We were a group of 6 and waiting time was less than an hour on a busy Monday at 2pm. Notification…read morewas via text or through a link which you can monitor your table's availability. We had a lovely meal here at Makars Mash Bar (technically called The Makar's Rest) We ordered the following: - Coke & Ginger Kombucha - Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg (deliciousness to share and a great way to begin a meal) - Home Grown Lion's Mane pan-fried bites, served with vegan aioli wasn't a hit with the group but I really liked it. - Slow Cooked Lamb (rich and full of flavor) - Crown Of Slow Cooked Beef Shoulder (incredibly tender and literally fell apart) - Makars Wild Boar Sausage With Beef Dripping Gravy (got a bite in and it didn't taste gamey) - Sides of Black pudding mash and Scottish cheddar cheese & onion mash which we really enjoyed. - Sticky Toffee Pudding was a perfect end to the meal. Great comfort food, generous portions, and a really enjoyable experience overall. Would definitely recommend. Atmosphere outside in the chilly air was a challenge at first. Outdoor heaters would have been a plus. At least we were seated.

Makars Mash is one of those places that is always at the top of folks recommendation lists for…read moreEdinburgh. I found this to be for good reason. At the door, parties of 2+ had around an hour wait. I was lucky enough to be dining solo, so was immediately seated to a small high-top area by the door. Service was very kind. I ordered the Lamb and Classic Mash. The side pickles were tasty and refreshing. The mash was truly good. I ended up wishing I picked a different protein because the lamb came on the bone, wish was hard to eat around for me. Since it was my first day in Scotland, the conversion between pounds and dollars hadn't yet processed for me. As a heads up, ordering the 23.00 pound classic entree came out to be $32.50.

Just an awesome, rockin' final meal in Edinburgh - fantastic food, good service and energized local…read morevibe! Absolute must to get reservations! We tried on our first week in Edinburgh and failed, but were able to make reservations 3 weeks out for our last night in Scotland, and we are glad we did. Pork cracklins were a bit hard and crunchy, but everything else was perfect. We had fresh bread and langostinis for starters, along with a smokey whiskey cocktail, the Smoked Indiscretion! For mains we enjoyed the poached Cod, and the Pork with Barley. Service was very good, and wine selection was extensive. Atmosphere was loud with music and locals' chatter in the bar below, but dark tables and heavy wood panels made it a perfect place for a couple celebrating 3 weeks of travel. Highly recommend a visit to the Devil's Advocate, if you can book a table in advance.

The Devil's Advocate is undoubtedly a treasure to find in Old Town Edinburgh, especially if you…read moreaccidentally take the News Steps to get there, only to realize you should have simply taken the steps up Advocate's Close from Cockburn Street. But they call these lessons, "character building," apparently. No matter, the Devil's Advocate is worth the search. Located in an old Victorian pump house halfway up (or down) Advocate's Close, the Devil's Advocate is known for a killer whisky shelf of more than 300 different bottles from various distilleries across the Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Campbelltown, the Islands, and Islay. I finally sipped on a 15-year Tamdu that has convinced me to keep a bottle at home. Then there's the Clydeside 2024 Limited Edition Cask Strength that was wicked impressive. The bartenders are class at making and serving seasonal and regular cocktails that have their spin and character. My wife enjoyed gin-based cocktails such as the Clean Slate (with St-Germain, citrus, and sugar), Rose Garden (with Yellow Chartreuse, Cocchi Rosa, apple, lemon, and mint), and Bee's Knees (honey and lemon). I went full speed ahead with the scotch cocktails, which are essentially classics with a scotch-substituted twist. The Double Shot is an Espresso Martini with Dalmore 12 in addition to Kahlua, espresso, and demerara -- quite smooth without being too sweet. The Scotzia is a Negroni with Fettercairn 12, while the Boxcar is a Sidecar only with Aberfeldy 12. We enjoyed the bar for a few hours, watching the bartenders make magic while sipping on cocktails, while listening to 80s pop tunes. A great evening indeed.

