The tiny establishment has a very Alice in Wonderland-ish vibe. And since it’s run by a Polish lady, Edinburgh’s only vodka bar is upstairs.
Excellent Seafood Restaurants in Edinburgh
Fishmarket of Newhaven
The Fishmarket probably could have been in the comfort food category, but since they serve some of the best fish and chips in Edinburgh, I put them down here. They were actually named recently as one of the best fish and chips restaurants in Scotland. Best of all, the newly extended tram line ends almost at their storefront.
The Mussel and Steak Bar
Mussel and Steak has been an independent restaurant on the Grassmarket in the Old Town since 2005 and is definitely one of the best seafood and steak restaurants in Edinburgh. The main dish is the Surf and Turf, which is a large bowl of prawns and mussels, and a perfectly cooked steak. They are yet another location for an incredible Cullen skink.
Fishers
Fishers has two locations, one in Leith and one in the New Town (called Fishers in the City). This family-run place uses some of the best fishmongers and butchers in Edinburgh, elevating several Scottish dishes to the next level. I loved trying their salmon and haddock chowder, and I look forward to getting their beer-battered fish and chips someday.
White Horse Oyster and Seafood Bar
The White Horse has two great distinctions. First, the building is the oldest surviving inn on the Royal Mile from 1742. Second, the quality is fantastic, standing out as one of the best seafood restaurants in Edinburgh. It’s a sister restaurant to the Chop House and Monteiths (both mentioned above).
Creel Caught
Located in the Bonnie and Wild Food Hall in the St James Quarter Shopping Center, Creel Caught is the brainchild of Gary McLean, the first Masterchef winner in Scotland, and the first National Chef of Scotland.
Everything on the menu is incredible, but the seafood sampling platter really stands out – prawn Marie Rose, smoked mackerel pâté, hot and cold smoked salmon, langoustine, olives, cornichons, celeriac Arran mustard slaw, and brown bread.
Best Authentic Mexican Restaurants in Edinburgh
I’m always amazed at how good the Mexican restaurants are in Edinburgh. There are also Tex-Mex places for burritos, the typical chain restaurants (there’s even a Taco Bell in Edinburgh), and generic Latin-American restaurants that also have Mexican dishes, but those don’t belong on this list. Read my separate article about the best Mexican restaurants in Edinburgh. In the meantime, here’s the list in no particular order:
- Chorrito Cantina
- The Basement
- Bodega
- Tacos Libre
- Paz Taqueria
Best Asian Restaurants in Edinburgh
Edinburgh has a massive selection of Asian restaurants, including Indian, Nepalese, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, etc. Until I write an article dedicated to just these restaurants, here are some of my top picks.
Kenji Sushi
My favorite food in the world is sushi, and one of the best restaurants I’ve ever found is in Edinburgh. The company has three restaurants across Edinburgh: Umi, Bentoya, and Kenji, but Kenji is the best of the three. The restaurant feels like it was plucked out of Japan, and the quality of the food is superb. The salmon, particularly, is amazing and melts in the mouth. One thing to know is that they only accept cash.
Thamel
Khima opened Thamel in April 2024, and it has quickly become one of the best (if not the best) Nepalese restaurants in town. From momos to curries, they prepare everything fresh and to perfection. They also make some of the best cocktails in town, making all the bases from scratch. Also check out the Blind Tiger, a hidden speakeasy downstairs, open every night, and with live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
Dishoom
Dishoom started in London a few years ago, and now has several locations across the UK. They are consistently named the best Indian food in Edinburgh, and I’ve seen the line over three hours long waiting to get in on several occasions. I would highly recommend going for breakfast (when there’s no line) for a great Indian-British fusion breakfast and unlimited chocolate masala chai.
Thai restaurants
Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines, especially as I’ve lived in Thailand several times. As such, I think I’m pretty good at knowing what authentic Thai food should taste like. With that knowledge, I’ve been to quite a few of the Thai restaurants in Edinburgh and curated my list of the best in town. You can read my in-depth reviews of these restaurants here.
- Thailander
- Ting Thai Caravan
- Chaophraya Thai
- Spirit of Thai
Further Reading
This is part of my series of the best restaurants and meals in Edinburgh. Check out my other articles in the series:
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