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    Stac Polly

    3.9 (27 reviews)
    PriceyScottish
    Open 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    Stac Polly Photos

    STAC POLLY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Classy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Stac Polly

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    pepper soup

    We visited Stac Polly in Edinburgh on night 12 of our 15 day tour. While I found the food to be good, it was not exceptional and there were a number of issues. There were 38 if us squeezed into a room and the waiters bumped into those in the center aisle every time they walked by. The room was very noisy. Napkins were thin and flimsy, much like tissue paper. I'd expect cloth napkins at a restaurant of this caliber. They brought bread to the table. It was a sliced french bread stick, it was soft and tasted ok, but they only brought enough for 1 slice per person and we had to request more bread, twice (maybe the waiter didn't hear or ignored request first time). The pepper soup was good but there was not a lot of it. As you'll see, small portions are the way this restaurant works. I ordered the lamb, it came with green beans and potato. The food was good, it was not exceptional, and the portion was small. Perhaps 100g of lamb. My companion ordered the salmon, it came with pasta and 2 tiny pea pods. The salmon was cooked well and tasty; the pasta was starchy and only average tasting. Not enough pea pod to have an opinion. Dessert was cheesecake with defrosted frozen berries. It was good but I doubt that they could have sliced it any thinner. The berries looked like different types but all tasted the same. They waited until we had finished the cheesecake dessert before bringing coffee and tea. The cups were half full. I had the coffee it was unremarkable, tasted like freeze dried coffee. I had to ask for a full cup of coffee and wait for it to come. Service was slow and at times disorganized. I left the restaurant feeling that I needed to have another meal as I was not full. Bottom line, I will not revisit this restaurant and cannot recommend it to others.

    logo from official website
    Alice W.

    Probably the best known Scottish restaurants even thought their approach is rather contemporary, you wouldn't know this from the outside with heather coloured walls and the fact you're standing on a very Scottish cobbled street. The choices of meat are very native, a lot of salmon on the menu and also a lot of venison. Being a big fish eater I was even tempted away and enjoyed a wonderfully tender piece of meat. Oh dear, the bill, now this is one for the tourists to work out, if you want real Scottish food (excluding deep-fried haggis) then I couldn't recommend anywhere better, but if you were after just a nice meal out - there's plenty of other places of the same quality without the niche but hefty price tag.

    Main dining area
    Riffraff R.

    Talk about a hidden gem off a side street!! We were looking for a late dinner and noticed this restaurant onky 2 blocks from our hotel. Everything about it was A+! The atmosphere in the basement is elegant and cozy. The service is incredibly polite and the meal was perfectly paced! The food itself is spectacular ... our party had the beef fillet, the lamb rump, and a vegan dish that i cant think of at the moment, and everyone was extremely haopy! We also had pretty much every dessert between all of us and the quality was conistently great! You cant go wrong here....worth every penny! (or pence i suppose!)

    Gin cocktail
    Nadya S.

    The OH wanted to try this place after I raved about my lunch here. It's taken us a while to make it here but we finally went for dinner on date night. The food was excellent but we felt that the service let down the whole experience. We had to repeatedly ask for drinks and at the end of the night the staff seemed to be more Interested in chatting amongst themselves than giving us the bill. We waited 20 mins & then had to go & ask for it. Very disappointing.

    Background: haggis pastries. Foreground pheasant
    Daniel H.

    Wonderful first meal on our brief trip to Edinburgh. A cozy dining space on the ground floor welcomed us to a charming little table. For the first course we had the pheasant and he haggis which were both outstanding. Mains consisted of their generously portioned lamb shank and the sea bass. The sticky toffee pudding looked and sounded so good that we refused to share it and each got our own. Reasonably priced glasses of wine and whiskey were also fantastic. Our server provided excellent recommendations and was a warm and gracious host. If you're ever looking for a sensibly prices upscale meal in Edinburgh this is a must visit. For two people each having two drinks, a first, a main, and a dessert the bill came to £128 with the service charge.

    Jennifer J.

    We had dinner at Stac Polly with a fairly large group on our first night in Scotland. This place is absolutely amazing! The atmosphere in the basement is cozy, but comfortable. Since we had a large group, the menu was preset but there wasn't a single complaint from our group. There was wine on every table as well as bread and butter to start. Our first course was a soup of some sort of squash, pumpkin and pine nuts (I think). It was delicious! From there, we were able to pick from a selection of entrees of either chicken, salmon or lamb. I promise, Reno Yelpers, I do get more adventurous with eating as the trip continues on. But for this night, I had the chicken and Jason went with the salmon. The salmon was in a savory butter sauce and melted in your mouth. But the chicken won the round hands down. You didn't really even need a fork for this chicken, let alone a knife. If you stared at it long enough, it would fall apart. I have never had a piece of chicken breast be that juicy and tender at the same time. YUM! For dessert, we were served a cheesecake that had some sort of sauce - I'm assuming whisky, covering it so of course that was delicious too. Again, I'm kicking myself for not taking pictures of the food so you'll have to use your imagination. The food was just great and the service was fantastic for our large group. On our next trip to Scotland, we will make a point of finding Stac Polly again.