Such a friendly and beautifully set restaurant. The food is picturesque and top notch. Everything…read morewe had, from the large portions of bread paired with roasted red pepper humus to the flaky and flavorful cod, was exceptional. The wait staff is helpful as well as friendly. They prepared a table for us even amidst a packed house. Know that this is not just a restaurant, it's a date night restaurant. We brought the kids, which was perfectly okay, but the setting and price is more date night worthy. This place is terrific! Enjoy!

Good haggis, but overall underseasoned and underwhelming…read more My fiancé and I visited Howie's and had a mixed experience. We started with the haggis appetizer, which was genuinely delicious hearty, comforting, and reminded me of a Salisbury steak with gravy and potatoes. If you're going, I'd absolutely recommend starting there. Unfortunately, the rest of the meal didn't live up to that strong start. My fiancé ordered the ribeye with fries, and once again I have to say: Edinburgh really struggles with fries. These were bland, oily, and needed a serious dose of salt. The ribeye itself had no seasoning, which was disappointing. While the peppercorn sauce was good, a quality ribeye should be flavorful on its own without having to rely on sauce. I ordered the salmon with beets and potatoes. It was decent, but, like much of the food we've had in Edinburgh so far, it could have used more seasoning. The ingredients seem fresh, but the flavors just don't sing. For dessert, we shared the banoffee pie. It was light and not overly sweet which I appreciated but it was just okay. Not memorable. Service was another weak point. Our server wasn't rude, but we were largely forgotten because there was a large party seated behind us. At this price point, you expect attentive service. I understand Scotland doesn't operate on a tipping culture, but when restaurants are charging higher prices (and often more than comparable U.S. restaurants once converted from GBP), the quality and attentiveness should match. Overall, Howie's wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. Amazing haggis, decent dishes, mediocre seasoning, and slow service. For locals who prefer milder flavors, this might be a solid choice but for visitors used to more robust seasoning and higher service standards, it may fall short.

Excellent food and service. Try their scallop starter and then also their roast chicken. The decor…read moreis relaxed sophistication. Good selection of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, too. I could eat here every day. 5/5 highly recommended.

Such tasty food, staff and food wonderful. A small local restaurant. Booking advised…read more We are often drop in and still haven't been disappointed for seating

For a name that conjures images of expansive open spaces, Field is a surprisingly cosy space…read more Nestled on West Nicolson, right by the University and across from a rather bustling student sports bar, (https://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/the-peartree-house-edinburgh), you could walk right past the restaurant without noticing it if you weren't careful. And that would be a shame, since it was very good! I came here for a family dinner, and we enjoyed the intimate space, friendly service, and carefully prepared dishes. To start we ordered drinks, and while they have a nice wine list, they didn't have as much in the way of beer or cocktail selection. Then, we had appetizers: White Onion and Beer Soup, Fried Octopus, and Smoked Chicken and Mousse Salad. All very good! Although not my dish, apparently the chicken salad was phenomenal :) For our main courses, I had roast rabbit loin, and my companions had vegetable tikki and a rack of lamb. My dish was quite tasty, and plated nicely, although nothing out of the ordinary. The Tikki (not sure what that is, actually), was crunchy, spicy, and tasted very nutritious. The rack of lamb could've been served a little warmer but was cooked to perfection and of very high quality. Dessert is actually where Field really shone-- we ordered some tea and I enjoyed the raspberry "cheesecake." It was spectacularly tasty, and quite inventive, not what you think of at all for a cheesecake, it was instead crispy layers of caramelized hazelnut crumb biscuit with what seemed like mascarpone cheese in between. Yum! Also tasty, the chocolate mousse, and lemon curd meringue tart. What a lovely dinner, not horribly expensive, and conveniently located in the old town while neatly avoiding becoming some garish tourist trap! An excellent choice for a finer meal in Edinburgh, and after dinner you can walk over to campus to see Teviot square and McEwan hall which look quite nice lit up at night!

