The 14 Best Places To Eat And Drink In Edinburgh

Edinburgh's twisting cobbled streets are home to half a million people. Eight times that number visit the Scottish capital per year. Unsurprisingly, the constant torrent of tourism has shaped the city immensely over the years. One sector that has benefited more than most is hospitality; massive demand has allowed an array of establishments to open in the city, many of which are on the cutting edge of British — and indeed, international — cuisine.

Edinburgh is often cited as one of the United Kingdom's best culinary destinations, boasting everything from local eateries to Michelin-starred restaurants. Equally esteemed are the city's drinking establishments in which chilly patrons can warm themselves with beer, wine, and the ever-present whisky. As the number of Edinburgh's brilliant bars, restaurants, cafés, and pubs numbers in the hundreds, this list is by no means exhaustive. Yet, the 14 establishments we have highlighted are among the very best in Edinburgh's excellent hospitality sector. All provide memorable food or drinks to tourists and locals alike. 

Perhaps the best measure of a restaurant's success is how quickly it becomes an integral part of the local neighborhood. For some restaurants, achieving this takes years. Others never manage it at all. For The Palmerston, however, it only took a matter of months. An ever-changing menu of seasonal produce quickly earned the city's respect and catapulted the newly opened restaurant into the National Restaurant Awards' top 100. Opened in August 2021, it is now almost impossible to imagine Edinburgh's west end without The Palmerston's sturdy, incredibly executed dishes. At least, not a west end we would be satisfied with.

Lloyd Morse heads up the kitchen, serving dishes like fried ox liver with fries and prunes or suet pie of hogget and bacon with buttered cabbage. All options are packed with flavor, a result of Morse's predilection for herbs. He told The Scotsman, "We add a massive bundle of 'hard' herbs, including rosemary, thyme, savory, sage, bay, and parsley stalks tied up with butcher's string to nearly everything we slow cook in the restaurant. The difference in, for example, a pot of white beans that has been cooked with a big bundle versus a pot without any herbs is pretty obvious."

The Palmerston is also known for its in-house bakery that produces some of the best bread and pastries in the city. Excellent coffee compliments these, just as a well-thought-out wine list completes lunch and dinner. Fantastic service remains constant across all three.

Located on Edinburgh's bustling Leith Walk, Spry is a wine bar known for a rotating, eclectic array of wines that are available by the glass or bottle. All wines are naturally produced and the list frequently includes offerings from exciting winemakers like Jonathan Purcell.

Impressive as the wine is, a large part of Spry's appeal lies in the food. This is served in the small plate format and includes dishes such as Jerusalem artichokes with cavolo nero and pickled pear. Refined and bright, these dishes are the perfect accompaniment to Spry's attention-grabbing wines.

Those that wish to enjoy the ultimate experience can opt for a five-course set menu served alongside matched beverages. The benefits of this approach were highlighted by one customer on TripAdvisor: "We chose the tasting menu with paired wines and were delighted with the carefully chosen dishes and wines. The wine, chosen to complement the small plates of delicious foods — crab, chicken patties, gorse ice cream, and goats cheese with rhubarb and hazelnut — was a real pleasure."

The Little Chartroom began life at 30-31 Albert Place. This was a small venue, a large part of the appeal for chef and co-owner Roberta Hall-McCarron, who told Foodism, "We just wanted to keep it really small, the team, the restaurant, and to have a really intimate atmosphere and ambiance, like you're coming round to our house for dinner. Food that's really approachable, but well executed. There's knowledge behind everything, but it's fun, it's casual, it's not pretentious."

The restaurant has since moved to larger premises, yet the approachable, non-pretentious nature of the restaurant remains. This has a lot to do with Hall-McCarron's inventive, inspiring, yet somehow still accessible, cooking.

The menu is short with three options for each of the three courses. Despite the brevity, diners are still spoiled for choice. Who could not be torn between beef tartare served with smoked beef fat, quails egg, caper jam, and cured ox heart and pea tart with roast garlic, courgette, kombu, and miso cured tofu?

Set menus on Friday through Sunday lunchtimes and Sunday evenings offer the most affordable means of dining at The Little Chartroom. Yet, the menu is so fairly priced that many will choose to dine à la carte. Either option sees guests enjoying some of the best food in Edinburgh.

