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    The Devil's Advocate

    4.3 (629 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    By appointment only

    The Devil's Advocate Photos

    THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - The Devil's Advocate

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    Ha B.

    Chill place to hang that tends to get wildly busy in the evening. We tried the burger (okay) and the duck leg (yummy). Would come back but might not get the burger again. Duck was delicious though!

    Lunch menu Dec 2024
    Ashley J.

    This is a really popular spot and one I had bookmarked before our trip. We were being pretty spontaneous other than the soccer match we had booked, so wasn't sure when we would explore Old town. We ended up popping in for lunch on a Sunday and we lucked out that there was a table available! The ambiance is super cute, a nice dining room up top, an outdoor bar area, and downstairs an indoor bar area with some enclosed booths tucked in the hallway. The fish I had was cooked spectacularly --battered perfectly; and my husband really enjoyed his pork dish. I would definitely recommend this place and if you can, book your reservation in advance to guarantee your table.

    Bar area
    Susan S.

    Great place in Edinburgh and I'd love to come back again. Food and drink were lovely and staff very friendly.

    Fries
    Alex P.

    Nestled within small alleys or as known in Edinburgh, "Closes", one can discover a world of beauty. From fascinating stories of days when residents would dump toilet waste right into these passageways to the modern day finds like The Devil's Advocate. A scotch focused food establishment, there is a vast and reasonably priced collection of bottles available here for sampling. Three hundred of them to be exact. Food is a classic Scotch selection of seafood and meats. Sure, one might find a pickled vegetable or two laying around somewhere on the plate, but they are certainly not the focus here. Excellent smoked salmon and smoked fish dip, perfectly crisped chips and beautiful main courses adore the menu. The patio is a very pleasant spot to sit and enjoy the architecture of Old Town.

    Pork chops
    Utsav R.

    Marta was fantastic - always a smile and a laugh despite how busy it was. Inside is a bit dark but outside was lovely. Everything we ordered was delicious and cooked to perfection. If there is one thing I'd skip, it'd be the desserts. They were ok, nothing wrong with them, but so many other great options in Edinburgh.

    Laura R.

    After a long walk down a stone path I found this isolated bar called The Devil's Advocate. It had an old tavern feel and was two stories with a bar counter and two bartenders. My hubby ordered drinks and I went straight to the bathroom. After a few minutes I realized there was NO toilet paper in one stall and switched to the next stall which unfortunately did not flush. Cmon people get it together. Frustrated, I left and the hubby had to guzzle his drink.

    Steak and chips
    Marie L.

    The Devil's Advocate lived up to the hype!! I booked reservations well in advance (could only get a later dinner at 8:30pm) since it is a popular spot in Edinburgh. The ambiance is so unique - you feel like you are in an old world restaurant hidden away from the city. The service was superb with constant drink refills and quick service for our appetizer and entrees. I am a huge steak person and thought the meat was cooked perfectly, and paired well with the chips. The arancini was almost the star of the show as the starter - definitely recommend!! The cocktails were also well crafted and delicious. All in all, 10/10 rating from me.

    Whisky flights
    John A.

    Mediocre execution overshadows the amazing bones of this gastropub. Nestled within Advocate's Close, finding the place is an adventure within the Edinburgh castle walls. Upon entry, the juxtaposition of old and new further enhances the experience. The towering industrial shelf of whisky behind the bar catches the eye (in stark contrast to the more traditional pubs that line the royal mile with their ornate, carved wooden bars). The bar gives way to a converted pump house -- both a nod to the history of the area and a clever collection of multi-level stone flanked rooms, allowing the place both to accommodate larger gatherings and offer an intimate dining experience. As with any restaurant though, I am looking for decent food and, more importantly, an inviting place for the evening. The whisky menu shines here. We ordered two flights which give us interesting tours of both Scottish regions and different sherry-casked varieties. Not being a whisky drinker, however, I was looking for more exposition from the restaurant. Our server was clueless and the supposed expert that came to our table exuded exasperation at our questions. They missed an opportunity to narrate their offerings which made our group feel a bit slighted for even asking. Food is at the higher range of average. The cheese and charcuterie board was tasty but felt sourced from the local Sainsbury instead of a lean into local flavors. Similarly entrees (chicken, venison, steak) were good enough but no standouts to report. The jury is still out on restaurant groups and whether they foster mediocrity in pursuit of profit. Bon Vivant Group -- you've got some good underpinnings here -- Edinburgh deserves welcoming service and more than tourist fare!