    Red onion tart

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    Stac Polly Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Stac Polly

    I had the haggis inside the phyllo dough with the cheese tray and my husband enjoyed the steak and kale.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    The Devil's Advocate - Smoked fish plate

    The Devil's Advocate

    4.3(630 reviews)
    0.5 miOld Town, Royal Mile
    ££

    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.

    Photos
    The Devil's Advocate - Whiskey flight tastings

    Whiskey flight tastings

    The Devil's Advocate - Fish Filet

    Fish Filet

    The Devil's Advocate - Double Shot with Dalmore 12, kahula, espresso shot, and Demerara.

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    Double Shot with Dalmore 12, kahula, espresso shot, and Demerara.

    Howies - Ribeye

    Howies

    4.3(219 reviews)
    0.6 miOld Town
    £££

    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.

    Photos
    Howies - Beautiful bar

    Beautiful bar

    Howies - Lobster 1/2

    Lobster 1/2

    Howies - Mussels appetizer

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    Mussels appetizer

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Crown Of Slow Cooked Beef Shoulder With A Rich Horseradish Infused Gravy

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar

    4.8(521 reviews)
    0.5 miOld Town, Royal Mile
    ££

    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.

    Photos
    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Downstairs inside the restaurant

    Downstairs inside the restaurant

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Homemade Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg

    Homemade Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Scotch eggs

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    Scotch eggs

    Angels with Bagpipes - Haggis with whisky gravy - SO good!

    Angels with Bagpipes

    4.4(132 reviews)
    0.5 miOld Town, Royal Mile
    £££

    Given that this place is in an extremely touristy part of town, surrounded by souvenir shops and…read morefamous landmarks, you kind of have to appreciate the effort they put into their food presentation and service. Most places survive on knowing they can serve terrible food and still bring in the tourist crowd. These guys are serving up some healthy and hearty cuisine with a nod to their Scottish roots, but with a more sophisticated take. Everything packs amazing flavour. I came in just a few minutes after they opened for lunch, so snagging a seat was easy; however it filled up in record time, so reservations are highly recommended. The menu offers everything from light seafood salads to hearty steak dishes, to a few veggies options that leave nothing to be desired. Yes, they serve haggis, too, and I have to say, it wasn't bad, even for my first-timer's palate. They fry it up and serve it in ball form, so the taste is mild and appealing. My BBQ Lentils and Vegetables dish was beautifully presented and so tasty, I didn't miss the meat. Cocktails, wine, and beer are also available, so pick your poison.

    My brother and I had the chicken, which was delicious but was a small portion which left my brother…read morefeeling hungry as we left. My husband and I ordered the burrata, but it didn't come with bread as listed on the menu. The service was quite slow so we gave up on requesting the bread. I was pleased that they allowed for multiple side sauces to my husband's Denver steak. Ambiance was lovely, allowed for casual dress.

    Photos
    Angels with Bagpipes - Their sign is adorable.

    Their sign is adorable.

    Angels with Bagpipes - Battered cod was fresh and not oily at all. Scottish crab, lemon and crumpet was super fresh and delish.

    Battered cod was fresh and not oily at all. Scottish crab, lemon and crumpet was super fresh and delish.

    Angels with Bagpipes - BBQ Root Vegetables and Lentils

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    BBQ Root Vegetables and Lentils

    Queens Arms

    Queens Arms

    4.4(114 reviews)
    0.4 miNew Town
    ££

    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

    Photos
    Queens Arms
    Queens Arms
    Queens Arms - Wellington upfront and Mac and Cheese in the back

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    Wellington upfront and Mac and Cheese in the back

    Pibroch Scottish Restaurant

    Pibroch Scottish Restaurant

    4.2(16 reviews)
    0.6 miOld Town

    The partner-in-dine and I were staying close to Pibroch and decided to book a table for dinner on a…read moreSunday evening. We made our booking the night before and were pleased that we could be accommodated. We were seated promptly next to a window where we could pass the time waiting for our food by looking at the passers-by and cars. But we didn't have to wait long. The appetizers came out quickly. I got the Cullen Skink, a Scottish soup of smoked haddock, potatoes and leeks in a creamy broth. My partner-in-dine chose the Pibroch Haggis Parcels with Red Wine Plum Sauce. We were both happy with our appetizers. For our mains, I had the Haggis, Neeps and Tatties while my partner-in-dine went for the Roast Duck. We were again elated with our choices. Every dish was wonderfully presented and tantalizingly delish. Definitely recommendation-worthy!

    I told myself I wasn't going to try the haggis, but what did I do? I tried the haggis. I'm glad I…read moredid. The wait staff there are extremely attentive, friendly, and willing to answer any questions. Our party started off with the haggis parcels in a red wine plum sauce as an appetizer. The haggis was encased in filo dough. It was delicious. I went with the salmon, because Scotland has the best salmon in the world, so I've been told. This salmon was exceptional. I enjoyed the crispiness on the top of the salmon and the potatoes and broccoli accompanied the dish perfectly. I didn't care for the tomato sauce, and just ate around that. If you want authentic Scottish food, and friendly service, try this place out. They are also wheelchair accessible, as they have a ramp to guide you in the door.

    Photos
    Pibroch Scottish Restaurant
    Pibroch Scottish Restaurant
    Pibroch Scottish Restaurant

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    Stac Polly - scottish - Updated May 2026

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