Right next to the castle, the menu looks lovely. Happy to be able to get a table at lunchtime at the bar as the restaurant was full. I ordered the smoked trout with the lemon and capers, while my husband ordered a bucket of fish and chips. Lunch was delicious, service prompt, love the setting feels like Scotland! read more

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Just stopped in for a Hot Toddy before my tour of Edinburgh Castle. The atmosphere with soothing music, welcoming staff, and cozy-yet roomy seating is a perfect contrast from the crowded, tourist-focused Royal Mile. Though the streets were full of people, I was able to walk right in and warm up to the bar. I do recommend the hot toddy as it was a great warming partner before my next leg of this relay: a stone castle in November. :) read more

This is a five star restaurant. We are from Los Angeles and fine dine a lot back home. I WISH we had a restaurant like Cannonball. They locally source many of their ingredients and much care is taken in the food preparation. We had oysters, the pan fried trout and the dark chocolate cannonball with a cherry glaze that was impeccable. Ignore any unfavorable reviews and do yourself a favor- book a table at Cannonball. read more

The food is very good! The service is excellent. The food may take a while to get to you, but it's worth the wait. I had the Cannonball haggis. I was in Scotland and wanted the Scottish experience. Honestly, it was good. It was kind of like a hush puppy you would eat at Long John Silvers. I had the the fish and chips which tasted fresh. I washed it down with an Old Fashioned (with Scottish whiskey) which was perfect. Dessert was sticky toffee pudding which was delicious. If you're ever at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland you need to check this restaurant out. This place is very close and just down the hill from the castle. read more

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Beautiful view, average service, good meat, bad vegetarian food. Overall okay. Excellent online booking service! read more

Cannonball Restaurant & Bar - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Loved the food. It is fancy and expensive but delicious. Service was good. The chocolate cannonball was delicious.

Wonderful flight of gin and great trout - ambiance was wonderful with very attentive staff

Touring Edinburg and stopped in before the castle tour. Ambiance is lovely. Food is good. read more

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Right next to the castle entrance. Great place to take a break after sightseeing. The bar is upstairs and got a little den area for extra seatings with a great view of the cobblestone street & castle. £1 oyster during happy hour 3-6pm daily. Whisky tasting, & a happy hour menu with generous portions. Pricing is very reasonable given its prime location & setting. A value especially if you could take advantage of the happy hours. Service was very attentive as well. We were a group of 5 adults & 2 kids. read more

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We just came in here after a very rainy Edinburgh Castle visit . The service in here is TERRiBLE! They took 15 minutes to get our order, then another 15 just to get plates . Very limited menu so we ordered a dozen oysters . She said they only cone with lemon and no other sauce dye to the special of one pound per oyster . I would avoid this place . They charged us 3 pounds for bread and no butter even though we asked for it. read more

Came here on a whim for lunch before going to Edinburgh Castle. We didn't have a reservation but that didn't seem to be a problem - we were seated within 5-10 mins of arrival. For lunchtime on a Friday, they weren't very busy and that should have been a red flag. There's no real "lunch" menu, so if you're looking for a lighter lunch inside your busy day, this really isn't it. Be prepared to stay at least an hour for lunchtime. The food was OK - not stellar. For the price, we were expecting much more flavor. The plates looked nice but tasted just MEH. Boring... bland. Cannonball seems like a better place to have had dinner. Servers were very friendly & accommodating, and they get 5 stars on their own. read more

Came here for lunch one afternoon. Had a longer than expected wait for a table, but once seated service overall was excellent. I think the person at the front in charge of seating patrons was handling something, or perhaps was on a break. Enjoyed a salad and a burger here, both of which were excellent. Great beer and wine selection and they also have a full bar. The decor inside this restaurant is posh fancy - brass railings and a clean paint and warm wood look. Presentation on the plate is equally well thought out. Overall, high priced, and probably geared towards tourists, but a great find. A good meal, in a great location, with slow to good service overall. read more

Came here after a tour of the castle. We were only in Edinburgh for one day and my companions immediately wanted to come here after our tour. It's literally the first restaurant you come to on the Royal Mile and honestly, I kinda wanted to walk a bit further and choose from some options instead of just picking the first place. I'm so glad we didn't. I was very impressed with this place. It's small, so my party of four had to be broken into two parties of 2, but that's okay. The wait staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I got the fresh crab macaroni and cheese which was warm and rich and amazing. My companion I was with got a salad that she said was fresh and amazing. It was such a nice place with a gorgeous interior. I would recommend this place (and go back) in a heartbeat. read more