    Flatiron steak 8oz.
    Spencer F.

    This is a tourist centric restaurant with international staff. More upscale and out of the way from the Royal Mile. Indoor and outdoor seating. Food menu is the usual fair, nothing that stands out as uniquely Scottish. Food was cooked to our liking. Portions were European size, not American. I had the pork chop (6-7oz), and it was good, but I wanted more. Beef was good, but only 8oz. I would come back as the ambiance was good, and as the night goes on, it turns into more pub/bar atmosphere.

    Armando S.

    Make Sure to Make Reservations for Upstairs Showed up 3 Hours Before Close on a Weekday and was Unable to be Seated Did Enjoy Some Lovely Drinks Though

    Drinks (which were messed up and the waiter made us feel guilty for it!)

    This place is not allergy friendly!! Not only did they rush us walking in, but they were constantly making us feel like a bother. We were late by 5 min (under the no-show period) and they asked us what we wanted before everyone in our party had a menu. With no understanding or warning they said "order in 2min or we can't serve you." There was a lack of communication, grace, and kindness that was honestly disappointing. Someone in our party has a serious allergy and they warned us about cross contamination, but did not warn us about what she could and could not eat. This allergy was also specified on our booking! She left hungry and with a slight allergic reaction. We felt like we had to leave as soon as we ate because they were acting as though we weren't paying customers. Two members of our party heard them allow another table to order food when they told us we could not get anything else... even the bar snacks on the drink menu that are available until 2am. The food was fine and the ambiance is what we expected. It is a very cool location! At the end of the day, we get the kitchen was closing, but we were rushed in and out in a 50min period, which was rude and unnecessary. If they warned us about the strict kitchen closing time before hand it would have been fine! We were heavily dissatisfied in how we were treated and that outweighed the positives for our party. Do not recommend unless you don't have allergies and want to be rushed out like a bother in under 60min

    Mark M.

    Nice bar but they will only sit you to eat unless you have a paid reservation from their web site. The place had all kinds of tables free at the time we walked in, and even though we would have been 30 minutes for a quick bite, the rude hostess refused to help us, even for the entire afternoon. Wow, talk about unwelcoming!

    Steak and fries
    Jose R.

    Place a must to have a drink. Made reservations on a recommendation from a friend and glad we came to enjoy this historic establishment. Drinks were great was the food was hit and miss. The steak and fries were well seasoned and quality of meat came through. As fir the halibut, it was mushy and the curry flavor made the whole thing sweet and one note. Good to try since it's a historic place.

    Whiskey flight tastings

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    4 months ago

    Good food. Good atmosphere and wood recommend for no others to drink and eat when in Edinburgh

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    1 year ago

    Went there for drinks. Small bar area but the bartenders were great. Odd musical selections. Very chic place.

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    Page 1 of 16

    The Devil's Advocate Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Devil's Advocate

    Make sure to call in for a reservation the day before, or just drop in for a drink.

