I usually avoid restaurants in touristy areas, and despite being on the tourist-congested Victoria…read moreStreet, I had to stop into Bertie's on a friend's recommendation (and was surprised by how much I liked it!). The Lemon & Herb Baked Fish was so flavorful and juicy. I tried a Deep Fried Mars Bar for the first time and loved it (I don't know what it reminds me of, but it's crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and hot enough to burn the top of your mouth). The star was definitely the Breaded Haddock. I've had fish and chips around the UK for much cheaper, but at a slightly higher price point you get a perfectly crispy piece of fish with double-fried chips. It's really more about the experience of being in a posh fish shop. It's packed with tourists, so you'll be handed a map of the city at the end -- which I found to be pretty funny given I was living in Edinburgh at the time and came with another local. But it's charming and certainly worth a visit.

i could rave about this place for hours. stumbled into here with my friends on our week long trip…read more we were jet lagged and tired from a day of walking. this first thing was that they are three floors tall and include an elevator for accessibility. the second was that they had fully closed bathroom stalls, each equipped with a sink and were very clean. they also had an accessible AND gender neutral toilet. the overall vibe of the place was fun and they had a lot of space with many tables. for the food, they had a key with all possible allergens, and showed which foods included them or not. the first thing we were asked was if there were any allergies in the party. as someone with many allergies, this was amazing. the wait staff was wonderful and very friendly. the food came quick and was so delicious. we had a few drinks, i got the cider, and they were all so good. we have since then gone again during our week in edinburgh and i am so glad we did.

It was very hot made to order, very crisp. Not bad but have had better. Batter had a tendency to…read morefall off the fish. Chips were good.

I stumbled upon Benes while searching for the best chippy to get my deep-fried fix in. In good ol'…read moreScottish fashion, they deep-fry just about anything you can imagine: fish, chicken nuggets, pies, haggis, sausage, ribs, pizza, and so on. You get the point. One item that's not listed on their menu, although it really ought to be, is the deep-fried Mars bar. According to MyFitnessPal, this tiny snack will tax your body a whopping 600 calories! Worth only £2.50 a piece, it probably deserves a medal for such a stellar calorie-to-price ratio.

Franco's is a reliable chip shop in Newington, an area that is really lacking in good chip shops…read more It always seems to be open at the right times when I need chips (mainly after a night drinking), so it sort of represents light at the end of the tunnel for me when walking home in the cold, wet Edinburgh nights. The chips are great, and very good value at £1.50 for a regular portion. Most places charge £2, so this sets Franco's apart for me. Of course, the place also serves burgers, fish, sausages etc. All the things you expect from a chip shop. And the quality is good. Food is not left out for long periods of time and so is not soggy and tasteless. I've had only good experiences. Service is quick and friendly, prices are good, food is good. I'll be back.

This is a great fish and chip shop and a firm favourite! Consistently good food and service. The…read morehaddock supper is generously portioned, and cooked fresh so the batter is crispy and the fish moist. They do offer a much wider range of takeaway items such as pizza and kebabs. Which always look good, so I will be back to try!

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.

I was stuck in a week of snow in Edinburgh a few years ago and found this gem just a few blocks…read moredown from my hotel. I have eaten in many fine establishments all over the world and back home in the USA and I must admit that this was the best plate of fish and chips I have EVER had. I still think of it to this day. The kind people of Edinburgh, the beauty of the snowfall at that time of year and the amazing fish n chips made the time spent well worth it.

Fantastic local experience! As an American, I'm certainly not an expert on proper fish and chips,…read morebut this is exactly what I expected, including kind of an insider vibe on ordering, paying, and getting the add-ons and experience. Highly recommend!!

I don't know why I went back, but I did…read more I should have re-read my previous review to remind me how absolutely horrible the food here is. It's dripping in fat it's chewy (are chips meant to be chewy?) and the staff eye you up suspiciously. I felt like a criminal.

best chippy I've had in a long time! service was amazing. the lovely couple making it a great…read moreexperience.

Excellent pizza!!! Very friendly family run staff. This place was busy with locals who you could…read moretell loved the food, prices and the service. If you are in the area you must stop by for great pizza.

This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me. The Golden Bite has ruined fish and chips for…read moreme forever. Because I will never - EVER - find a fish supper superior, or perhaps even equal, to the one I had this weekend from the Golden Bite. I travelled to Portobello with Moray L on the express mission of trying the legendary Bite Of Gold after reading Justin G's review, and we were the first ones in when the doors opened at 16:45. The man who greeted us over the counter could not have been happier if he had been a dog in a field full of squirrels. It doesn't seem an exaggeration to say that I suspect frying fish has been his lifelong passion. Because we were so early, we got the first haddock to go into the fryer - clean, white haddock of gobsmacking, Jonah-swallowing proportions which the chap wobbled at us playfully before setting about the battering and frying. At this point - minutes after the doors opened - the shop filled. I mean it properly filled. I know not how many of these were pilgrims like us, and how many were locals, but it's clear that the reputation of The Golden Bite's fish suppers is widely renowned. I was reaching five stars simply from the cleanliness, the rich frying smell, and the chap's jollity before I'd even put anything in my mouth, and when a small girl entered and he pulled down a teddy bear to wave at her, I was smitten with the place entirely. But the food. The food. The proof of the poisson is in the eating. Oh. My. Wrapped lovingly in paper and carried down reverently to the seafront for consumption, these piscine Midas fillets were battered to crispy perfection, but still with the softer underside that makes a fish supper truly sensational. The chips - proper chip shop chips - were glorious and plentiful, but not so numerous as to prevent one from finishing the lustrous, luscious fishywishy that so enchanted both me and Moray. I need to go back. No, you don't understand. I NEED to go back. Now. And I don't think I will ever love a fish supper in quite the same way that I love the Golden Bite's.

A great chip shop that can be found in the Main Street in Portobello…read more Run by Italian husband and wife team serving freshly prepared pizzas, jacket potatoes, I even spotted a battered ribeye steak in the hot display cabinet as well as the famous fish and chips that are cooked to order, for me that is a really good sign of a well run chip shop where the food is fresh and not sitting in a hot box for ages. Crispy batter and cooked just right. I did notice that a plastic sheet A5 size was placed on top of the fish to stop it from sticking to the paper what a great idea, this shop is a must for anyone passing by

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!