Cannonball Restaurant & Bar - The lovely server recommended Glengoyne and it was delicious. - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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We had such an amazing time at Cannonball on New Years Eve! The restaurant put on a full event from 9pm-1am with a 5 course meal and wine pairings. Each course was better than the last! The staff were delightful and attentive and really made with evening special. We didn't want to just have dinner somewhere and then be out on the street so this event was perfect for us and our 2 teenage children. What topped off this experience was our view of the castle while dining. Unfortunately there were no fireworks this year due to Covid but the views and the buzz outside by the castle were amazing enough! Bubbly was served at midnight and a bagpipe player in full Scottish garb came in to play auld lang syne! It was a really special night! read more

Cannonball Restaurant & Bar - Our family - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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I've been wanting to come here since they opened in August but just haven't made it in, so what better reason to finally visit than for a 5 close Yelp tasting dinner! The food was fabulous, aside from the accompaniment to the fish was slightly too vinegary but that would be me being picky! Service was fantastic and the setting is gorgeous, though the tables are quite close together.. I can imagine it would get a bit tricky to get in and out if the restaurant was full. The thing that really sells the place has to be the astonishing view of the Castle!! I don't think you can get much closer unless you're dining in the castle itself!! Victor was a great host and told us some great stories about the building's history and even about their resident ghost! All in all, a fantastic evening in a gorgeous setting. Look forward to heading back to try the gelataria!! Thanks to Jody for organising a fun little event! read more

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We went to Cannonball twice on our recent stay in Edinburgh. Our first day we went straight in for the Cannonball app of Haggis. It was our first experience with Haggis & set the tone - we LOVED it. Also did the mac & cheese (needed salt & pepper) and the oysters. The oysters were fabulous! Drinks wise we went with options from the Apothecary menu and were not disappointed. They actually change color as well! We went back on our last day to have a drink outside looking at the castle and down the Royal Mile. Really nice setting, friendly staff, and great food/ drinks! read more

Amazing food with great service. Unfortunately they don't have the Higgins this year, so if you want to try that, make sure ask first! I will definitely back again for this! read more

Cannonball Restaurant & Bar - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Stellar service, food was incredible. Went at a quiet time at the end of lunch. Scallop appetizer was to die for, as was the hake main and lobster Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was more of a whiskey cream sauce, very unique and not overpowering. Quite a climb to get to the top of the castle grounds where the restaurant is located, but definitely worth it!! read more

Cannonball Restaurant & Bar - Hake main - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Mixed feelings about our dinner here. First things first, the service here is great. I can't say enough about how professional and sincere the staff are. They kept a good eye on our table and didn't clear things too soon. Our water was inconspicuously topped up when it needed to be and anything to do with the table layout was quickly addressed. When we had a problem with our initial table we were quickly moved to another table without issue. The food was pretty good too, but this was also a sticking point for some members of our team. We went with two starters to share, the cannonballs and the Pigeon breast. There were four of us, but the cannonballs came as an indivisible set of three. Three of us felt that there was not much to be impressed with here, perhaps because there wasn't much to wrap our tastebuds around. In other words, this wasn't good to share but could possibly be ok for on person on their own. The Pigeon breast salad was great, I personally loved the Flavours and would readily recommend this dish. The mains were acceptable but we felt that they didn't reflect the price well. Our sirloin stake was not "medium well done", but was more "well done". That said, the Flavours of the overall dish were still very good. The pork went down very well. We ordered the full lobster to share but all agreed the upgraded plate should have been reflected in the portion of chips and salad as well as the lobster, perhaps even more so after mentioning our intention to share to the waiter. The deserts were surprisingly good. We ordered a Creme brûlée and a knickerbocker glory. Both were very good. To a large degree, our main criticism would be of the mechanics of the kitchen. A kitchen that is more responsive to the particularities of its patrons is obviously always better than one that creates the same output in all situations. However the degree to which our steak was incorrectly cooked isn't debatable and was disappointing. read more