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    Monteiths - The salmon, the he monkfish and the broccoli. We also had other sides that were brought later

    Monteiths

    (87 reviews)

    £££

    Royal Mile, Old Town

    Terribly disappointing. We made reservations and we're excited upon walking in. Upon arrival, it…read morewas awkward. At least four people said they'll be right with us. We just stood there waiting, waiting, waiting, and waiting. We were seated at the bar and were assured we would get full service and menu. Given it was NYE, we didn't have many options even though we made a resy. It was a while before anyone took our order. The drink came and we were still waiting to place our dinner order. The person who took our drink order is consumed by other tables. Finally, someone comes and takes our dinner order. As we wait, they load the dishwasher and place dirty dishes near us. Not cool. Food comes and we are tempted to scoot to the right away from dirty plates, but they move another couple from their bar area table to the bar. Lost opportunity. Food wise, it was okay. My salmon was fine, nothing to rave about. The vegetable was on the undercooked side. The portion left hubs and I looking for more food that evening. Very disappointing experience given the price point.

    This was recommended by our amazing Air BnB host and he wasn't wrong. The setting is in a cellar…read moreand matches Edinburgh perfectly. The mushroom side dish was absolutely amazing and could be a meal alone. I had the lamb, which was cooked to perfection. The staff were friendly and engaging and never rushed but were attentive. Definitely worth checking out.

    Vino at the Arches

    Vino at the Arches

    (2 reviews)

    Royal Mile, Old Town

    Vino at the Arches is like a dream - part wine bar, part bottle shop and amazing little snacks,…read moretoo. The weather was ok so people were sitting out the front drinking as well as inside the shop and this place just totally won me over straight away. I was just after a bottle of wine to take back to Glasgow so I just picked something from the fridge. Prices are quite high but it's not your standard supermarket wines so you'll get something a bit different. I also got a packet of locally made cheese sablé biscuits which were AMAZING and I scoffed the whole lot in one go (woops). I'll definitely be back here for a classy drinking spot next time I'm in Edinburgh. What a great addition to the Arches area.

    Woah, this place is AWESOME! I visited recently with a group of colleagues. We were quite a big…read moregroup, and the chap couldn't have been more helpful, swiftly re-arranging many tables so we could all sit together. And he was just brilliant really, explaining the drinks to us and such like. Vino is kinda like a combination between a wine bar and an off-license. So you can buy wine etc to drink, as you would normally. You can also buy products from the shelves, and pay 'corkage' to drink it in-house. They have an impressive range of craft beers for example. They also have a particularly good range of gin, and there were also a few dark rums which caught my eye. I'm not sure if you can buy the spirits and drink them there and then, I'd missed that part of the explanation, but you probably wouldn't want to do that anyway. They have great products that you don't often see elsewhere, for example the new Eden Mill 'mixology project'. We tried the 'basil smash hop gin' and the 'berry bramble love gin'. I also lingered over some Chocolate Tree chocolate bars, but decided against it as I wouldn't have been able to resist trying them and that would have spoiled me for my imminent dinner. We were sat inside the main shop area, and there is also outside area where you can have your drinks. Maybe not so much in winter, but nice during the 'summer'. It was a quick visit as we were heading off for dinner, but I would definitely like to return to Vino, for a more leisurely visit (you could while away many hours here) and to browse their wide range of spirits and craft beers. And obviously wines. Cool place, and the main man was just brilliant, very welcoming,

    Pickles of Broughton Street - Inside front room (there's a back room as well)

    Pickles of Broughton Street

    (20 reviews)

