Where to eat in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, in Scotland, is such a beautiful city. Steeped in history and with stunning architecture and tons of culture, Edinburgh is a brilliant city to visit. It’s also a great city for those who love their food! Boasting 7 Michelin-starred restaurants (one of which is featured in this post) and family-run and independent restaurants serving seasonal, locally produced food – you’ll be spoiled for choice. Here’s where to eat in Edinburgh.

Hakata-Ya

If you love Japanese food then head to Hakata-Ya. Tucked away just behind Princes Street on Rose Street, you’ll find this cozy, authentic Japanese restaurant – which has been around since 2007. And if you like sake, you’re in for a treat as they do sake tasting flights as well as a sake tasting menu where they will pair your food with sake!

Chef and owner, Tang-Qun, left a head chef position at one of London’s leading Sushi restaurants to travel to Fukuoka in Japan, with his wife Yoshi, to learn how to make authentic ramen. He loved it so much that he wanted to learn from the best so that when he opened his own restaurant, he was serving it as authentically as it should be.

I didn’t order the ramen, sadly, but I had the chicken Japchae (potato) noodles, which were delicious and served piping hot. The portion was big too! Hakata-Ya is a great little restaurant for delicious Japanese food at an affordable price.

The Dome

The Dome is an Edinburgh institution. It’s located in the former Commercial Bank of Scotland on George Street and the building dates back to 1844 – a real piece of Edinburgh history. When you step inside, it’s very grand – even the toilets are impressive! As well as the main restaurant, The Grill Room, they also have The Club Room which serves brunch, the Georgian Tea Room upstairs serving Afternoon Tea, and the Front Bar if you just fancy a drink.

We were booked into the Grill Room for dinner – 8 of us in total – and started with a drink at the bar located in the Grill Room itself. The bar is absolutely stunning!

I can’t say my husband and I were too impressed with our starters. I had the West Coast Scottish Mussels with cider, creamed leeks and bacon. Whilst the sauce was nice, the mussels themselves were fairly small and not very plump and I just didn’t think the bacon was necessary at all. My husband had the beef carpaccio and he said it was fairly average. Our mains, however were excellent. My husband had the ribeye steak with fries, which was perfectly cooked. I had the lamp rump with potato terrine, braised cabbage, sweetbread and a wild garlic jus – delicious!

Everyone else in our party seemed really happy with their food. We had a lovely meal at The Dome and I really recommend it for a unique setting in a truly historic building. The restaurant and bar is gorgeous and really special and the service was good, although it could’ve been slightly more attentive.

Chaophraya

Chaophraya is a Thai restaurant located just off Princes Street. It’s actually a small chain of restaurants with locations in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leeds and a few more. I went for dinner one night with my cousin and his wife as they’ve been a few times and love it.

I was having such a great time that I totally forgot to take any pictures of the food! But trust me, as a lover of Thai food, the food was great. If I’m honest, the service could’ve been a bit better as it was a bit slow. However, they were really busy that night and they gave us a free drink to make up for it. If you’re looking for Thai food in Edinburgh, with a great rooftop view of Edinburgh Castle, head to Chaophraya.

Kenji Sushi

If you fancy delicious sushi, head to Kenji Sushi in Stockbridge. It’s a basement restaurant, located on Deanhaugh Street and just a short walk from picturesque Dean Village. I absolutely loved the design! It honestly reminded me of being in Japan.

We ordered the pumpkin croquettes, served with a homemade BBQ sauce, which were absolutely delicious! Probably the best I’ve ever had.

We then had avocado maki and Calfornia Rolls, which were so fresh and well made. They were beautifully presented too, and I loved the little soy sauce teapot jug.

My husband wanted to order the chicken katsu curry, which I’m normally not a big fan of but it was so good! I absolutely loved it. The chicken was perfectly fried and the katsu sauce wasn’t too sweet. Very yummy!

We had a fabulous lunch at Kenji Sushi. The food is excellent and I love how they source their ingredients from local farmer’s markets – so it’s always seasonal and fresh. If you’re a wine drinker, note that the wine is pretty limited.

Fishers Leith

Fishers Leith is set in a 17th century watchtower on Leith Shore. It’s been open for 20 years and is still winning awards – and for good reason, as it’s great! They also have a location in the city, on Thistle Street.

They have three dining areas – the round room and bar, the restaurant, and outdoor tables in the summer months. We were seated in the restaurant, which has lots of natural light from the big windows and you can also see the open kitchen.

For our starters we ordered the Shetland Mussels, steamed in white wine, cream and garlic and the Fishers Fishcakes. The mussels were the best I’ve had in a long time! Fat and juicy! And the sauce was fabulous. Of course we had to have bread to mop it all up with.