I've been going to quite a few 'Yelp' events lately. One recent event took me to the newest foodie creation from the 'Contini' dynasty, Contini Cannonball. I love their Scottish Cafe in the National Gallery, so I was keen to see what they had on offer at their new premises on the Royal Mile. Another great thing about these Yelp events is that we get to talk to the staff and even the owner and chef. I have to say, Contini were the most gracious hosts I've come across so far! They created a signature cocktail, had soft drinks, Hors D'oeuvres, gelato, tours of the building AND we met the lovely chef, Emma and the super friendly owner, 'The' Victor Contini. I'll start with the building. As you approach the Castle Esplanade it is the very last building on the left. It was built in the 1600's as a private residence; over time, and with damage from fires, it was rebuilt into a tenement; used as a school, a hospital and more recently, offices for the Royal Military Tattoo who still own the building. The building is also famous (and named) for the cannonballs lodged in the outside wall. Despite rumours of battles and Bonny Prince Charlie, Victor admitted that the truth was that the cannonballs were height markers for the water pipes which brought drinking water into Edinburgh (it was funnier when he told it!). The building is set over several levels. The lower level is a gelateria, styled like an old fashioned ice cream parlour with pastel colours straight from an American diner in the 1950's. The next level is a cafe for breakfast and lunch and the top level is a restaurant serving lunch, dinner and Sunday Roast. Victor and the chef, Emma explained that nearly all of the ingredients used at Cannonball were Scottish and seasonal. That's my kind of restaurant! I don't follow a strict eating 'ethos' but if I had to adopt a label it would be something like 'localtarian'. I try and eat local to reduce food miles for the sake of the planet - but also to ensure the food gets from farm to plate as quickly as possible to maintain nutrient content. Eating local also helps the local economy and in most cases ensures you are eating what is in season. Emma did admit that this often brought her challenges in the kitchen, often having to adapt dishes at the last minute due to availability of ingredients. The samples I ate showed that she is definitely up for the challenge! After meeting Victor and Emma, hearing about the history of the building, and learning how the restaurant is helping to support the Tattoo and Scottish food producers, I knew I wanted to come back for a meal with my husband. Arriving for dinner, we were greeted by a shivering cold but still friendly hostess who took us past the side door I used previously around to a back entrance. I never had a tour of the upper level so I was excited to see what I missed during the Yelp event. We had parked the car in Grassmarket and walked up both Granny Green's steps and Castle Wynd so we thought we had a good pre-dinner workout before getting to the restaurant! But, we were now faced with even more steps - I'm definitely ordering dessert! We arrived at the top, surprisingly not too out of breath. The restaurant is casual, bright and minimalist yet not modern. The decor still has a sense of history through the architectural features of the bar and the utilitarian lighting that could have been in the best Victorian schools. Although I'm not a vegetarian, I don't eat a lot of meat. When I do, I prefer to eat game or pasture fed meat. Sure, it's more expensive but that's why I don't each much. Luckily there were lots of options that met my picky criteria as well as seafood and at least one vegetarian option per course. Everything was delicious from the complimentary bread, butter (Scottish of course) and olives (not so local) to our final, final dessert. The portions were not huge, and the 'tower' style presentation made it look like there wasn't enough to fill the plate but it was very satisfying. After our first dessert, we were enjoying the view of the castle and just chatting in a lovely room so we ordered a second round of dessert - a cheeseboard to share. Well, I had to try the Scottish cheeses!! I'm not a food critic so I'll just let the pics do the talking.... Our Menu: Complimentary Nibbles Isle of Mull scallops with garlic butter, radicchio and lemon Burnside Farm roasted pigeon with parsnip and honey puree Chargrilled venison with spiced red cabbage, Scottish hedgehog mushrooms, celeriac puree, berry jus Baked Peterhead lemon sole with Carroll's heritage potatoes, Phantassie kale and spinach mustard cream sauce Dark chocolate pudding served with iced chocolate and coffee meringue Affogato Frangelico Cheeseboard: Isle of Mull Cheddar and Lanark Blue, seasonal chutney, dried fruits and sourdough bread read more

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A night to remember! I headed along to Contini Canonball as part of a Yelp dinner and to meet the amazing Jody B! We'd seen the menu in advance and to be honest I'd been dreaming about the food since the previous day. On arriving we made our way up the steps to the second floor, passing by rooms marked 'Headmasters office' and such. This was our first clue to the quirky history of the building. After our coats were taken we were shown to our table, right by the windows which have one of the best views in the city. Check out Caz H's picture as my photo skillz are nowhere near as good! The decor is minimalist(ish). Still cosy with some required tartan and soft furnishing, but mainly monochrome with some pretty cool light fixtures. Throughout our meal the staff were amazing. Chatty and lovely they made the meal even more enjoyable. While we caught up the food was brought out. We started with a glass of prosecco and some bread, the Hebridean salted butter is a favourite of mine (well, salt and butter are both favourites of mine so I guess I'm easily pleased!) The soup was next, parsnip and gorgonzola. I make a pretty mean parsnip soup but this was on another level. Absolutely lovely creaminess, but not overly so, we still had room for what was to come. The haggis balls were up next with pickled turnip and mustard. Noms. The best part of the meal for me was definitely the cod. I wolfed that down in under two minutes, along with the lemon kale and salsa verde. The cod was cooked really nicely, pan fried, and was just short of melting away when you put it in your mouth. Desserts were up, Isle of Mull cheddar with dreid figs and seasonal chutney. I could have done with another slice of bread here, as I ran out pretty quickly. The cheddar was delicious. Finally, we finished up with Valrhona 70% chocolate and amarena cherry torte. This is where Sara's 'I don't do sweet things' comes in. I made it 75% through the cake which is a testament to how delicious it was as usually I get one bite and I'm done, but I could have eaten a million (no joke) of those cherries. A million. The accompanying shortbread with a wee bit of cream went down a treat too. I also went for a cocktail (when in Rome!), called Fifty-Five Steps. Malt Whisky, rose essence and lemon (?) it was lovely! Very drinkable (dangerously so!) After dinner, Victor came out to tell us the history of the building and I must say we were enthralled! I won't give too much away but an interesting supernatural discussion followed! Overall I left a happy, well-fed, camper with stories to tell and a smile on my face, and that's what a good dinner is all about! We also managed to find the canonball holes outside, facing the castle, which pretty much made my night! read more

