Old Town Restaurants
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Restaurants in Edinburgh's Old Town
Restaurants in the Old Town | Restaurants in the New Town | South Edinburgh Restaurants | Restaurants in Edinburgh's West End | Restaurants in Leith | Guide to Restaurants in Scotland
Expensive
Iggs, 15 Jeffrey St, Tel: 5578184. Superb Spanish restaurant which has recently expanded to include a new tapas bar,
Barioja, next door. Serves the best tapas in town at lunch, then in the evening changes to a contemporary Scottish restaurant with a formidable reputation. Open Mon-Sat 1200-1430, 1800-2230.
Librizzi's, 22a Nicolson St, Tel: 6681997. At the lower end of this category and great value. If you like Italian food, especially fish, there are few, if any, better places to eat. Open Mon-Sat 1200-1400, 1730-2300.
The Tower, Museum of Scotland, Chambers St, Tel: 2253003. Still the place to be seen amongst the corporate set, and recent reports of pretentious service can't detract from superb Scottish menu and magnificent views across the city skyline from the rooftop terrace. No smoking. Open daily 1200-2300.
The Witchery by the Castle, 352 Castlehill, Tel: 2255613. Dining doesn't get much more atmospheric than here in one of Edinburgh's finest, on the Royal Mile. Downstairs, in a converted schoolyard, is the impossibly romantic
Secret Garden, a real hidden gem. Both restaurants share the same glorious Scottish menu. This was formerly a meeting place for Satanists, so go on, be a devil. Open daily 1200-1600, 1730-2330.
Mid Range
Bann's UK, 5 Hunter Sq, Tel: 2261112. Just off the Royal Mile by the Tron Kirk. A popular street performance place during the festival so perfect for an al fresco lunch. Busy but laid-back and offering an adventurous range of dishes. Great value. Open daily 1000-2300.
Black Bo's, 57-61 Blackfriars St, Tel: 5576136. Vegetarian restaurant that is one of the city's truly great culinary experiences. So good even the most fanatical carnivore might even give up meat. Supremely imaginative use of various fruits gives the exotically delicious dishes a real splash of colour. Their lunch is superb value at under £10. The bar next door serves the same food. Open Mon-Sat 1200-1400, 1800-2230, Sun 1800-2230.
Bleu, 36-38 Victoria St, Tel: 2261900. No traditional separate courses here, just a wide range of truly delicious French tapas dishes, guaranteed to set the taste buds tingling. There's another branch in Union St, opposite the Playhouse. Open daily 0900 till late.
Creelers, 3 Hunter Sq, Tel: 2204447. Wonderfully fresh seafood and a great location beside the Tron church, with outdoor seating in the summer. You can push the boat out in the more formal restaurant at the rear or save your pennies in the busy bistro at the front, where the cheap 2-course lunch is great value. Open Mon-Thu 1200-1430, 1730-2230, Fri/Sat till 2300, Sun 1730-2230.
The Dial, 44-46 George IV Bridge, Tel: 2257179. Basement restaurant that is as notable for its cool design as for its top-notch modern Scottish cuisine. Menu features some old favourites as well as more unusual Caledonian culinary incarnations. Open Mon-Sat 1200-1500, 1800-2300, Sun 1200-1500, 1900-2300.
The Doric Tavern, 15/16 Market St, Tel: 2251084. Very near Waverley station. Upstairs bistro offering great food and the perfect place to while away an entire afternoon without realizing the time. Open Mon-Sat 1200-0100, Sun 1230-0100.
Dubh Prais, 123b High St, Tel: 5575732. Small basement restaurant in the heart of the Royal Mile offering the best of traditional Scottish cooking, as well as more contemporary innovations. Dinner is à la carte, but you can enjoy a two-course set lunch for a tenner. Open Tue-Sat 1200-1400, 1830-2230.
Le Sept, 7 Old Fishmarket Close, Tel: 2255428. Down a steep, cobbled close off the High Street below St Giles. This lively little restaurant is famed for its superb crêpes but also has a 3-course set menu offering good French bistro-type food. Separate no smoking room. Open Mon-Thu 1200-1345, 1800-2200, Fri 1200-2300, Sat 1200-2230, Sun 1200-2130.
Nicolsons, 6a Nicolson St, Tel: 5574567. Large, airy bistro, done out in 1930s Art Deco style and attracting a hip crowd as well as the occasional Harry Potter aficionado (JK Rowling used to come here to write when it was a humble café). Mediterranean-style with a Far Eastern tinge. Open Mon-Fri 1200-1500, 1700-2300, Sat/Sun 1200-2400.
Pancho Villas, 240 Canongate, Tel: 5574416. Ay, Chihuahua! If you want to stuff yourself on the finest Mexican food and have a fun time in the process, then look no further. Open Mon-Thu 1200-1430, 1800-2230, Fri 1200-2230, Sat 1200-2300, Sun 1800-2230.
Petit Paris, 38-Vi40 Grassmarket, Tel: 2262442. Francophiles will fall in love with this place. Everything about it is French to the core, especially the superb food. BYOB Sun-Thu (£2 corkage). Open daily 1200-1500, 1730 till late.
Polo Fusion, 503 The Lawnmarket, Tel: 6627722. Specializes in fusion cooking (some might say confusion), which is very much the flavour of the month. This combines different flavours and ingredients from around the globe to create wonderfully original tastes. Substantial portions and a lively atmosphere. Open Mon-Thu 1200-1400, 1800-2200, Fri/Sat till 2230.
Suruchi, 14a Nicolson St, Tel: 5566583. Opposite the Festival Theatre and upstairs. A cut above the average curry house offering varied southern Indian cuisine with a strong vegetarian emphasis. Their set lunch and pre-theatre dinner are particularly good value. Menu is written in Scots, which some might find amusing and others simply tiresome. Open Mon-Sat 1200-1400, 1730-2330, Sun 1730-2330. Viva
Mexico, 41 Cockburn St, Tel: 2265145. T his Mexican restaurant has been around longer than most and it's easy to see why. Definitely one of the top two in town. Open Mon-Sat 1200-1430, 1830-2230, Sun 1830-2200.
Cheap
Baracoa, 7 Victoria St, Tel: 2255846. Cuban bar/restaurant offering two-for-the- price-of-one meals before 1900 and various cheap drink deals. Fantastic value and a lively spot, especially early evening. Open daily 1100-0100.
Gordon's Trattoria, 231 High St, Tel: 2257992. Great value Italian food, which is why it's so popular. Great for people-watching in summer when tables spill out onto the street. Open Sun-Thu 1200-2400, Fri and Sat till 0300.
Helio's Fountain, 7 Grassmarket, Tel: 2297884. Small, self-service veggie café founded on Steiner principles. Good for an economical lunch or just a quiet break from the hustle and bustle. No smoking. Open Mon-Sat 1000-1800, Sun 1200-1700.
Kebab Mahal, 7 Nicolson Square, Tel: 6675214. No frills halal café-takeaway serving good kebabs and curries for under a fiver. No alcohol served on premises. Open daily 1200-2400, Fri/Sat till 0200.
Khushi's, 16 Drummond St, Tel: 5568996. The city's first ever Indian restaurant has been serving simple, tasty curries to poor students for many decades. Basic decor but great value. Several vegetarian options. BYOB and no corkage charge. Open Mon-Thu 1200-1430, 1700-2030, Fri/Sat till 2100.