Enjoyed a great meal with the family. Started with a charcuterie board and soup. One of us ordered steak and other shared the the smoked fish board. All the food was enjoyed and devoured. The cocktails are on point. Small location so definitely recommend a reservation. read more

I have a peanut allergy and after reading reviews decided to call before keeping our reservation. The person who answered was quite rude and said they do not serve peanuts but their vendors may cause cross contamination. I tried to offer a bit of advise because I really wanted to eat there. The solution is simple CHEF WASH YOU HANDS! After handling the desserts....Makes one wonder....do they wash their hands after using the bathroom? Won't bother eating there or recommending it. read more

No matter what number of enneagram test results you fall under, I believe that you will like The Devil's Advocate. 1. Do you like beer? 2. Do you like nostalgically historic buildings down enchanting alleyways? 3. Do you like a lively fun atmosphere? 4. Are you a fan of pubs and good food? If you have answered "yes" to any of the questions above... this place is for you. The beer is fantastic and the ambiance is great. The whimsical spot makes for a great dinning experience. Love the design of this place and the layout. My boyfriend and I were prompted to make a reservation and I am glad that we did. We started with the Cullen Skink. It was rich, creamy, and delightfully warming. He enjoyed the braised beef brisket, mashed potato, maple glazed carrots and garlic chips. I had the rump fillet and it was cooked more on the rare side---still good. We don't have any complaints here. When you try this place make sure you raise a pint! I'll toast you from the bar. read more

Service was outstanding. Friendly staff and paced the meal perfectly. Salmon plate was awesome and the other food was delicious. It was all above average including the drinks/cocktails. read more

I usually don't write reviews but I had to for this restaurant. The food and drinks were fantastic. We did make a reservation for dinner and I would highly suggest doing that. We went on a Wednesday night and heard a few people get turned away because there were no tables. We showed up 45 minutes early and expected to wait but they got us in right away since our table was open. Highly recommend the haggis app and venison dinner - delicious! I wish I had another reservation during our trip. read more

Came here around 3pm for a late lunch, and the restaurant wasn't that full but it still took me 5 minutes to be seated. The servers were super friendly and informative, as they helped me select my whiskey - there were just so many options here! They had hundreds of different whiskeys to try! In the end, I got one of the more basic / beginner whiskies (sorry, I don't remember which one exactly) and boy was it a great whisky! Even though I don't have much experience, it beats what I've drank in Canada and the USA. It tasted good, but was still quite strong! I had the crispy black haggis as a starter! And boy was it better than I thought, the outside was deep fried so that's where the "crispy" came from. The inside actually tasted quite good, even though I was expecting something gross and nasty, but they seasoned and cooked it really well here, and it exceeded my expectations! For the main, I had the Tweed Valley burger, and boy, this was one of the best burgers I've ever had. It's super juicy, tasty, delicious and greasy, but the good beef kind of grease. Everything about the burger was good, the bacon and the bread, just everything. And the chips were so delicious. They were freshly made chips and so fluffy with great texture - salted and fried perfectly! This restaurant is so good, I'd definitely recommend. And when I'm back in Edinburgh, I'd love to try this place again! read more

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Quite possibly the most hipster place I visited while abroad. We arrived for a late lunch around 2:30 on a Saturday. There was no one to greet us and it seemed pretty chaotic. Bartenders trying to make drinks, food runners racing up and down the stairs, and no host stand in sight. We finally waved down a worker, told him our party size, and he said it would be a 20 minute wait... didn't take our names or anything so we just stood at the bar and ordered drinks. The drink menu is vast and there are a number of creative cocktails available. Our wait ended up being closer to 45 minutes, but whatever. The upstairs area is pretty small, so I wasn't surprised why we waited to so long to be seated. The service was pretty nonchalant-- no sense of urgency, greeting, or description of the menu. Luckily, we still had our drinks that we ordered from the bar and were able to place our food order right away. Our food took awhile to come out. However, the falafel/lentil appetizer was very unique and tasty. The fish and chips were okay, not the best I had while traveling. My husband's burger was very dry and definitely needed some sauce or cheese to moisten it up. It did have a "tomato salsa" on it that resembled neither tomato nor salsa, but more of a tomato paste. It was weird in a bad way. He was pretty disappointed with how terrible the burger was, considering so many other reviewers raved about the burgers here. Overall, we had an A-OK time. Would I come back? Maybe for a cocktail. Was it the best hipster place I experience while abroad? No. read more

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Mediocre everything. Don't understand the hype. Expensive for the quality. Don't bother walking the steps .

