RESTAURANTS

from Edinburgh Festival Guide 2023

leith depot

The Black Grape

240 Canongate, theblackgrape.co.uk

Those familiar with Mexican stalwart Pancho Villas might be forgiven for thinking they’ve taken a wrong turn; The Black Grape has transformed this once-familiar space with Scandi-chic and muted green and grey tones. There’s both a casual bar and more traditional seating area to enjoy an extensive choice of wines and aperitivo, with luscious small sharing plates.

Hope Omurisu

80 Nicolson Street, hope-omurisu.com

You won’t find raw fish or sushi on the menu at Hope Omurisu. Bowls of thick udon topped with jammy eggs and rice bowls with seared beef are proper stomach-liners. The signature is the omurisu, a weirdly satisfying amalgamation of fried rice and cheese, encased in an omelette and covered in sticky sauce.

Macau Kitchen

93 St Leonard’s Street, macaukitchen.uk

Portuguese-Chinese fusion is this place’s USP, inspired by the street food of Macau, spices of Goa and tropical climes of Malacca. The duck glazed in plum wine is worth a detour from wherever you are, corkage is reasonable and there’s really nothing like it anywhere else in the city.

Mother India's Café

3–5 Infirmary Street, motherindia.co.uk

This tapas-style Indian restaurant has been here for years but is busy every night for good reason. The paneer dosa is light and crisp, the spiced haddock is oven-baked and tender, and the chana dhal is beautifully aromatic. Go with a group, or a big appetite, to maximise ordering opportunities.

The Pakora Bar

111 Holyrood Road, thepakorabar.co.uk

A big and bright restaurant with banging pakora. Flavours range from aubergine to haggis; all are crisp and fresh. Try the lamb samosa chaat with spicy onions, chickpeas and yoghurt. The covered terrace outside is gorgeous on a warm day (and when the weather doesn’t oblige, just order extra chilli sauce).

Soul Vegan

46 West Richmond Street, soulvegan.uk

With links to the beloved Kampong Ah Lee, this wee vegan Malaysian is picture-perfect, with attentive staff and a street-food slanted menu that leans towards deeply comforting, homely dishes. Popular with the city’s student population, essentially this is a place to fill up for a reasonable price, while receiving a cuddle in plant-based bowl form.

Wedgwood

267 Canongate, wedgwoodtherestaurant.co.uk

Smart seasonal dining with a focus on Scottish produce. Locally foraged ingredients are a cornerstone of Paul Wedgwood’s precision cooking: expect to see seaweeds, sea vegetables and nettles enlivening dishes of local game, meat and fish. Wedgwood is à la carte in the evenings with a goodvalue set lunch.

Cafes And Casual Bites

The Banh Mi Bar

3 The Arches, East Market Street, instagram.com/ banhmibaredinburgh

Serving up well-packed Vietnamese-inspired sandwiches in an old railway arch. You can’t beat the classic Hanoi: black pepper chicken, pickled carrot and daikon, garlic mayo, sriracha, salad and fresh herbs, though the vegan version with tofu comes a close second. The summer rolls and salads are excellent too. Plus there’s another shop in Bruntsfield.

Edinburgh Larder

15 Blackfriars Street, edinburghlarder.co.uk

Many cafés stick to the same menu all year round: not Edinburgh Larder. Expect truly seasonal produce and the best local meat and fish, transformed into delicious big breakfasts, soups, salads and daily specials. If you don’t have time to eat your way around Scotland, a visit here is an excellent shortcut.

Korean Munchies

26 Nicolson Street, koreanmunchies.co.uk

This Korean comfort-food haven is great for a quick tasty lunch. Pick up a bibimbap bowl with rice, crisp carrots, bean sprouts and radishes, topped with your choice of protein and a generous serving of smoky sweet gochujang sauce. They also do kimbap, Korea’s answer to sushi, or a crunchy sausage corn dog.

My Picks

Ailsa Sheldon

THE LIST EAT & DRINK TEAM

Edinburgh in the summer is my favourite place to be; long, light evenings, cafés and bars spilling on to the pavements and, of course, the joyful explosion of music, theatre and art. Between shows I’ll be hanging out in the sunny courtyard outside The Royal Dick at Summerhall with a Barneys IPA, or joining the queue at Mary’s Milk Bar for a gelato. At least one night this August I’ll treat myself to dinner at LeftField on Bruntsfield Links and hope that lobster is on the menu. The view of the sun setting over Arthur’s Seat and the Meadows from this gorgeous family-run bistro is peak Edinburgh to me. And when the city centre gets too crowded, I’ll retreat to Leith; now with added trams. I’ll head for a glass of orange wine and half a dozen oysters at Mistral, then go around the corner to Razzo Pizza for a bite.

Moo Pie Gelato

26 St Mary's Street, instagram.com/moopiegelato

A hole-in-the-wall ice-cream bar that’s well worth the ever-present queue. The gelato and sorbets are

FANCY A WANDER?

If you couldn’t afford the seventy squillion pounds a night for digs at the heart of the action, or if you simply need to escape the madding crowds, these re-set options are no more than a wee bus or train ride away

THE CANNY MAN’S

237 Morningside Road, cannymans.co.uk

Not exactly off-the-beaten track, yet The Canny Man’s transports you to a different time and place with its unique, huge smørrebrød menu (open sandwiches).

THE FISHMARKET

23a Pier Place, thefishmarketnewhaven.co.uk

The Fishmarket is a lovely restaurant, but locals prefer to join the queue, grab a fish supper and sit by the harbour at Newhaven, watching the sunset.

