Sasha has sorted Edinburgh’s restaurants for you by the type of cuisine:
Scottish
36
36 Great King St.
Phone: 0131/557-3500
£20 to £30
New Town
This exclusive basement restaurant is in The Howard hotel. While retaining old-fashioned simplicity, 36 makes use of a wide variety of contemporary influences. Thus the food begins with basic and snappingly fresh ingredients but adds sauces and garnishes that truly surprise. You enter through a beautiful and beautifully preserved neoclassical entryway to find yourself in a very light, modern interior. AE, DC, MC, V.
The Atrium
10 Cambridge St., (beneath Saltire Ct.)
Phone: 0131/228-8882
£20 to £30
Haymarket
With its cream-color tented fabric ceiling, smart cream cotton chair covers, and wrought-iron candlesticks and unusual candelabra, the Atrium is a distinctive setting for pre- or post-theater dinner (the Traverse Theatre is right next door). A head chef has helped the place live up to its prices, as inventive Scots-French dishes and adventurous sauces now dazzle patrons. Try the seared scallops with artichoke-and-crab salad. [3£] For a lighter snack, try the upstairs café-restaurant Blue (0131/221-1222), under the same ownership. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun. (except during festival) and last wk of Dec. No lunch Sat. (except during festival).
Beehive Inn
18/20 Grassmarket
Phone: 0131/225-7171
Under £15 to £20
Old Town
Some 400 years ago the Beehive was a coaching inn, and outside the pub's doors once stood the main set of city gallows. Now a restaurant with an open grill, the Beehive presents such delights as pork wrapped with bacon in phyllo pastry. Open only for dinner, the upstairs Rafters restaurant is strewn with fascinating period junk. Reservations are advised. AE, DC, MC, V.
Doric Tavern
15/16 Market St.
Phone: 0131/225-1084
Under £15 to £20
Old Town
Beyond this café-bistro bar's rather tatty entrance staircase, the stripped wood floor, dark-wood tables, and navy velvet curtains create a superbly subdued, languid atmosphere. The menu always features a daily special - like roast pigeon salad with raspberry vinegar dressing - and a selection of fresh fish and meat dishes, always accompanied by vegetarian options. Try the lavish choices from the fixed-price lunch (£13.50) or dinner (£19.50), both excellent value. AE, MC, V.
Grill room
Princes St.
Phone: 0131/556-2414
Over £30
New Town
Set in the Edwardian splendor of the Balmoral Hotel, the Grill Room has established itself at the top end of Edinburgh's dining scene. The Asian-theme room has a luxurious ambience created by a green marble floor, Chinese lacquer wall panels, and an abundance of silver and crystal. The service is formal but relaxed and unhurried. As its name suggests, the restaurant specializes in grills, but the à la carte menu is extensive. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V.
Martins
70 Rose St., North La.
Phone: 0131/225-3106
£15 to £30
New Town
Tucked away in a little back alley between Frederick and Castle streets, this restaurant's fine menu emphasizes organically grown local products and wild-caught foods. Typical modern Scottish dishes include fillet of turbot panfried with fennel, shiitake mushrooms, and green peppercorn sauce, or charred lamb fillet with couscous, spinach, and an anise sauce. The cheese boardhas a sampling of Scottish and Irish cheeses. Lunches are an excellent value. The wine list includes an excellent choice of half-bottles. Smoking is not permitted. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Sat.
A room in the town
18 Howe St.
Phone: 0131/225-8204
£15 to £30
New Town
Opened by one of Edinburgh's most experienced hands in the trade, this restaurant is small but spaciously seated, just the sedate and friendly place you'd want if seeking a quiet romantic nook. The food is classic Scots-French, with a strong emphasis on local fresh meat, with the Scottish touch accounting for sweeter-than-usual sauces. The slightly high prices are offset by a BYOB policy (there's an excellent wine shop a block away), but wine is also offered at standard restaurant prices, plus very nice brandy. It's perfect for a special occasion. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V.
The Tower
Museum of Scotland, Chambers St.
Phone: 0131/225-3003
£20 to £30
Old Town
Housed in the nation's National Museum, this no-smoking eatery has a high-powered ambience, a space-age design, and a view of Edinburgh Castle so magnificent it ennobles the rather over-sociable seating arrangement. The menu is plain and straightforward, ranging from good old unhealthy Scottish grills to posh-as-you-like lobster. Although it may be pushing its luck on the price front, it's a fun novelty. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V.
Tuscan Square
30b Grindlay St.
Phone: 0131/229-9895
£15 to £20
Old Town
This bright, pristine restaurant offers some of the best food - and service - in Edinburgh. Situated beside the Royal Lyceum Theatre, it attracts the smartly dressed on a night out, yet charges considerably less than that would suggest. The dishes are imaginative Scots with a Continental slant. For example, chicken liver parfait comes with warm brioche and apple chutney - these marriages work wonderfully. Tuscan Square also has a wide array of malts and an excellent wine list. AE, MC, V.
French
Howie’s
75 St. Leonard's St.
Phone: 0131/668-2917
Under £15 to £20
South Side
The steaks at this lively chain of simple, neighborhood, French-style bistros are tender Aberdeen beef, and the Loch Fyne herring are sweet-cured to Howie's own recipe. All three restaurants are licensed, but you can bring your own bottle if you want to. All branches are closed Monday lunch, except for Bruntsfield Place. AE, MC, V. No lunch Mon.
Le Sept
7 Old Fishmarket Close
Phone: 0131/225-5428
Under £15 to £20
Old Town
This low-arched restaurant in the center of the city is a refined gem and an understated local institution. It's friendly, lively, unfussy, and famed for its crepes with adventurous fillings, but the menu, which changes daily, also features simple staples like delicately cooked salmon fillets and succulent lamb stew. The wine list is similarly select and the service is always charming. For set lunches it offers unbeatable value, with three courses costing £6. AE, MC.
