Hi all,

im looking to treat the GF when we go to edinburgh in March and i want to take her to a good restaurant. we're staying near princes street so are there any good places nearby?

any help would be very much appreciated

ta

Ben

Tons.

The Tower at the Museum of Scotland is good.

The Witchery if you really want to push the boat out.

Stay away from the High Street.

I really like the Room in the Town and the Room in the West End at the nice but don't need a third mortgage end of the market.

Bells

Cheap and cheerful but get a reservation.

If looking for something during the day try The Broughton Deli. Great food and quite reasonable (my fiancee cooks the food).

A few down in Leith as well. Martin Wisharts has michelin stars, The shore used to be very good but I have not been for a while.

The ship and the kings wark have been decent in the past. Fishers again has been very good but I have not been recently.

For an informal, inexpensive good meal try The Dogs.

Bit more pricey is the Grain Store on Victoria St.

There are nice restaurants in Leith – Ship on the Shore is our current favourite. Its only a 10 minute bus from Princes St and a different atmosphere to Princes St / Royal Mile etc.

You didn't mention vegetarian, but if you are go to David Bann's.

To be honest I found the Witchery to be a bit disappointing. It was big on atmosphere but I thought it was cramped and too dark to read the menu properly. To be fair though my opinion was probably coloured from having eaten at No 1 at the Balmoral the night before which was much much better for not that much more money.

Heading down into Leith youve got Diner 7. Quite trendy but the food is good.

Also Bigos.

some good suggestions thanks, ive never been to edinburgh before so i appreciate the help.

the witchery – looks excellent but ever so slightly expensive!

2nd The Dogs and David Bann's.

Vintners is probably the finest restaurant I've eaten in.

I'd avoid The Witchery – everyone I know has been disappointed by it, although the décor is something else! (in a good way). The restaurant next door at the Whisky Experience is good, though.

I've been to Oloroso (on Castle Street, just off Princes Street) a couple of times and it's pretty good.

The Wichery/Atrium I've been to a few times (with customers usually) and never been all that impressed.

When I'm paying then The Apartment is a favourite – fun menu, not too expensive and good food.

I too was a tad disappointed with the witchery. My seafood platter main wasn't the best tasting I have ever had, and the staff were keen to kick us out to get the table back.

If you like seafood, try Cafe Royal or Fishers, but near Princes Street.

Someone mentioned the Dogs – I'd definitely recommend going there for lunch the day after your meal (to the upstairs place). You can book or turn up if you are going early. (We went at 12 yesterday without a reservation, but normally it is pretty busy). There is a new restaurant downstairs called 'Dogs Amore'. Looks like a fancier more formal version of the Dogs, so might be good for dinner.

Second the Tower at the museum of scotland, it's a cracking venue

I once spent a very entertaining and slightly surreal night in there with a load of lovies and two 6ft 4 transvestites. Think it was the premier of Tears of the Black Tiger but i can't rightly remember that much

I'd also say Oloroso. Only been once, but it was really good. Good service as well as food.

Incidentally, dont venture near Rose Street or anything owned/run by Heritage Portfolio as they're evil.

There is a new restaurant downstairs called 'Dogs Amore'. Looks like a fancier more formal version of the Dogs, so might be good for dinner.

The Dogs Amore is an Italian version of The Dogs – simple cheap food. Only been once but wasn't massively impressed. Not much effort had been put into the flavours, just basic Italian food dished out. Their concept doesn't work so well away from traditional food & ingredients.

Here's The Dogs and there's a link to Amore Dogs on there.

Loads of good suggestions.

A great Chinese restaurant for Dim Sum on a weekend lunch time is Saigon Saigon, which is just off Princes St / St Andrews Sq. It looks fairly generic, and has one of those dodgy Chinese buffets, but if you ask for the Dim Sum menu you'll be impressed. Very popular with Chinese folk for this reason.

The Outhouse is a fav of mine on the Bridges.

I realy like the home bistro….good food at a very reasonable price.

Kushis Diner is good – take your own booze or buy from the pub next door and take in. Pub is called The Blind Poet.

Across the street is The Mosque Kitchen – good food and much cheapness.

Forget the name of the street but it's near Nicholson Square and the University – Appleton Tower.

The best main course I've ever eaten was in Petit Paris, now called L'escargot Blanc, on Queensferry St. (branch also in Grassmarket).
The Outsider on the Bridges is very good too, esp. if you get a table overlooking the Castle.

The Outsider on the Bridges is very good too, esp. if you get a table overlooking the Castle.

The Outsider is a sister reseraunt to The Apartment and it's probably better from a location point of view. We tend to use the Apartment as it's convenient for the theatres on Lothian Road. Both are good though, and it's an interesting & varied menu.

+1 for Petit Paris. Not fancy decor, but great food, served by genuine French waiters. Snails and veal are both great there.

My favourite place in the whole of Edinburgh is La Garrigue on Jeffrey Street. Very good food (SW French cooking) and impeccible service.

A Room In The Town and West End are good and is BYOB which keeps the cost down (if you get wine from Oddbins they don't even charge corkage IIRC).

Other favorites for us are Cafe Marleyne (on Thistle Street) – French, Barioja on Jeffrey Street (Tapas), the Outsider on George IV bridge. Dogs is OK, not amazing and service and food are a bit random – like half decent home cooking rather than a restaurant meal. Wouldn't go there for a special meal.

Indian – Ghandis on East Fountainbridge is excellent and Kushis Diner also very good.

For brunch I'd recommend Urban Angel (eggs benedict mmmmmmmm!) – very hard to beat that to clear the head.

Have a look at thelist.co.uk for reviews, as ever take the comments with a pinch of salt though.

EDIT – for veggie, David Bann is exceptional. La Garrigue has recently owned a sister restauarant, L'Artichaut, which is apparently very good too but haven't eaten there.

For brunch I'd recommend Urban Angel (eggs benedict mmmmmmmm!) – very hard to beat that to clear the head.

Toast in Marchmont is also good for Sunday brunch, including eggs benedict.

Grain Store without a doubt. I proposed there and got a yes so I'm pretty sure it'll suffice. 🙂

I asked the same question last year and based on the recommendations I chose First Coast on Dalry Road. Very nice indeed – informal, reasonably priced and first class food.

I proposed to the SO over the main course and she said yes so must have been fairly good!

Kushi's hasn't been the same since the old place burned down, still good food mind but not on the same level… And not such a nice venue either. I was seriously impressed by David Bann's, superb and inventive food but also the service was phenomenal, though the quality of the main courses seemed a wee bit variable. It gains a lot for the novelty value but it'd be worth it even without that.

I like Amber, just next to the Witchery (part of the Scotch Whisky Experience). Supper was served with your own whisky taster who suggests different drams for different courses.

Another vote for Fishers – the Thai restaurant across the road from it is good as well.

Witchery good to impress American Clients, but would not go myself as said above a tad overpriced.

Tower is good.

Contrary to most above, The Witchery was much better than I expected it to be.

Very good food, above average service, really special atmosphere and quite reasonably priced.

That was about three years ago though.