Hayley Scott

Scotland punches well above its weight when it comes to culinary excellence, and Edinburgh is no exception to that rule. This city is home to some of the most exciting chefs in the country and offers everything from theatrical fine-dining concepts to pimped-up sandwich shops, laid-back neighbourhood joints to wine bars and small plates.  For our August 2025 update, we welcomed newcomer Ardfern to our top five, the latest venture from the guys behind Eleanore, and a glowing review of the Palmerston landed it firmly in second place on our list. But of course, this guide wouldn’t be complete without shouting about the old classics, including New York-style pizza to cracking curries, super-fresh seafood and innovative plant-based dining. Ready to eat? Here are the best restaurants in Edinburgh right now.  📍 Discover our ultimate guide to restaurants in Edinburgh 🏨 Ready to book? Check out our guide to Edinburgh’s best hotels and best Airbnbs Edited by Time Out’s deputy UK editor Chiara Wilkinson, who is from Edinburgh. Restaurant reviews by local writers. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

Edinburgh in 2025: Well, we don’t need to say it, do we? Soon, Edinburgh will be in the midst of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025. Its official dates this year are August 1 to 25, but you’ll find brilliant cultural things to see and do here throughout the summer, and some Fringe shows will even start early in July. But as ever, there are plenty of reasons to visit this wonderful city, all year round. Read on for our ultimate guide.  Hayley Scott: ‘I grew up in Edinburgh and I still can’t get enough. Years spent living elsewhere have made me increasingly appreciative of the city, but it’s hard to pin point exactly where its charm lies. There’s its small size, making it extremely walkable (provided you aren’t afraid of some rain and the occasional hill), and there’s its rich and well-preserved history, meaning parts of the city feel otherworldly, even to someone who calls it home. Growing up I would wander the botanic gardens feeding bread to the squirrels, and now I stroll the cobbled streets via wine bars, restaurants and – depending on the time of night – chippies. Ready to walk, drink, dance and all the rest of it? Get your waterproof on and explore.’ 📍 RECOMMENDED: Ultimate guide to what to do in Edinburgh ✈️ The best weekend breaks from London What free things are there to do in Edinburgh? Plenty. A number of our top museums have free entry year-round, including the National Museum of Scotland, the National Gallery, the Portrait Gallery and the Modern. But it’s not ju

You’ll find Ardfern tucked round a corner off Great Junction Street, the newest opening from Roberta Hall-McCarron and the team behind The Little Chartroom and Eleanore (since May 2024). Described as an all-day cafe, bar and bottle shop, Ardfern sits directly next door to The Little Chartroom, and the syzygy between the two has been clearly highlighted, with the same colour scheme and typography spanning across both venues, and staff in chef’s aprons and front-of-house navys flowing seamlessly back and forth between the two.  What’s the vibe? Ardfern is cool. It’s laid-back, fuss-free and despite being a busy Saturday (every table was full basically the entire time we were there) there is a sense of calm about the place. The tables are spaced in a way that you can lean over and ask the table next to you what they’ve ordered (if you’re inclined, like me, and notice something looking particularly good), but you can also deep-dive into some spicy yet confidential work gossip without worrying that everyone around you will hear.  Like almost all places that describe themselves as a bar or bottle shop – essentially anything other than a restaurant – the menu is small plates. If this sounds derisive, I don’t mean it to be. The relaxed vibe of Ardfern lends itself perfectly to this style of menu. The dishes here work a treat for sharing, and the menu, which features burrata, chilli peanut ribs, and a baked fish crumpet, doesn’t have an obvious theme to it. But altogether, it works –