The food, service, and whisky menu were all amazing. I enjoyed the pan fried chicken and fresh veggies. The single malt old fashion was a perfect match. read more

Great ambiance and excellent food. They offer local beers which is a plus! The fish charcuterie was my favorite dish.

Fun place for beers right near Old Town Chambers. Nice pub atmosphere around the bar and friendly service. Would like to come back for dinner sometime Outdoor seating is also available, and was full on a very cold late afternoon. Fun! read more

One of my favorites in Edinburgh! Gorgeous ambiance, and very Old Town architecture/feel. The restaurant is on the way down on the dark stairways from the high street. I had chicken breast and Corn, mint & courgette fritters. read more

I had the lentil and wheat meal and it was delicioussss. the charcuterie board was also excellent and the restaurant itself had a very cool interior. great meal overall! read more

The Devil's Advocate - charcuterie board - Wine Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Great authentic food in perfect Old town location! Especially recommend to try black haggis for appetiser and venison for main dish. If you are interested in whisky tasting in addition to eating well - this is the place to be. Service is cordial and efficient. read more

Oh my god. Best burger I've had in ages. For real. It's been a couple weeks but I'm still fondly reminiscing on the time I spent in the company of that beautiful hunk of beef. I had just arrived in Edinburgh and was hungry. After chatting with my Airbnb host, she agreed that she'd heard good things about The Devil's Advocate (I had already bookmarked it on Yelp). My accommodation was right down the street. It's in the middle of Advocate Close, so you either need to walk up or down a bunch of steps, dependent on which direction you're coming from. I walked down and asked about seating for one. The bartender suggested the bar, which suited me just fine. I was quickly given a porter (taste before full pour) and ordered the burger. Here's a testament to how good it was: I didn't realize it had peppers on it. I ate them anyway even though I despise peppers in most instances. Because they complemented the flavoring so well. The whole thing was just so good. I think my picture of it tells it all. One meh point: It was an expensive burger. But you're paying for top quality. I wholeheartedly recommend this place and am accepting burger donations. read more

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Best truffle fries evahhh! Really cool ambiance there. Enjoyed eating our lunch inside. Chicken burger and beef burger needed seasoning.

The mussels and the smoked salmon board are absolutely bomb! The plating of smoked salmon board is an work of art. It has a mysterious and chill vibe. The servers are very friendly and helpful. They gave us a charger to charge our phone, which saves our lives. Absolutely recommended. read more

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Amazing selection of scotch, food looked beautiful and was delicious. Recommend the pork belly, also the haggis. Staff was friendly and attentive. Would suggest reservations, place gets packed. read more

The Devil's Advocate - Haggis - Wine Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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If in Edinburgh, STOP searching and make a reservation HERE!!! You will not be disappointed ... This place packed a punch! Service, Ambiance, Food and Cocktails - what more can you ask for?! Located down a few staircases, nestled in a perfect little location with downstairs, upstairs, and patio seating - this places was definitely one of my favorite stops on my trip! Our server was absolutely incredible! The food was great and the whisky selection and cocktails served were amazing! Haggis was cooked perfectly, Rare Beef starter was quite flavorful and both entrees were great: Pichana and Lamb Rump! The Pichana was seriously amazing - the best thing there in my opinion and the sauce provided with the lamp that was drizzled in the place was seriously delicious! A MUST if ever in the area! Have your server make her own coffee concoction for you - it will be great after dinner! read more

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Wow! Granted I'm a foreigner from the states so not sure what to compare it to other than maybe some BBQ places in the states, but the scotch flight, the pork belly dish and the haggis might be one of my top 5 meals all time. The service was also amazing. Thank you! read more

Cute bar/restaurant deep in a close! As a solo traveler on a busy week I was lucky the host/server was able to make an accommodation and get me a seat. I am forever grateful to her! I won't lie I don't remember if I loved my beverage from the bar but overall I had a pretty good dinner! I went with the dry aged rib eye steak and selected the whiskey peppercorn sauce. The steak was good, cooked perfect to how I ordered (medium rare). I enjoyed the sauce for the steak and fries. I also ordered a side of Rocket & Parmesan salad which was exactly what I was craving with my steak! Nice and bright with a fresh lemon wedge. I should also mention my food came out pretty quick too. I noticed when leaving they seem to have a covered outdoor area where you can enjoy drinks and looks to have heaters. I would return! read more

Wish I lived in Edinburgh so that I could go all the time!! Drinks are great and the food is wonderful! Typically you shouldn't eat near major attractions but this place is definitely the exception! read more

Hidden gem. Fish and chips are phenomenal. Scotch flight is a definite try. Careful going up the stairs after a few though.