The fishcakes were amazing too. And I’m glad we ordered the small portion as it was big enough to share along with the mussels. The garlic and herb mayonnaise was super yummy and worked really well with the fishcake.

For our mains we both ordered the Whole Shetland Lemon Sole with Cafe de Paris butter and garlic potatoes. However we asked for chips instead of potatoes and swapped the sauce because it had chives in it. We hate chives!

The fish was perfectly cooked, however we would’ve preferred that they had added something else to the butter – like chopped up the parsley, for example. We obviously can’t really criticise the dish as it’s not the sauce it should’ve come with but we did think they could’ve swapped it with something a bit more inventive than just butter. The hand cut chips were great!

We really loved our meal at Fishers Leith and would definitely return – especially for those mussels! The restaurant is charming, the service was warm and attentive and the food was wonderful.

Kora by Tom Kitchin

Update – sadly Kora closed its doors in Feb 2025.

Can’t get a reservation at The Kitchin in Leith? Head to Kora by Tom Kitchin instead! It may not have a Michelin star but you’re in for the same high standards and wonderful food and service. Located in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh, Kora is very much a neighbourhood restaurant.

Kora describes itself as a ‘nature to plate’ restaurant, and showcases the best of seasonal Scottish produce, which is sustainably sourced. As expected, the food was fabulous. I love it when there are dishes on a menu that I’ve never heard of. Like the Pithivier of Castle game Sika deer with beetroot. Not only was it delicious, it looked amazing.

My starter of pumpkin tortellini was incredible. My Italian husband was skeptical but then tasted it and said it was amazing – and it was. The presentation was pretty theatrical too! Kora is an excellent choice for an exceptional meal in Edinburgh that won’t break the bank.

Noto

Noto is definitely one for the foodies! It may not have a Michelin star (yet) but it has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Chef-owner Stuart was inspired by his time in New York (literally one of my favourite cities and one with amazing restaurants) and named the restaurant after his NYC room-mate and friend, Bob Noto.

The dishes are influenced by global cuisine but there’s often a focus on Asian flavours. The menu is designed to be small, sharing plates. We ordered seven dishes between us and it was plenty! The food is really exceptional. I loved everything I ate. The anster, mushroom & truffle croquettes were so good, we ordered a second portion. Addictive!

A top tip though, book a table rather than the bar. We thought the bar would be more like a counter where you watch the chefs cook but nope… it’s a bar! And it’s separated from the restaurant so not the most ideal place to be seated for eating.

The Ship on the Shore

Leith is such a vibrant area in Edinburgh and definitely not one to be missed! One restaurant that is great – especially when the weather is good – is The Ship on the Shore. I’ve been here many times for lunch with my family and it never disappoints.

Describing themselves as a seafood restaurant and champagne bar, they pride themselves on using the freshest ingredients and seafood, which arrives daily from sustainable sources. Their fish and chips is delicious with the perfect crispy batter. And of course if you’re visiting from abroad, you simply have to order fish and chips – it’s a national dish!

As a seafood restaurant, there is of course a focus on fish and seafood. But there are also some vegetarian and non-seafood options too on the menu. It’s a great restaurant serving excellent food in a lovely setting.

The Witchery

I have to admit, it has been many years since I ate at The Witchery (hence no photos) but it is an absolute institution in Edinburgh and definitely one to add to your list. Housed in a Medieval building just near the gates of Edinburgh Castle, stepping inside the Witchery is like stepping back in time. The restaurant has been around since 1979 and its name comes from the hundreds of men and women who were burned at the stakes, as witches, on Castlehill during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The decor is very opulent and sumptuous. It definitely feels like you’re stepping back in history when you enter as it’s very atmospheric. As well as lunch and dinner, you can also go for Afternoon Tea. The food at The Witchery is fine dining, with prices to match.

Timberyard

If you’re looking to splash the cash on a fancy Michelin-starred meal then book a table at Timberyard. Situated behind Edinburgh Castle, Timberyard is a modern, family-run restaurant which is set in an old warehouse, dating back to the 19th century. We’ve been for both lunch and dinner and both times we went it was fantastic. But it is very pricey.

Like the decor, the food is modern and seasonal. They pride themselves on being ingredient-led and using local, artisan suppliers. When we first visited, they had an à la carte menu but now you choose between a tasting menu or a five course menu (at dinner) or three courses (at lunch).

A meal at Timberyard is a special experience and definitely one to book if you’re treating yourself or celebrating a special occasion.

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