    ££

    New Town

    We were doing our regular research, hoping to find the perfect anniversary restaurant, when we…read morestumbled upon Pickles on a map. A quick Google search later, we decided to add this to our "must visit while in Edinburgh" list. This wasn't our anniversary restaurant, of course, but we knew we needed to dine here at least once. It was a long walk from our hotel, but it was a nice way to see parts of the city that we wouldn't normally have gotten to. The restaurant itself is nestled in the basement (or downstairs) of a cute building. It's small in there, but they're very good at maximizing the space they're given. We settled in at a teeny-tiny table off to the side and swiftly ordered a couple of pints. The menu is very straightforward: you're either getting a meat and cheese plate, just a cheese plate, or pates. We decided to share the Mixed Meat & Cheese platter. We figured that we'd snack and drink some Scottish beer, then head off into the night to find our "real" dinner. Thing is, though, that combo platter filled us the heck up. The waitress came out with the meat and cheese plate and a box of bread, oatcakes and crackers, and my husband and I had a "where is all this going?" moment. But our pro-waitress dropped the plate on the table and popped the bread box into a shelf on the wall next to us - a shelf that neither of us ever even noticed, to be honest. The meat and cheese selections were delicious and paired really well together. Kind of hidden away on that shelf (holding the bread and oatcakes) were a couple chutney jars. That chutney - lots of fruit pieces and complex flavors - brought a lot to the cheeses. We really did love the food, the surroundings, the beer and the staff. I wish we had something like this back home.

    Comforting environment, food and drink. It's like being in your own home, warm with friends. Staff…read moreare helpful and friendly. Enjoy yourselves.

    The Outsider

    The Outsider

    (275 reviews)

    ££

    Grassmarket, Old Town

    Three of us stumbled upon The Outsider while out looking for a place for dinner. It was so good we…read morewent back with 2 more friends a few nights later. Nice pleasant room with good size tables and very helpful, friendly courteous wait persons. Very good steaks, and fish, and affogato for dessert. Go to read the creative food descriptions on the menu!

    My wife has been following The Outsider on the socials for a bit. So as we find ourselves in…read moreEdinburgh, this was a must. Tonight's dinner destination. We got here at 6 with no reservation. We were able to be seated upstairs. This place is busy (much busier when we were finished for sure). So if you can, I'd suggest reserving a spot. It's a bit loud in here. Not out of the ordinary for a busy place. We started with the pressed pork belly app. Perfect crisp. Could've used more of the celeriac puree bed. The confit shallots were so good and nicely sweet. Black pudding cubes (small. More of these!). Candied pears. Mmm. Great start. Wife got the char grilled venison on a butternut squash purée and spicy daikon planks (I didn't find the heat, she did tho!). It was excellent and perfectly prepared. Not gamey at all. I got the 35 day aged hangar steak. This is hands down one of the best steaks I have had out in a very long time. So well seasoned! Which was such a pleasant surprise as it left me wanting for nothing to add flavor. The hand cut fries were good but did need some salt. No dessert as, well, our server was scattered a bit all night. We asked for the dessert menu. She brought us dinner menus and we didn't see her for 10 minutes. So we opted to leave, a bit disappointed at the end. We would come back tho. Thats for sure.

    The Loft Bar

    The Loft Bar

    (2 reviews)

    A great little bar... The top of the Teviot…read more.. Little Uni pub

    After up and up the spiral staircase within Teviot one will stumble over the Loft Bar. At first it…read moredoes not seem that impressive when you head through the pale corridor, however when you reach the bar, it's cool, slick appearance certainly does come as a surprise! The bar itself faces you when you directly enter the room, and when you go up to the bar there is a wide range of drinks on offer. Out with the normal beers and spirits, the bar also specialises in cocktails and wines. Indeed, this bar offers cocktail master classes during term time which are great fun! Once you have decided what will be your drink for the evening the range of seating is appealing, leather sofas and high bar stools - all which are very comfy! But if it's sunny and you don't really want to stay outside then don't fret, as the Loft Bar has its own terrace. Situated at the back of the bar, the terrace is quite large and can easily hold round a hundred students. There are seating areas outside, and on a nice day there are few places which can eat this place. The Loft Bar is brilliant, however sadly it is only open on certain days (which seem to change about) and when Teviot is busy. However, during the day it is possible, even though the bar is close, to gain access to the terrace. Additionally, student societies can book the bar out which can meet society meetings that bit more special! The Loft Bar is a nice addition to Teviot and finishes it off nicely!

    The Devil's Advocate - wine_bars - Updated May 2026

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