Great upscale pub in an alley off a major street. The ambiance was great here. Low light levels and natural wood created a more intimate and warm setting. We had the roasted pepper soup, Black haggis fritters and mushrooms &spinach for starters. The soup was amazing, very rich and complex with flavor including the harissa. The mushrooms were very nice. The haggis was just ok. I think frying it took away from the actual flavor of the haggis. For entrees we had the fish and chips and the roasted cauliflower salad. The cauliflower was fantastic and maybe too large of a portion. The fish and chips were good. The batter was a bit too thick and there were large gaps between the fish and batter. Still pretty decent. The service was very attentive and good here. I would definitely return to try new items. read more

A very busy spot that is well worth the wait. We arrived for a late dinner and sat at the bar area waiting for a table. The drinks menu is pretty extensive with some great options. The service is on point and in a great location. We started with the red pepper soup and had the beef brisket which was delicious!! Full of flavour and just great. We ended off with a great chocolate and caramel dessert which was just great. Check them out for yourself. read more

The Devil's Advocate - Beef brisket - Wine Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I visited this restaurant with my sister in September. We were staying at a hotel very close by and happened upon the Yelp listing. We were lucky to get a reservation at the last minute (booked it the same afternoon for a late dinner); though, that meant sitting at a table in a small corridor on the way to/from the bathroom/WC. Had it not been for the last-minute nature of our booking, I would have been much more annoyed by the table placement. The food was delicious, and the cocktail selection was great. We had an appetizer of muscles, which were very well prepared. The waitress was very kind and attentive. The bar was quite the popular destination in its own right, aside from the restaurant itself. I even snapped a photo when the most adorable puppy came by for a visit (its owner seemed to know several of the staff and was there not to patronize the bar, but to "check-in" or say hi). I would definitely go back for another meal, should I find myself in Edinburgh again. read more

The Devil's Advocate - Bar area (before it got busier) - Wine Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Super cool spot in Edinburgh. Call in advance to get a reservation you'll need it. Not a large menu but well-placed well, thought out, good selection. Great drinks menu too. It's located off of a cute road with lots of fun shops. This place is really great. They also have outside tables if the weather is nice. Cute small bar if you can't get a table. Will definitely return here. As a matter of fact, we ran into some of our colleagues in the bar. read more

The Devil's Advocate - Exterior with the outside, upstairs terrace - Wine Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Pretty good given the dearth of quality food among the tourist trap restaurants in the old town

The last three times I've been to Edinburgh, I have wanted to eat at The Devil's Advocate. We always ended up having drinks but not being able to get food since it was always so slammed. I really enjoyed the cocktails we had, specifically mine. It was strawberry flavored and tart. Unfortunately I forget the name. While stopping in for that drink, we grabbed reservations for our last night and I am so glad I did. The servers were all very kind and friendly. After sitting down, we perused the menu for a bottle of wine and our appetizers. I chose the soup of the day with thick sliced bread. It was a puree of tomatoes and roasted red peppers. The bread was fresh and the butter, as always, delicious. For my meal, I went with the chicken breast topped with pine nuts, tomato, olives and roasted potatoes. It was cooked perfectly, still juicy and very well seasoned. It was probably one of my favorite meals in Edinburgh because the flavors were so unique. My **fiancee** (that is brand new so I am using it haha) got a really good cut of cod, which even I enjoyed. My mother had the pork chop with kraut and pureed yams. Pork is difficult (for me) to cook but it was tender and delicious. My father got the rib eye with chimichuri sauce. They said it was one of their favorite meals as well since it tasted so homemade. I can't wait to come back to have it again. read more

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Inviting restaurant, the bar had a great variety. Food was delicious, got a variety and folks I was with was able to order what they wanted.

Amazing wine selection and the staff was so accommodating! Even though the place was jam packed- they let us in to celebrate my friends birthday. Will definitely be back! read more

We called ahead to check on gluten free bread as my daughter has Celiac and wanted a burger. They didn't have buns but did have gf bread so we figured we would try. We checked in and were seated. Our server asked about allergies and we mentioned that our daughter had Celiac. They said due to cross contamination they would NOT be able to serve her. We could eat but she couldn't. I have to assume they were sued in the pst as we have never been refused service due to dietary issues. This review is more of a warning to stay away if you have dietary issues. We were looking forward to try their food too as it was a nice space. read more

I loved this place sooo much! Was solo for a few days and had a beautiful meal upstairs. Real Scottish food but with. A twist. Drinks were fun and plenty of whiskey flights. Affordable yet upscale enough for a date or just fun dinner. read more

