The 32 best restaurants in Edinburgh you need to try

What is it? Relaxed neighbourhood dining and wining at the top of Leith Walk. 

Why go? This low-key but irresistible jaunt from chef Roberta Hall – the mind behind sister resto The Little Chartroom – ticks a hell of a lot of boxes. The vibe is spot on: all industrial Scandi-esque neutrals with lots of light and a healthy hum of chatter and clatter. The food is done to a mouth-wateringly high standard with a pretty reasonable price tag for what you’re getting (£70 per person for a set dinner menu with £45 for paired wines). This is playful, modern cooking, executed with a natural flair.

Time Out tip: Eleanore goes above and beyond to cater for dietaries, so long as you tell them in advance (the same can’t be said for every tasting menu in this list).

What is it? A top-tier fine-dining restaurant where the surroundings are as elegant as the dishes. 

Why go? It’s hard to know where to start with Lyla, Stuart Ralston’s fourth Edinburgh venture: sometimes, you’re left quite literally speechless at the intricacy of it all. Situated in a towering Royal Terrace townhouse which previously housed the late Paul Kitching’s 21212, ingredients are sourced from all over Scotland with a focus on sustainably caught seafood and foraged goods. You’ll leave feeling indulged, of course, but in a chic way, like you’ve just walked into the city after a night at the opera. It won’t come cheap – the ten course tasting menu checks in at £165 per head – but for the standard of service, food and everything in between, it really doesn’t disappoint. 

Time Out tip: Book yourself into one of the luxury upstairs bedrooms and roll directly from dessert into bed.

What is it? Buzzy fine dining restaurant with soothing views over the Water of Leith. 

Why go? Heron has made some serious moves since opening in 2021. It kept its Michelin star in 2024 – chefs Sam Yorke and Tomás Gormley were the youngest in Scotland to receive the recognition – and spotlights farm to table dining, meaning everything on the menu is inconceivably fresh. A-la-carte and two tasting menus are on offer, always changing to reflect the best of the seasons. Think: hand-dived Orkney scallops with blood orange, mackerel with fig leaf and hazelnut, Gubbeen cheese with heather honey. Our mouths are quite literally dribbling at the thought.

What is it? Elaborate dishes in an artistic setting.

Why go? Timberyard nails so many of the requirements for an excellent meal out: expect unusual ingredients and exciting combinations that run from drinks to dessert, plus a hipster vibe. It’s a family-run business, and owner-operators the Radfords – along with their extended team of local growers, breeders, producers and foragers – have you in very safe hands.

Time Out tip: It’s always worth asking the waiter to elaborate on the minimal menu descriptions, as the combinations are often more intriguing than at first glance. 

What is it? A Scandi-style restaurant offering up creative modern cooking. 

Why go? Scott Smith’s latest Edinburgh venture Fhior – that’s Gaelic for ‘true’ or ‘honest’ – certainly lives up to its name. Their ambitious use of foraged ingredients and local produce is one that pays off across every dish on their seven or ten-course menu. You won’t know what you’re getting until you’re served, but trust us, everything here is exquisite – even the palate-cleanser, which, when we ate, colour-matched the drinks pairing to a tee, and the petit fours, which were crafted with such care they could have been in a museum. And there’s even something to take home: yes, a menu, handed to you in a mysterious envelope at the end.

Time Out tip: Fancy splurging out? Add a drinks pairing to your meal for £80 for seven courses or £110 for ten.

What is it? A neo-bistro with an intense focus on seasonal ingredients. 

Why go? Chef Stuart Ralston and front of house supremo Krystal Goff opened Aizle in 2014 pursuing the concept of ‘bistronomy’: fresh local food and informal surroundings, but with the kind of tasting menu you’d expect in a much swankier environment. The team have now moved into the Garden Room at The Kimpton Charlotte Square. But their tried and tested concept remains the same, with a board detailing the latest ingredients Ralston will use to rustle up your six-course blowout.

Time Out tip: On the wall there is a board of the latest ingredients that will make up your meal for the evening; you tell the waiting staff which you would prefer to avoid, if any.

What is it? With a focus on local, foraged ingredients (the chefs are ex-Wedgwood; see below), this snug yet slick restaurant offers quality dining without the stuffiness.

Why go? This new couple-owned bistro may have only opened in August 2024 but it is already making serious noise among Edinburgh foodies. As a calmly stripped-back dining room in the student-heavy area of Marchmont, the set dinner menu changes daily – and you really can feel the care that goes into every dish you eat. When I went, highlights included a plate of gorgeous succulent scallops with caramelised onions (a combo I didn’t know I needed), jerusalem artichoke with creamy crowdie and crow garlic, and the star of the show: a piping-hot melt-in-your-mouth cheddar beignet with mountains of fluffy cheese shavings. They do variety here, and they do it damn well. Flavours are rich, dishes are interesting, and the whole thing is served up with a friendly, local vibe. Very nice.

Time Out tip: If you’re looking for a treat without breaking the bank, they offer a very reasonable three-course lunch menu for £35 a head.

What is it? Exciting fine-dining with a late-night mood – and none of the chin-stroking you’d expect from a 16-course taster menu. 

Why go? Cardinal is the latest venture from chef Tomás Gormley: one of the minds behind Leith’s Michelin-starred Heron and the more recent opening, Skua in a Stockbridge. Here, the staff are super laid-back, Honey Dijon and Jamie XX soundtrack the background, and the drinks pairing, which seemed to have an emphasis on female producers and biodynamic numbers, is gorgeously curated. All of this makes the extensive (to say at the least) 16-courses feel accessible, or at least less wanky. Boldly thought out and innovative, the food itself is, for the most part, divine. If you’re after a meal which doubles as a night out, this is the place for you.

Time Out tip: They also offer a more concise tasting menu available on select days for lunch and dinner.  

What is it? Neon-lit Japanese-inspired food joint on Broughton Street, which also does banging cocktails. 

Why go? If you’ve got a craving for gyoza, bao buns, or that specific umami kick that only soy or miso can satisfy, then this is the place for you. Created by the team behind Bodega and with the kitchen headed up by ex-Gardener’s Cottage chef Duncan Adamson, Lucky Yu offers specialty dumplings, yakitori, natual wines and much more, all served up in sleek, understated surroundings. Oh, and did we mention how frustratingly cool the clientelle are? Yeah, that too. 

What is it? A neighbourhood bistro serving up local, seasonal dishes. 

Why go? Named for the owners’ passion for sailing, The Little Chartroom is a much talked-about addition to Edinburgh’s dining scene and one that actually lives up to the hype. Dishes are modern but pay homage to traditional Scottish flavours and cooking. The Little Chartroom’s new premises are at 14 Bonnington Road (formerly Martin Wishart’s cook school).

Time Out tip: Check out the team’s second venture, Eleanore, in the space formerly occupied by the original venue on Leith Walk. It’s a restaurant and wine bar with a menu that is sophisticated, fresh and delightfully simple.