Tip: There is a long wait here, so make a reservation or check in and then go for a shop on nearby…read moreVictoria street and total mile. However do not let the wait deter you, this place is not overhyped in the slightest. Everything came out delicious, hot, and fresh. Highly recommend the mustard mash and the lamb shank. Also a pro for the Americans - service was awesome and they brought us a water bottle every 5 minutes - immediate five stars!! Olivia and Neo were great and so nice and accommodating. Definitely stop by!

One of our first meals in Scotland so we had to try hqggis…read more Having made a reservation we had lunch just after our Edinburgh castle tour at Makars which was just down the hill. Service was efficient and friendly despite the full house. Although we were seated next to the kitchen, our booth still had the privacy and was shielded from the sounds and bustle. Everything was pretty good although a tad salty for our palate. Haggis is an acquired taste though and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. We celebrated one of our gang's birthday by ordering sticky toffee pudding and some other desserts to share. To our surprise the restaurant waived the cost of the sticky toffee pudding which was the most expensive dessert we had. That simple thought made a great impression for us as we were totally not expecting it and the server didn't even tell us until we told them they made a mistake by not charging us.

Great ambience with historic brick features Bar service was…read moregreat - old fashioned highly recommended Charcuterie is a good choice

After seeing the high reviews on Yelp, I decided to make a reservation for this restaurant. We…read moretrekked up the steps of Advocate's Close to get there. When we arrived at noon (opening time), the restaurant wasn't too busy. There is an impressive bar downstairs with many whiskies. We were led upstairs to the dining area. There is outdoor dining too that would be nice if the weather was warmer. Cool vibe, but it is kind of dark inside the stone walls. The menu is Scottish-focused with seasonal ingredients. We didn't want to overeat, so we decided to share a starter and a main. We got the Scottish venison fritters, which were ok. We enjoyed the pappardelle pasta (roast pumpkin and pecorino sauce, wild mushrooms, spinach, bacon and poppy seed crumb, crispy sage). It was flavorful and didn't feel too heavy. Staff were friendly and it was an enjoyable lunch.

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!

Howie's was our first dinner stop on our first day in Scotland. I wanted a nice restaurant that had…read morea vegetarian version of haggis (so I could dive right in...), and we had made a reservation weeks in advance of our trip. All good! This Howie's location is on Victoria Street (one of the most photographed streets in the world and the visual influence for Harry Potter's Diagon Alley...it's a few minutes' walk from the center of the Royal Mile, so the location is fantastic. Our reservation was on the early side, and the host made a point of telling us a couple of times that they'd need the table back after a certain period of time. We don't really dwell for hours in restaurants, so that note is not something we really needed, and after seeing it in the reservation confirmation, as well as being told twice by the host, there was a little bit of a feeling that the entire purpose of us being at Howie's was to get out as soon as possible so they can have the table back. Besides that tone-setter, the service and food were fantastic. Our server took a lot of time going through the options with us...she gave me a good perspective on the vegetarian haggis I was getting to help me contextualize its flavor and texture with the real thing, and was very nice! The asparagus and pea risotto I had was also beautiful and had good flavor. As a vegetarian, I appreciated that the menu had everything labeled with dietary restrictions. (which seems to be more of a standard in the U.K. than in the U.S., but this was our first dinner stop in the country, so it's worth noting.) Howie's gave us a good introduction to Scottish cuisine. Its location couldn't have been better, and our server was aces. I hope we gave the table back in time to not cause a panic. ;)

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.

What an amazing experience. Great historic establishment…read more I got my first taste of Haggis and it was grand. You have to go here !

Just sat down for a traditional Sunday roast, and sadly, this was definitely not the place to go…read morefor one. The beef was uninspiring at best, and the whole experience left me feeling rather disappointed. What made it even more disappointing was the rather grand announcement on the menu: "Gilmour's Roast Sirloin of Beef served every Sunday Lunch from 12-4pm, while stocks last." Well, that certainly set my expectations high! The wording made it sound as though people were practically queuing around the block to get their hands on this legendary Sunday roast before it sold out. Having now sampled it, I suspect they'll have enough beef left over to see them through to next Sunday. What arrived was two rather sad slices of very dry beef. I was expecting a generous portion of beautifully roasted, succulent beef--tender, juicy, and practically falling apart at the mere sight of a fork. Instead, I was presented with something that appeared to have spent rather too long contemplating its existence in the oven. A bit of gravy might have helped, but I suspect even a full-scale rescue operation would have struggled to bring this beef back to life. Now, the sticky toffee pudding was an entirely different story! Absolutely delightful. Warm, moist, and delicious, with a generous helping of rich toffee sauce and a small dollop of ice cream. Proper British comfort food at its finest! If the Sunday roast was the disappointment of the afternoon, the sticky toffee pudding was the hero that swooped in to save the day. I would happily return for that alone. The service was lovely, with friendly and welcoming staff, and the restaurant itself is in a fantastic location with a wonderful atmosphere. It's a great spot to sit down and enjoy a meal. Unfortunately, when you advertise a Sunday roast as though it's the hottest ticket in town, you really ought to deliver something worth writing home about. In short: Come for the atmosphere, stay for the sticky toffee pudding, but perhaps give the Sunday roast a miss.

We had 2 nice meals at Old Bell Inn in the last 2 days. Both times they took good care of us, and…read morethe food was delicious. It is a charming place!

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.

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.

Came here on our first night in town on the strength of the Yelp reviews and were not disappointed…read more We enjoyed a fantastic Sunday roast including a delicious pavlova for dessert. The kids meal of mac and cheese and fries was perfect for our picky little eater, though big enough for at least two!

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!