This review is based on a Yelp tasting event therefore it covers general impressions of the establishment rather than the full dining experience. Contini's appears to be aiming to be all things to all men. From £80 bottles of wine (& £5.50! pints) in the Cannonball restaurant to the £3.99 'poncho in a cannonball' in the basement gelateria, everyone from fine diners to drenched tourists is currently catered for. Given its location hard by the castle the tourist market is one it can't ignore but, whilst the ice cream on offer is as good as you'd expect from somewhere that prides itself on the Italian element of it's background, the rather random selection of books on sale, the alcohol miniatures and their own brand coffee, jams etc. (undoubtedly not exclusive productions) rather dilute the effect of the well chosen and classier photographs adorning the walls. Popcorn economics seem to be in play with an ordinary bowl of porridge retailing at £4. Admirably the restaurant aims to serve up only seasonally available locally sourced produce, meaning that currently there's a lot of meat and few vegetables on the menu (no bad thing). As we were being advised of this though there was a confusing mention of products being shipped in from Italy which, whether for here or another Contini establishment, brought to mind the question of food miles and somewhat undermined the sustainability angle. Situated on the second floor of the premises the Cannonball restaurant enjoys an uninterrupted view of Edinburgh castle out of its western windows. The restaurant is already heavily booked up during August as meals are included in a number of Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo packages. The irony being that with the erection and dismantling of the tattoo stands lasting for around five months the view will be rather obscured during that time. Winter is therefore the ideal time to go for dinner if you want to take advantage of the romance of the location, something I aim to get around to in order to fully round out this review. read more

Delicious and unique. Upstairs view is beautiful. I had the ribeye and my husband had the pork belly, both were excellent.

Got seated around 12:30 on a busy day at the castle. Tables filled up over time. Had great service and the food was very good!

Woo hoo! Best lobster mac n cheese ever! Big chunks of lobster, a slightly runny cheese sauce with Cheddar and a hint of booze, and oversized elbow noodles. Went here twice in the few days we were in Edinburgh. The fish and chips were good, as was the service. read more

One of the best meals I have ever eaten both based on atmosphere, customer service and quality of food.

I liked this place so much that after coming for lunch, I came back for dinner, and spoiled myself twice! The service was fantastic, and the menu well-balanced and interesting. I had the partridge for lunch, which, honestly was a bit dry. I have never had partridge before, and I know restaurants err on the side of preparing meat more well-done, but it tasted too well done for my taste, and I didn't get any distinctive flavor from it so I could say "oh that's what partridge tastes like!" It was fine: the flavor wasn't *bad* by any means, and the plating was attractive. Then I had my first ever trifle for dessert and that was divine (more on that later). I came back for dinner, and the hostess not only recognized me but recalled our conversation earlier on my plans for the day and asked me how they went. This time I tried the pigeon as an appetizer, and although I definitely got a much better sense of pigeon's taste profile than I had with the partridge, I think there could still be more done to make it pop or really meld it with the other ingredients on the plate. I was working on a bottle of Malbec and reading a book, so I told the waiter to take his time bringing out my main course, and he was very considerate in asking me to tell me when I was ready. So when I was, my pumpkin risotto came out and I fell in love with the kitchen. I am a big fan of pumpkin, but this was amazing even by my experienced standards. It was fluffy and savoury and bursting with flavor. I was half inclined to order another serving, but saved room for dessert, where I indulged my sweet tooth and got two more trifles... The kitchen had a good-natured laugh at me when I ordered the second trifle of the meal, but they were just very pleased that I enjoyed it so much. They told me it was a new menu, so no doubt they were still experimenting a bit to see how the new dishes were received, and I wish I had responded in depth when they asked how my food was, because I like the place and want the dishes to become what I think they can become. So: cook the partridge a little less so it remains juicy and strengthen the accompanying ingredients for the partridge and the pigeon. The different parts of the dishes didn't seem to affect each other, just worked on their own. But I would definitely come back, especially for the risotto and the trifles! I'd also add that it wasn't *that* expensive. It's an upscale place, but price-range it's in the middle somewhere. I'd say two dollar/pound signs is more appropriate than three. read more