Stuart Ralston is one of the most respected chefs in Edinburgh thanks to his trio of restaurants: Aizle, Noto, and Tipo. While Aizle is the most prominent and Tipo is the newest, it is Noto that has made our list. This is because Noto offers the perfect blend of a relaxed atmosphere, impressive beverages, and astounding food.

All dishes at Noto are small plates that are designed to be shared. The entire menu demonstrates Ralston's preferred style of cooking where local produce is cooked with European technique under the influence of Japanese cuisine. Standout options include North Sea crab served in its shell with warm butter. Another popular dish is wild garlic, miso, and shiitake gnocchi.

The food is well complemented by an impressive bar serving high-quality wines and excellent cocktails, most notably one of the best negronis in Edinburgh. Enjoying such exceptional food and drinks in Noto's sleek dining room is a brilliant culinary experience. One customer highlighted this via TripAdvisor: "Thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Noto last night. Each plate we had was different, looked impeccable, and tasted delicious – a favorite of ours was the aubergine tonkatsu. Staff were very helpful in recommending the right amount of food for us to order ... We also enjoyed a couple of tasty cocktails to start. Overall the atmosphere, pacing of the meal, and friendliness of the staff on top of the good food make it a place well worth visiting!"

Kim's Mini Meals — or Kim's as it is affectionately known — is tucked away in Edinburgh's student-filled Newington neighborhood. The restaurant is small, eccentrically decorated, and home to some of the best Korean food in the city.

As one of Edinburgh's worst-kept culinary secrets, most meals at Kim's start with a queue. The restaurant does not take bookings and tables fill up fast. Fortunately, dishes like dolsot bibimbap and pork bulgogi are more than worth the wait. A selection of free, delicious appetizers is also given to each table. The food is warming, packed with flavor, and generously portioned, making it no surprise that Kim's has been recommended in the Michelin Guide on multiple occasions.

Despite the ongoing popularity of Kim's, prices remain extremely modest. This incredible value for money has not been lost on Kim's customers, as this TripAdvisor review reveals: "Wonderful food in a cosy environment and it's BYOB ... It's all about the food which is simply superb. We had the bibimbap and the house ramen. Both were outstanding with amazing broth and served with starter dishes. You can choose the spiciness level too. Corkage was £3 and the whole bill a v [sic] reasonable £31 before tip! Can't wait to go back."

Edinburgh has a long history of brewing. Although the industry might not be as prominent as it was in the 19th century, there are still many exceptional breweries dotted around the city. Newbarns Brewery is perhaps the most exciting of these.

Opened in 2019, Newbarns has made a name for itself by brewing light, sessionable beers such as Table Beer. These beers are designed to be approachable without compromising quality, ensuring they appeal to a wide range of customers. Gordon McKenzie, co-owner of the brewery, explained to The Skinny, "I don't necessarily think that many people are intimidated by craft beer, or small brewery beer. But I think there's definitely room for a bit more of a kind of familiarity for people who maybe don't always want an IPA, people who drink a lot of Tennents ... I think it's really nice to open what we're doing up to people like that. So if you want something that you recognize, but it's just a little bit nicer, or a little bit different, that's basically what we're aiming for."

It was only towards the end of 2022 that Newbarns opened a small taproom in the space adjacent to the brewery. Already it has become one of the most popular places to get a pint in town. The quality of Newbarns' beers accounts for a great deal of this popularity, but not all of it; the taproom oozes character and a nice ambiance without a trace of pretentiousness.

Hey Palu is an Italian-style cocktail bar that spotlights amaro. The extensive back bar contains over 20 different variations of the botanical liquor. These can be enjoyed individually or as part of a flight. Of course, a lot of people visit bars to drink classic cocktails. Hey Palu also offers these but with an exciting twist. Take, for example, the yuzu margarita, smoked pineapple old fashioned, or black lime gimlet.

All spirits that go into Hey Palu's beverages are extensively vetted before use. This ensures customers are enjoying the very best. Owner Alex Palumbo explained to Bartenders Business that "when we have an opening for a new product it is very exciting. First of all, the quality of the spirit needs to be good, if the base is not great there is no need to move forward. Usually, for each category, we have some spirit benchmark that we use to check new products with or against them. Is this new spirit as good as the benchmark? Is it suitable for cocktails or can it be drunk neat? ... I love a dynamic back bar and I'm against having a bottle behind the bar just to collect dust." 