Malmaison Cafe Bar and Brasserie
1 Tower Pl.
Phone: 0131/555-6868
Under £15 to £20
Leith
Freshly made soups, crunchy salads, inventive sandwiches (try the roasted red pepper and pesto), and gooey pastries are the choices in this eatery, part of the stylish Malmaison Hotel in Edinburgh's rejuvenated dockside area. Extremely popular are the Malmaison fish cakes with chips, buttered spinach, and parsley sauce; if you fancy something more substantial (and more expensive), try the Brasserie (reservations essential), which offers traditional French and modern British cuisine. AE, DC, MC, V.
Merchants
17 Merchant St.
Phone: 0131/225-4009
Under £15 to £20
Old Town
Merchants is a bustling, cheery cavern of bright scarlet walls, mirrors, plants, and a nonstop jazz soundtrack. The menu ranges from simple haggis and beef to a mille-feuille of scallops and lamb chops with raspberry-and-mint sauce. But it really does the basics best. Set lunches run from £8.50, while set dinners start at £16.50. AE, DC, MC, V.
Pompadour
Caledonian Hotel, Princes St.
Phone: 0131/459-9988
Over £30
New Town
As may be expected of a restaurant named after the king's mistress, Madame de Pompadour, the decor here is inspired by the court of Louis XV. The cuisine is also classic French, with top-quality Scottish produce completing the happiest of alliances. The extensive, well-chosen wine list complements such dishes as sea bass with crispy leeks and caviar butter sauce, whole lobster with mustard and cheese, or loin of venison with potato pancakes. This is the place to go if you want a festive night out, and it's also ideal for formal lunches. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch weekends.
Withchery by the castle
352 Castlehill
Phone: 0131/225-5613
Over £30
Old Town
The inspiration for this spooky haunt derives from the fact that some 300 years ago hundreds of witches were executed on the Castlehill, just yards from where you will be seated. The lugubrious, cavernous interior is festooned with cabalistic insignia and Tarot card characters. There's nothing spooky about the Scottish-accented French food, however, with fine venison, duck, lamb, salmon, and fillet steak among the specialties. This is one of the most expensive, yet best-value, restaurants in Edinburgh. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V.
Italian
Bar Napoli
75 Hanover St.
Phone: 0131/225-2600
Under £15
New Town
This only just loses to La Rusticana as the Italian pride of Hanover Street, although it may have the edge for pizza, and it stays open exceptionally late, sometimes until 2:45 AM. The pizza rusticana (with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fried red peppers, mushrooms, chopped chicken, artichokes, black olives, and oregano) is the chef's "greatest work of art," and there is an extensive menu of other pizzas and pasta dishes, all made with fresh, local produce. The lunchtime menu is a mere £3.95. AE, MC, V.
La Rusticana
90 Hanover St.
Phone: 0131/225-2227
Under £15 to £20
New Town
Hanover Street exists to confuse lovers of Italian food; all the best pasta and pizza restaurants compete here but, mostly, La Rusticana wins the day. Stronger on pasta than pizza, this cellar restaurant is only marginally above average in price. Along with its sister restaurant in the Old Town, on Cockburn Street, it is a fundamental part of Edinburgh's food culture, a favorite for business meetings and a generous patron of charity events. It's in the city center, two minutes from Princes Street. AE, DC, MC, V.
Chinese
Jasmine
32 Grindlay St.
Phone: 0131/229-5757
Under £15 to £20
Haymarket
Seafood is the specialty of this small, friendly, candlelit Cantonese restaurant, with rapid service to deal with the constant stream of customers, even in midweek. The subdued cream decor with wooden screens is relaxing, although tables are quite closely spaced. Delicious dishes include crispy monkfish with honey sauce, baked crabs in black bean sauce, and fried oysters with ginger and spring onions. For two or more people, the set menus are a good value. A take-out menu is available. AE, MC, V.
Kweilin
19-21 Dundas St.
Phone: 0131/557-1875
£15 to £20
New Town
This pleasant family-run restaurant is popular with the city's Chinese community. Amid the traditional Chinese decor are several large paintings depicting scenes from the Kwangsi province, of which Kweilin is the capital. The lunchtime special menu is a pricey-sounding £10 but worth it, and the special menus tailored for two, three, or four evening guests are even better value, starting at £18 per person. Two à la carte highlights are the deep-fried crispy chicken on the bone and the meat-stuffed eggplant on a hot plate. AE, MC, V. Closed Mon. except in Dec.
Vegetarian
Banns Vegatarian Cafe
5 Hunter Sq.
Phone: 0131/226-1112
Under £15
Old Town
Just off the Royal Mile in the heart of the Old Town, Banns serves a tasty range of nonmeat fare in a light and airy room with sturdy wooden furniture. Enjoy a cup of coffee with a decadently sinful cake delivered daily by a local French patisserie, or dine on a phyllo basket of cream cheese, herbs, and vegetables, or enchiladas. Allow plenty of time at lunchtime, as service can be slow. AE, MC, V.
Hendersons
94 Hanover St.
Phone: 0131/225-2131
Under £15 to £20
New Town
This was Edinburgh's original vegetarian restaurant long before it was fashionable to offer healthy, meatless creations. Tasty options include eggplant, tomato, and chickpea curry, or leek and Stilton pie. If you haven't summoned the courage to try an authentic haggis while in Scotland, come here to sample a vegetarian version. The Bistro Bar, owned by the same proprietors, around the corner on Thistle Street is also open daily in the evening. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun. (except during festival).