We had some amazing meals in Edinburgh, but this was probably the best. Only about 8 tables so it's…read moresmall but we were able to show up without a reservation toward the end of the short opening hours on a Saturday. We started with the Harissa Spiced Lamb Neck. It was fantastic. There was just enough Harissa to create a good bit of spice. It also came with a watermelon and feta salad though which cut through the Harissa spice and made for a well balanced dish. My wife got seared scallops and Thai chicken wings. She said it was very good and it was definitely a good portion but I can't wait. I got the Onglet Steak with Haggis. Wow. The steak was plentiful and cooked perfectly. Super flavourful as there was a slight bit of whisky sauce And spinach in the plate to eat it with. I could've just had the steak and been fine. And that's coming from someone who doesn't eat tons of steak. But the Haggis was the highlight of the dish. Full of flavour. Smooth texture with tons of seasoning. Would get the Haggis alone and be happy. It was served in a caramelised onion spring roll. Added amazing nuance to the flavour. Just superb. Would love to return. Will be sure to make a reservation next time.

With so may average pubs in Edinburgh, this one really stood out. Best off so far. I had the…read moreShepards pie which was fantastic and mostly meat. Veggies were perfectly cooked and seasoned. My daughter had the duck, and it was the best meal on our trip for her. Generous portion perfectly cooked and seasoned. Very impressed and I would come back in a heart beat. Very few pubs were as good as this one.

Well, we had dinner on one of our last nights in Edinburgh, and it did not disappoint! Get your…read morereservations! The upstairs dining room (bar side) is absolutely charming and welcoming, and the staff could not have been better, or friendlier. The food? Come ON! Really grand! We started with the chips and dip (fries with Sriracha Mayo) - they were crisp and the mayo was just spicy enough. My husband had a sizeable portion of fish and chips, which was perfectly cooked, and had a light batter. I had the most delicious burger, with bacon and cheddar; mash on the side. All the food was hot; well seasoned; and quickly served. The Doric has their own GF beer on draft, which is quite good, and a selection of regular beer for those of you who don't need GF. Great selection of scotch, as well. Make your reservation ahead of time, and don't miss the oldest pub in Edinburgh!

This was our first night in Edinburgh (Sept 2024), having flown all day from SFO. This delightful…read morepub was a short walk from our B&B (check out the 23 Mayfield B&B), and we reserved a table which turned out to be a good idea. It was a Monday, and trivia night, so it was crowded. Good food and good beer, trivia was hard. (Name the fast food chain with most outlets worldwide? Name the top ten grossing Tom Hanks live action movies. That kind of thing - didn't need to be Scottish to play). A huge bonus that we didn't fully appreciate until a week into the trip - they offered skinny fries, which we yanks think of as fries, as an alternative to the thick cut chips that are included in every meal in every restaurant in all of Scotland. Okay, we have not been seeking out Michelin restaurants, but I sure long for some mashed potatoes with my chicken sandwich. Also, really friendly staff at the Old Bell (because we had literally just arrived, we didn't have two pounds in order to join trivia night; they said no worries, and just added it to our food and drink bill). And great ambience - traditional Scottish pub, with food and beer. Check it out.

Wonderful. Warm. Inviting. Our waiter/bartender happily…read morehelped us select beer and whiskey to start our journey into traditional Scottish cuisine. Every dish was artfully made. Smoked salmon so fresh that its firm flesh gives a good bite. The steak and ale pie is also sublime. The haggis is rich, savoury, and delicious. Finally, the sticky toffee pudding has such sweet depth and complexity that I became teary with joy,

Super cozy cafe with good food & extraordinary employees. We are from Puerto Rico, and were…read morereturning from Skye. We were hungry & casually saw this place along the road. So happy we stopped by ! Keep up the good job, guys !

Lovely airy restaurant with a well balanced and varied menu. We all (5 of us) have different…read moredietary needs and we all found something enjoyable at the restaurant. It was all fresh and full of flavor. The staff were great too!

Out of all the places I've been to in Scotland, I think Queens Arms was one of my favorites…read more We had reservations for this place recently and when I took one step inside, I was already in love. I mean who doesn't love a good pub? You get great drinks and great food at an affordable price. As I write it makes me think of think of when Zidane reunites with Freya in FF9. Sometimes we don't wanna eat at fancy Michelin restaurant that has small plates but charges a premium. Sometimes we just wanna cut all the BS and just get a nice hearty meal. And thats what we got. When we sat down we found out that they were doing a Trivia night. Normally I would have told my girl to pick another spot to eat but for some reason I was cool with it. There was even a table nearby with kids(yuck). And you know what? It was fine. That's because we had been sipping on some amazing cocktails. If you also partake, Gin and Mezcal enjoyers will love the Bramble and Hibiscus Crush. What color are Luigi's overalls from Super Mario? That's such an easy question. Wait...what do you mean Luigi's overalls are blue? They are green. Look at this picture onli...Oh... One of the stars of our meal was the Haggis. This was the first time I had ever tried it and after trying it at multiple places Scotland, Queens Arms I feel has done it the best. I love the complexity of the flavors of the meat with the creamy and pepper flavors of the peppercorn sauce. If you've never had Haggis, you definitely have to try it here. The best part is that it comes with mashed potatoes too! Shoutouts to the Fish and Chips if you are also into that. One of my friends ordered that and I definitely had to go back in for multiple bites. Finally the roast. The Sunday Roast should just be an automatic order if you happen to come here on a Sunday. You get so much food and it's all so damn tasty. They'll cook a roast to whatever doneness your heart desires. We went with Medium Rare and it came out perfectly. If you didn't have enough flavors with all the extra sides it comes with, they also give you gravy to pour on anything you want. Thanksgiving basically came early this night. But as I looked around and admired all the bookshelf's and all the families have a nice dinner with their loved ones, I just thought about how happy I was. I was finally here! This was the start of my trip. Queens Arms has set a high ceiling on great experiences in Scotland. We even went back there a couple of days ago just because we knew we would be able to end the night on a good drink. But in the end I think if you are Edinburgh, you have to come to this place. It is one of my favorite experiences I've had in Scotland so far and I dream about when I can come back again.

We got 3 reservations to split up our group of 8 adults and 2 kids, so we were all able to make…read moresure to get a table and have the Sunday roast. We shared the ultimate sharing roast and everything was delicious and so filling. It was also nice to be able to sit and watch a match while enjoying the food. The coffee was pretty good too. This is definitely a good option if you're looking for a Sunday roast in the area

I was so excited to try this place after seeing good reviews but our experience was terrible. There…read morewere gnats everywhere that we were killing at our dusty booth. When our food arrived we finally asked to move spots but the back of the restaurant was just as bad. I can't believe other families weren't complaining. We also found a hair in our appetizer and the mains were subpar. My husband complained about his fries and burger and the manager was combative. They comped us for one whiskey and we left as quickly as possible. The shepherds pie was very salty and the side of veggies was very clearly from frozen.

**RACIST & DISCRIMINATORY** The young blonde hair girl in…read moreher maybe late-20s hostess, bartender or server (not sure which) was super rude! We came in excited about this place, and the restaurant had open tables at about 6:50pm on a Friday ... we had just walked all day and were starving with a 2-year old and an elderly after walking all over town and sightseeing all day long. However, was told by this girl that they didn't have a seat for us. Although there was no wait, no one ahead of us and empty tables. I told her she could seat us in that booth, we didn't mind since our 2 year old wouldn't be eating. However, she cut me off and said that would not work. I thought that was weird but that should have been That it would take them about 30 minutes to get us a table. We walk around in the cold, come back to the restaurant ... there are plenty of open tables. My husband takes my 2-year old inside to wait so she is not in the freezing rainy cold (especially since she was sniffling). The hostess then says it's going to take longer and that we must wait outside the restaurant. We tell her it's cold, and we've been waiting. She then says ... "This isn't going to work, I'm not serving you. You guys can leave." She did not want to serve of us this entire time! She could have told us when we first walked in, but made us wait and walk around outside in the cold rain with a 2-year old and an 88-year old ... then decides she doesn't want to serve us. We walked in at 6:50pm, came back at 7:30pm, waited until 7:45pm when she told us she wouldn't serve us. By this time all the other restaurants were fully reserved or with 1-2 hour waits. We ended up not able to have dinner that night, and got snacks from the grocery store. DO NOT COME HERE UNLESS YOU WANT HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! NEVER TREATED THIS BADLY BY A RESTAURANT!