MILK AT EDINBURGH SCULPTURE WORKSHOP

21 Hawthornvale, cafemilk.co.uk

A wee walk or cycle along the Newhaven path brings you to Milk, where there’s a compact but interesting all-day menu. Or just grab a coffee and continue on your merry way.

MIRO’S ON THE PROM

25–25a Promenade, mirosportobello.co.uk

A cheery seaside spot that moves seamlessly between breakfast, afternoon coffee, small bites and more substantial meals, right by the beach in Portobello.

OSTERIA DEI SAPORI

2–4 Bridge Road, osteriadeisapori.co.uk

Colinton village is a rewarding place for a quiet bimble; pubs, parks and street art abound. Reward yourself at this elegant Italian with their delicious seafood options.

PORTO & FI

47 Newhaven Main Street, portofi.com

A cute neighbourhood deli/café/ bistro in picturesque Newhaven, Porto & Fi attracts a fiercely loyal crowd of locals for their homely, delicious food. Later opening at weekends.

SMITH & GERTRUDE

254 Portobello High Street, smithandgertrude.com

Neighbourhood wine bar with a relaxed vibe, interesting wine and expert, approachable staff; the cheese and wine flights are a great way to wind-down.

THIRTY KNOTS

2 Newhalls Road, South Queensferry, thirtyknotssouthqueensferry.co.uk

A short train journey brings you to this crowd-pleasing bar-restaurant, with a huge outdoor terrace where you can see the sea and count the bridges across the Forth.

THE WEE RESTAURANT

17 Main Street, North Queensferry, theweerestaurant.co.uk made fresh daily in a changing array of flavours. Try a twist on a 99 with milk gelato, dulce de leche sauce and chunks of caramelised waffle, or the magically rich and creamy dark chocolate sorbet.

A 22-minute train ride brings you to the pretty village of North Queensferry, where The Wee Restaurant serves excellent local produce in a cosy restaurant.

Noodles & Dumplings

23 South Clerk Street

The clue is in the name: you even know what to order. Dig in to hearty bowls of soup noodles and generous plates of boiled or fried dumplings at this authentic northern Chinese restaurant. You won’t go wrong with the garlic beef flank noodles; the meat is slow cooked and the noodles handmade.

Palmyra

22 Nicolson Street, palmyrapizza.co.uk

A student staple but still the best Mediterranean-style falafel wraps around. Go for a toasted khobz wrap with crisp falafel, fresh salad, creamy hummus, and if you’re greedy, extra baba ghanoush. The chicken and doner kebabs are also highly rated and saviours of many a late-night, slightly too-wellrefreshed outing.

Rocksalt Café

10 Jeffrey Street, instagram.com/ rocksaltcafe_edinburgh

It’s always brunch time at Rocksalt: flaky pastries, loaded eggs benedict, decadent stacks of pancakes and chilli avocado toast are the house specialities. Later in the day, tuck into big burgers or mac and cheese. A second branch on Constitution Street in Leith is also great for a sunny coffee stop.

Soul Sushi

126 Nicolson Street, soulsushi.co.uk

A simple sushi spot with a few tables to perch at and plenty to grab-and-go if you’re in a hurry. A blackboard details where the fish has come from, and the sushi is made fresh all day. Scottish salmon and avocado rolls are a favourite and the vegetarian selection is strong too.

Bars

Holyrood 9a

9a Holyrood Road, theholyrood.co.uk

If you need a burger and a beer, look no further. At Holyrood 9a they serve hearty ‘two-handed gourmet burgers’. Try the Scotsman; a steak burger with haggis, rocket and whisky peppercorn mayo. On tap you’ll find the best of Edinburgh’s breweries including Newbarns, Pilot and Vault City Brewing sours. It’s a busy, buzzy haunt.

Holyrood Distillery

19 St Leonard’s Lane, holyrooddistillery.co.uk

Handily placed for a pint after a stroll up Arthur’s Seat or a Pleasance show, the sunny courtyard bar at Holyrood Distillery is also easy striking distance from the city centre. Find crisp Pilot beers on tap, Vault City Brewing sours by the can, and cocktails based on the distillery’s own award-winning Height Of Arrows gin.

Salt Horse

57–61 Blackfriars Street, salthorse.beer

With 12 beers on tap and over 200 by the bottle or can, Salt Horse is a beer lover’s dream. Knowledgeable staff will help you navigate the huge range of options and find something you’ll love. There’s a small, well-curated wine and spirits list, a burger-based bar menu and the cutest beer garden too.

Tipsy Midgie

67 St Leonard’s Hill, tipsymidgie.com

Colin Hinds’ whisky bar manages to convey all the romance of the water of life without the hokum. With suggested drams, tastings and latenight tutored whisky flights, this is a bar where they’ll take you by the hand and guide you through the myths to find a whisky you actually like. Gin, wine and cocktails also available.

Waverley Bar

3–5 St Mary's Street, waverleybar.co.uk

It’s creaky, it’s dark and there are only three taps: Tennent’s, Best and Guinness. The Waverley has watched every pub trend from gilded kitsch to Scandi-chic and said ‘no ta’. If there isn’t live folk music on upstairs, you’re nearly always guaranteed a seat and, don’t worry; these days there are bottled craft beers alongside a big whisky and gin selection.

What’s On At One Square

From Pickering’s Social on the Square* to Champagne Brunch at the Brasserie, whether grabbing a drink with colleagues or catching up with friend at the weekend, there is something for everyone at One Square Bar + Brasserie.