An Italian-focused wine list completes Hey Palu's drinks menu, making it one of the most impressive in Edinburgh. To cap the experience off, all drinks are served with small portions of snacks. An array of larger dishes are also on offer including charcuterie, cheese, and ciabatta.

Chennai's Marina has two locations in Edinburgh: One in Dalry and the other near Abbeyhill. Although smaller and newer than other Indian restaurants in the city, Chennai's Marina has rapidly gained acclaim thanks to its boldly flavored food. The meteoric rise of Chennai's Marina has recently culminated with a win at the Scottish Curry Awards 2023, with the restaurant being named "Outstanding Indian Takeaway of the Year."

Sannah Aron, the director of the business, had this to say to the Edinburgh Evening News after winning: "When I started this business two years ago the main thing I wanted to do was provide food that is as authentic as possible, it's proper south Indian food. Which I felt was really hard to get in Edinburgh. There was a lack of choice here. Our foods are very rich. Every state in India has different tastes. So I use spices and ingredients from south India and Sri Lanka — where some of my family are from — to make it more authentic. So that comes across in our food and I think it sets us apart from other takeaways."

Highlights of the extensive menu include the gobi pepper fry, an incredibly spiced, cauliflower starter, and gongura chicken curry. Although famed for takeaway, Chennai's Marina also offers limited seating at its Dalry restaurant. The space is intimate and filled with fragrant scents — every curry lover's dream.

The specialty coffee boom has had a clear impact on Edinburgh's café scene. Now there are several café-roasteries operating in the city. In such a competitive market it can be difficult for any one brand to set itself apart. Cairngorm Coffee has managed to do so by producing an exciting array of quality coffees that are roasted weekly. These currently include Mutambu Hill, a washed coffee from Burundi that has sweet flavors reminiscent of red fruits. A wide selection of coffee beans is available for purchase across the brand's three cafés.

Of these cafés, the flagship location in Edinburgh's center is the most impressive, boasting an immersive experience that introduces customers to rare coffee beans via an extensive coffee menu. Adrian Mancuso, who used to be Head of Coffee at Cairngorm Coffee, highlighted the café's approach to The Edinburgh Reporter: "Coffee is a natural product, which means it deteriorates as it ages. We'll be freezing every coffee so people can taste it at its very best ... Frederick Street will be a safe environment for people to learn to love specialty coffee. When you walk in through the door, our job will be to provide a truly curated service — we'll spend time with every single customer. We'll find the exact coffee that will suit your tastes."

Timberyard has been open in Edinburgh for over a decade. The restaurant is a family affair known for its Nordic-style interior and local, frequently foraged, produce. While always excellent, Timberyard received an injection of new life when James Murray became the new head chef in the autumn of 2021. Murray highlighted to The Scotsman what he had planned for the kitchen when he took over: "We want to be very flavor focused. That comes from excellent farming and aging of our meats, fantastic soil for our vegetables, knowledgeable fisherman and suppliers dealing with what's in abundance, sustainable, seasonal, and fresh ... We will have a focus on whole animal butchery, fish maturation, cooking over fire, and also classical techniques ... Charcuterie, interesting lesser-known techniques for preserving vegetables, fermenting and pickling will be a backbone to what we do day-to-day." Murray's approach has paid dividends; Timberyard received a long-awaited Michelin star in 2023.

There are three menus at Timberyard: Lunch, dinner, and tasting. The latter is eight courses for £110. Highlights include roasted quail served with Jersey royals and green garlic, as well as scallops with smoked roe, seaweed, and coastal greens. Equally impressive are the wine and drinks menus. Both are extensive and contain some fabulous options for both soft and alcoholic drinks — another reason to make Timberyard your next fine dining destination.

Dalry Road is home to a trio of Italian eateries: The indomitable Locanda de Gusti, Wine & Peach, and Pizzeria 1926. Until recently, all three were owned by the Sartore's, an Italian family that hails from Naples. The family's roots were most evident in Pizzeria 1926 which, aside from serving the area's most famed food, was also dedicated to the city's football club.

