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.

What a great place for some good food- gin forward drinks were great and they have a lunch special…read morefor 20 pounds - seasonal soups and great food options We started with focaccia and olive oil I had the mushroom soup and the pea and asparagus risotto/ others had the salmon / fish soup Would definitely return Vegetarian friendly

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. ;)

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.

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.

I went to this restaurant looking forward to a great experience and it was not there. There was…read moreanother name of a restaurant and I could not find it. I went around the entire building twice looking for it and then ended up going to another restaurant. I think it went out of business?

The menu has enough choice to give even the pickiest of eaters something to love, however it is…read morelimited enough to prevent the indecisive from spending time unable to choose a dish. We had such a fab time here, and the entire table loved their meal - the beef was our favourite dish. The only thing to be wary of is to make sure you request a table on the ground floor and not up the staircase, if you have mobility issues.

We are here tonight on our first night in Edinburgh and loved it. I actually messed up a…read morereservation somewhere else (Not used to seeing two times on a reservation.) and we came upon Angels with Bagpipes. After the other restaurant (named for the Devil, oddly enough) was ridiculously rude, but the staff at Angels with Bagpipes was wonderful! The drinks were great, the food was incredible and probably the best meal we've had the entire time in the UK. We had a crab appetizer and bread. Then for the main course the kids both had the filet, I had the chicken dish and my husband had a carrot risotto. I almost never eat chicken out at a restaurant but this was so tender! Everything on the plate went together very well. My husband loved his risotto too and I agree it was delicious. I hope you can make a trip to this restaurant when visiting Edinburgh. Truly angels in the kitchen and with the staff.

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.

Delicious food in a very cozy upstairs space with great service. I had the venison, which was…read morecooked perfectly and served on a bed of greens and beets with a horseradish purée. I usually dislike beets but this combo really worked! My friend got the polenta, which was also very good and filling, and we shared the shoestring fries. All in all, a wonderful meal with friendly service. They have a weekday lunch special, which we would definitely return for.

The Perch offered us the ideal dinner. We were visiting Edinburgh, were hungry but it was late and…read morewe wanted some comfort food. And that is exactly what we got! Fish and chips were delicious, and perfectly prepared. My daughter had a burger and loved it. Service was excellent too!

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!

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.

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.

So this is actually one of my favorite places to eat dinner in Edinburgh. I know that the city is…read morefull of incredible restaurants, but I've just got a soft spot in my heart for this one (probably because it was the very first place I ever ate at my first visit to Scotland). I've sat inside (which has a really cozy pub feel) and outside (taking in all the sights and sounds of the Royal Mile). I've made a reservation, I've also just walked in. I've had good service, great service, and really exceptional service. But one thing remains the same: I *always* get the Vegetarian Haggis Tower with mash, turnip, and whiskey sauce (it's probably my favorite veggie haggis in Edinburgh; and that cream whiskey sauce? could drink it!), a side of garlicky chips, sticky toffee pudding, whisky, Irn Bru, and a cider. It's a must meal for me anytime in the city.

This place is no longer open. And for some reason google maps shows it down the ally way behind…read morewhere it looks like it used to be. So don't bother going looking for it. It's not there.