I had a really wonderful experience here on my tour through Scotland. Everything was a modern take on traditional Scottish flavors and styles. The food, scotch, wine, service, and atmosphere were all superb. read more

On a recent visit with family we were very dissapointed at the amateurish service from booking errors (theirs) to poorly prepared, pretentious food. A word of advice. Check your bill before leaving this place as they doubled-up on our courses and overcharged a whopping £115.00 ! An unforgivable sin in my eyes. They really need to get their act together. I and members of my family will not be going back. read more

I wanted to love this place with it's locally sourced food and wide open dining area with small tables. We came for lunch. The Brie cheese tray could have been a meal in itself: served with a variety of breads and crackers, dried apricots and walnuts. It was delicious. But we also ordered entrees. I wish the server would have told us about the generous portions...before he disappeared, seemingly for good. It appeared that our server had already left for vacation (he told us that he was flying the next day). We had the most difficult time getting the attention of any serving staff for the duration of the meal, be it to order more drinks, get more water, or ask for more mayo and ketchup for our chips and tarter sauce for our haddock. We resorted to asking other servers for things, and then re-reminding them when they never materialized. We (literally) fell asleep waiting for the check we'd requested, or, maybe I just did, but my friend was close behind. We barely touched the cheese tray as it was such a good size (perfect for a group getting drinks, but much too large for two people getting lunch as well), and asked for a "to go" container as we'd hardly touched it and it seemed such a shame to waste that much food as it may seem like a good late afternoon snack. We were told this was impossible, and a liability, by our server (great God, if the French now have "to go" containers, how is it that Scotland doesn't?). We left quite unhappy with our experience all around. I would not re-visit. I would more happily spend my money on better service. read more

Amazing food all around, and a great view of Edinburgh castle! Right next to the drive up to the castle, you can't beat the location. The food is pricey, but well worth it. The oysters are fresh and delicious, as well as the Mains. We had the Cod and Venison, both of which were the best we've had. Please don't be deterred by the 3 pound symbol on yelp, it's definitely worth the prices for an amazing dinner. read more

Lovely ambience and decor with unique views out to Edinburgh Castle and has retained some of the features of the old school tiled staircases. Staff were friendly and professional. Had heard good things about the restaurant. My main criticism is that while the chef(s) can obviously deliver delicious meals, I suspect vegetarian dishes aren't a priority. This is a shame as us veggies like to hang out with our meat-loving chums and share in a fun, sociable dining experience. Sadly the advertised gnocchi (only vegetarian option) had already ran out by 1pm and the cheese soufflé alternative really felt like an afterthought and much lesser quality than the similarly priced meat dishes. read more

Wonderful fresh and local food. Had the spinach soup and the asparagus salad which were both filing and delightful! Nice atmosphere.

Service is too bad. We waited about an hour for our meals. If you want your meal to be served the day after you order, then it's a good choice!!! read more

Best restaurant next to a major tourist attraction I've ever been to. Food made from local Scottish ingredients. Friendly and attentive service. Very comfortable atmosphere after three hours on your feet touring the castle. Just perfect way to recharge for more walking! read more

Marvelous tasting menu. A wonderful way to taste some of Scotland's best foods.

Excellent restaurant ! The service was impeccable and the food absolutely delicious! Plus, the manager spoke french with us... Great experience read more

Take a pass on this one. Waiting an hour after being seated and still waiting. Asked about our food and was told they're working as hard as they can. One hour and counting for a Hamburger and fish and chips? Work harder. read more

Had their Christmas menu which had an appetizer (amazing soup!), main dish (I had the fish also amazing!) and dessert (which was just ok :/) besides the dessert the food was great and elegantly presented. The place is right in front of the castle so it has a great view and elegant atmosphere. Would definitely recommend it and would love to go back whenever I have the luck of visiting Edinburgh again! read more

Fantastic food all around. The haggis is delicious, the burgers melt in your mouth, and the gelato is near-perfect!