Pizzeria 1926 is not just a pizzeria but also a friggitoria, selling items such as fried courgette flowers alongside the pizzas. The pizzas themselves are definitely Neapolitan in style: Thin, with a chewy crust and dough made exclusively with flour, water, yeast, and salt. The available toppings complement this style perfectly. One of the very best is Zielinski 20 – all pizzas are named after ex-Napoli players — which features provola, parmesan, basil, and nuggets of delicious, fried aubergine.

In January 2023 it was announced that Pizzeria 1926 was being sold to new owners. Thankfully, little — if any — discernible changes have been made to the business, its menu, or its mission of producing sensational pizza. Thankfully, this means diners can still experience a  delicious slice of Naples in Edinburgh's west end.

It is rare that a famous cocktail bar manages to maintain its popularity with locals. After all, bars that have been ranked in the world's top 50 often become unpleasantly busy with tourists. Despite having been awarded such recognition more than once, Edinburgh's Bramble Bar avoids this pitfall, remaining a calm destination where drinks — and not accolades — do the talking.

A similar modesty is mirrored in the bar's appearance. It is a speakeasy, but not in the kitschy, hidden passageway style. Instead, a small brass plaque announces its presence in the basement below a dry cleaners. The interior is dimly lit and welcoming with a wooden bar taking up the majority of the space. What is served here varies. The bar has an extensive range of gins and whiskeys that can be enjoyed straight. The main attraction, however, is the bar's cocktails. These include Shibuya Shake, a rum and bourbon cocktail, and Kimchi Tai, a drink that features three different types of rum.

The perfect mixture of style and substance makes Bramble Bar a favorite of all who frequent it as this customer highlighted on TripAdvisor: "This is a tucked away cocktail haven. A local tour guide recommended this joint and I'm so thrilled he did! Seriously, super incredible. The bartenders have an extensive repertoire with spirits and the menu has a lot of diversity. 100% need to saddle up here for a few hours and keep the rounds going to try super inventive libations."

Valvona and Crolla is an Italian delicatessen that has been an integral part of Edinburgh's food scene since 1934. While many people visit the iconic store to stock up on an incredible selection of food products and wine, one of the very best aspects of Valvona and Crolla is nestled in the back of the shop — the caffè bar & restaurant.

Like the delicatessen, Valvona and Crolla's caffè bar & restaurant celebrates the best that Italy has to offer. It does this by spotlighting exceptional Italian produce in dishes such as gnocchi with Gorgonzola Dolce, radicchio, walnuts, white wine, and herbs. The quality of the ingredients is evident through the zip and flavor that's present in every bite. One customer echoed this sentiment via TripAdvisor: "We have visited V&C on a couple of occasions before but the food this time was spectacular...I had tagliatelle with king prawns, artichoke, tomatoes, and lemon...while my partner had parmigiana melanazie. Both dishes were so tasty and there were so many prawns in my dish and the flavors were amazing...we finished the meal with a lemon tart with ice cream...the pastry was so thin...even the coffee afterwards was excellent."

Open from 9:00-18:00, Monday through Saturday, Valvona and Crolla's caffè bar & restaurant is always an enticing option. One that diners never regret choosing.

Edinburgh has long been a university town; Edinburgh University was founded in 1583 and Edinburgh Napier and Heriot-Watt University also call the city home. Such vast numbers of students have led to a huge demand for cheap, quick, and good food — a niche The Nile Valley Café has met since opening in 1996.

The Nile Valley Café is known for its wraps, which are often labeled the best in the whole of Edinburgh. As a Sudanese and Middle Eastern establishment, the primary filling is falafel. Chicken, hummus, and baba ganoush are also popular options.

Customers choose a combination of fillings and watch as it is made and toasted right before their eyes. The quality of ingredients, skill of the staff, and efficiency of the process make dining at The Nile Valley Café a timeless pleasure. This TripAdvisor review seconds that: "This place is just timeless. It never changes and it's that reliability that makes it so incredible. Their falafel wraps in their takeaway café are legit the best in the UK. There's just no reason to go anywhere else. My go-to order is the baba ghanoush, falafel, avocado, sundries tomatoes with the Chili sauce. Pop some Sriracha one and it's the best you've ever had."