The food is absolutely marvellous. Amazing service and a delightful setting just of Edinburghs Royal Mile. Excellent range of whiskies. 1000% recommend read more

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From the name to the location, the ambiance, the food, the service everything was fantastic ! Our server Chevon was friendly, knowledgeable, and totally awesome! Best chips I ever had in The UK ! Chevon suggested a flight of scotch that was perfect, a bartender even came to the table and explained the different scotches and helped me to determine the aromas ! Great place a definite must stop when in Edinburgh!!!!! read more

Fantastic restaurant, a cut well above most of the restaurants in Edinburgh. Great ambiance, with extensive drinks list / we had a whiskey flight, and an old fashioned - and a liquor for desert - all excellent. We had the meat and cheese plate, chicken wings and a few other starters - each unique and well prepared. We had steaks for mains and they were the best sirloin I've had in years. Sticky toffee pudding for desert had clotted cream on it instead of ice cream - cream so buttery it made my mouth cheer with delight. A wonderful evening at a wonderful restaurant! read more

Had a fantastic smoked seafood plate for lunch - everything on the plate was beautifully prepared and tasty - maybe the best smoked salmon I've had in Edinburgh. I was happy to see green stuff on a menu (rare in the UK) like a delicious arugula salad and zucchini/corn fritters. The service was friendly and prompt. I enjoyed the no-alcohol cocktail I chose, and my friends appreciated the beer selection. This restaurant and bar is close to the touristy area but is a high quality and lively respite. read more

We arrived around 2-3 in the afternoon and didn't have to wait for a table upstairs. The staff was super friendly and recommended us dishes to try since we've never eaten in Edinburgh before. We went for the Black Haggis, Fish and Chips, and the Picanha Steak. It was our first time having black haggis and it was super delicious. The texture of the inside was grainy and the batter was super crisp and paired well together The salsa-like salad on the bottom had a good contrast in texture and the light flavor really went well with the haggis. The fish and chips was okay. The piece of fried cod was quite large and the portion size was generous. The batter was crispy and not too salty. The cod was flaky but didn't have much flavor. Since the tartar sauce wasn't too zingy and light in flavor, I think the cod should've had more seasoning. I think the chips really saved this dish. They're a thicker cut of fries (similar to steak fries). The steak was really delicious and cooked perfectly. I think the whiskey dipping sauce they gave really complimented the natural smokiness of the steak. It wasn't too heavy or oily. I recommend getting the steak over the fish and chips as an entree. Had a wonderful time eating at The Devil's Advocate and definitely recommend it to anyone who is visiting Edinburgh. read more

The Devil's Advocate - Black haggis - Wine Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

If a hipster bar and a speakeasy had a baby, this place might be it I just had to come here for the number one rated spot in Edinburgh. I wasn't super hungry so I stopped in for an appetizer and some wine after a day tour. The place is hidden down an alley, which gives it unique character already. I love the atmosphere and decor. I sat in a small booth off from the bar. The lighting is dark, the waiters are as hipster as they come and super friendly! I ordered the soup, which was a courgette and fennel soup - it was divine! I would definitely come back here next time I'm in town. Such a cool spot! read more

Such an excellent (not so) hidden gem in Edinburgh! Tucked away down Advocate's Close, this is such a great little nook - a place to enjoy the charms of the Old Town while hiding out from the crowds that come along with it. I've eaten here a few times, most recently in mid-September. The menu was considerably more expensive than I'd seen it on previous visits: I'm not sure if this was a Festivals hangover or if they figured out they could charge more what they offer. It seemed like a bargain before, and a little over-priced this time at around £100 for two: that's with a shared starter, 2 mains, and a few cocktails. The food is what I think of as high-end gastropub - with twists on some classics. This visit I had a potato soup take on haggis, neeps and tatties. For main, I went for the venison with winter berries, which was cooked perfectly but a little too sweet. I was glad to have ordered fingerling potatoes on the side to balance it out. Where this place really excels is in its mixology. I love a gin martini and this place introduced me to the wonder of Death's Door gin in a martini - really smooth with a hint of vanilla. Though I usually go for clear spirits, this time I had an Encore, a concoction including Japanese whisky, strawberry vermouth, and balsamic glaze which was tangy and delightful. In every cocktail I've had here, each ingredient has really shone. The cocktail menu seems to change seasonally - find one with a couple of ingredients you like and give it a go. All in all the meal I had this time wasn't quite as great as on past visits, but I'll be back. read more

The Devil's Advocate - Table setting & an encore cocktail - Wine Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH