Great ambience with historic brick features Bar service was…read moregreat - old fashioned highly recommended Charcuterie is a good choice

After seeing the high reviews on Yelp, I decided to make a reservation for this restaurant. We…read moretrekked up the steps of Advocate's Close to get there. When we arrived at noon (opening time), the restaurant wasn't too busy. There is an impressive bar downstairs with many whiskies. We were led upstairs to the dining area. There is outdoor dining too that would be nice if the weather was warmer. Cool vibe, but it is kind of dark inside the stone walls. The menu is Scottish-focused with seasonal ingredients. We didn't want to overeat, so we decided to share a starter and a main. We got the Scottish venison fritters, which were ok. We enjoyed the pappardelle pasta (roast pumpkin and pecorino sauce, wild mushrooms, spinach, bacon and poppy seed crumb, crispy sage). It was flavorful and didn't feel too heavy. Staff were friendly and it was an enjoyable lunch.

It was very hot made to order, very crisp. Not bad but have had better. Batter had a tendency to…read morefall off the fish. Chips were good.

I stumbled upon Benes while searching for the best chippy to get my deep-fried fix in. In good ol'…read moreScottish fashion, they deep-fry just about anything you can imagine: fish, chicken nuggets, pies, haggis, sausage, ribs, pizza, and so on. You get the point. One item that's not listed on their menu, although it really ought to be, is the deep-fried Mars bar. According to MyFitnessPal, this tiny snack will tax your body a whopping 600 calories! Worth only £2.50 a piece, it probably deserves a medal for such a stellar calorie-to-price ratio.

The guys who work here are a DELIGHT. I'm American, and they were very supportive of my journey…read moretrying my first ever pizza crunch supper, offering me every possible sauce in the shop and patiently explaining what they all were. It was delicious with their garlic sauce! I also LOVED my deep-fried Mars Bar (we used to have those candy bars in the US, but I think they stopped selling them, so I haven't had one since Halloween when I was a kid). Highly recommend!

A convenient place along Grassmarket that advertises late hours. We visited in the evening. It took…read moreabout 5 minutes for them to heat up a big piece of fish. That tasted fine. Unfortunately, the chips were mushy, like they'd been sitting in a warmer for hours. Not a place we'd visit again.

I was stuck in a week of snow in Edinburgh a few years ago and found this gem just a few blocks…read moredown from my hotel. I have eaten in many fine establishments all over the world and back home in the USA and I must admit that this was the best plate of fish and chips I have EVER had. I still think of it to this day. The kind people of Edinburgh, the beauty of the snowfall at that time of year and the amazing fish n chips made the time spent well worth it.

I was so excited to try this place after seeing good reviews but our experience was terrible. There…read morewere gnats everywhere that we were killing at our dusty booth. When our food arrived we finally asked to move spots but the back of the restaurant was just as bad. I can't believe other families weren't complaining. We also found a hair in our appetizer and the mains were subpar. My husband complained about his fries and burger and the manager was combative. They comped us for one whiskey and we left as quickly as possible. The shepherds pie was very salty and the side of veggies was very clearly from frozen.

**RACIST & DISCRIMINATORY** The young blonde hair girl in…read moreher maybe late-20s hostess, bartender or server (not sure which) was super rude! We came in excited about this place, and the restaurant had open tables at about 6:50pm on a Friday ... we had just walked all day and were starving with a 2-year old and an elderly after walking all over town and sightseeing all day long. However, was told by this girl that they didn't have a seat for us. Although there was no wait, no one ahead of us and empty tables. I told her she could seat us in that booth, we didn't mind since our 2 year old wouldn't be eating. However, she cut me off and said that would not work. I thought that was weird but that should have been That it would take them about 30 minutes to get us a table. We walk around in the cold, come back to the restaurant ... there are plenty of open tables. My husband takes my 2-year old inside to wait so she is not in the freezing rainy cold (especially since she was sniffling). The hostess then says it's going to take longer and that we must wait outside the restaurant. We tell her it's cold, and we've been waiting. She then says ... "This isn't going to work, I'm not serving you. You guys can leave." She did not want to serve of us this entire time! She could have told us when we first walked in, but made us wait and walk around outside in the cold rain with a 2-year old and an 88-year old ... then decides she doesn't want to serve us. We walked in at 6:50pm, came back at 7:30pm, waited until 7:45pm when she told us she wouldn't serve us. By this time all the other restaurants were fully reserved or with 1-2 hour waits. We ended up not able to have dinner that night, and got snacks from the grocery store. DO NOT COME HERE UNLESS YOU WANT HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! NEVER TREATED THIS BADLY BY A RESTAURANT!

While my mother and I were in Edinburgh earlier this year, we were getting hungry walking around…read morethe city and we stumbled across this restaurant. We walk in and were seated upstairs, which gave us a great view of the busy street next to the restaurant. I ordered the fish and chips, a glass of scotch, and the sticky toffee pudding.......all were awesome. The hostess and waitress were really nice and accommodating. The food came out hot and fresh. Overall, it was a great experience and I wouldn't definitely eat here again.

Conveniently located near many Edinburgh Festival Fringe venues. Perfect for traditional British…read morefood that isn't too fancy. Seems to be able to give you a quick turnaround, if you're in a rush. Battered Fish & Chips - Haddock: A classic and seems to be their specialty. Big flaky fish and nice fluffy batter. Lots of thick crispy chips. Plus mushy peas, if you're into that kind of thing. Only issue is that sometimes they neglect to give you tartare sauce. Breaded Fish & Chips - Haddock: Maybe even better than the battered fish. The panko on top of the batter gives it a nice hearty crunch. Perhaps not traditional, but I'm a fan. Fish Cakes: The two crispy cakes are a much smaller portion than the regular fish. However, they definitely bursting with more flavor from the smoked fish and all the nice herbs. Could work if you split this and a regular fish & chips with someone. Curry Sauce: Took a few reminders to my waitress, but finally got my side sauce. A good helping. Kinda closer to Japanese curry than an Indian curry. Dipping the fries in this is purely amazing, much nicer than malt vinegar. Eton Mess: Save room for dessert! The pairing of smooth Scottish ice cream against crunchy airy meringue is perfect. Plus the raspberry sauce and whipped cream. A great way to end the meal on a sweet note.

This place is no longer open. And for some reason google maps shows it down the ally way behind…read morewhere it looks like it used to be. So don't bother going looking for it. It's not there.

So this is actually one of my favorite places to eat dinner in Edinburgh. I know that the city is…read morefull of incredible restaurants, but I've just got a soft spot in my heart for this one (probably because it was the very first place I ever ate at my first visit to Scotland). I've sat inside (which has a really cozy pub feel) and outside (taking in all the sights and sounds of the Royal Mile). I've made a reservation, I've also just walked in. I've had good service, great service, and really exceptional service. But one thing remains the same: I *always* get the Vegetarian Haggis Tower with mash, turnip, and whiskey sauce (it's probably my favorite veggie haggis in Edinburgh; and that cream whiskey sauce? could drink it!), a side of garlicky chips, sticky toffee pudding, whisky, Irn Bru, and a cider. It's a must meal for me anytime in the city.

What an amazing experience. Great historic establishment…read more I got my first taste of Haggis and it was grand. You have to go here !

Well, we had dinner on one of our last nights in Edinburgh, and it did not disappoint! Get your…read morereservations! The upstairs dining room (bar side) is absolutely charming and welcoming, and the staff could not have been better, or friendlier. The food? Come ON! Really grand! We started with the chips and dip (fries with Sriracha Mayo) - they were crisp and the mayo was just spicy enough. My husband had a sizeable portion of fish and chips, which was perfectly cooked, and had a light batter. I had the most delicious burger, with bacon and cheddar; mash on the side. All the food was hot; well seasoned; and quickly served. The Doric has their own GF beer on draft, which is quite good, and a selection of regular beer for those of you who don't need GF. Great selection of scotch, as well. Make your reservation ahead of time, and don't miss the oldest pub in Edinburgh!

LOVED the mussels! the pot of mussels felt bottomless and it was really tasty, i usually don't even…read morelike mussels haggis wellington is also quite good Anyways highly recommend the only con was table was cramped

When you walk you are reminded of how quaint and small most businesses are in the UK. The menu is…read moreterrific. Many options and you soon realize how much they care. The food is amazing. We started with the soup of the day which was lentil. It was amazing. Full and rich and flavorful. Next the Haggis Wellington which on this trip I have become a fan. This was the best of the trip. Then the Venison tenderloin and wowo. What a hit. A whole lobster fresh and tasty. And before I forget a simple dinner salad with the most delicate and lovely dressing. A hit for anything you desire. Service was a team effort and perfect.

Such a cute place. And the view of the castle from here was amazing…read more Super helpful staff! I am a member of a flight crew and as I was eating dinner I was asked to get catering for a flight literally the next morning. I asked the manager if he could make me some take away (to-go) steaks cooked rare to be cooked further on the plane. (I'm a private flight attendant and we cook and plate everything onboard). He went out of his way to make sure I recieved all the items cooked perfectly. Passengers left raving about the food!!! And these are passengers that definitely eat the best steaks. The manager even talked me through a playing game plan and I ran my thoughts of the dishes with him and wow, perfect outcome. I personally got the coley fish dish and started with some cheese. I am a big bleu cheese/stilton girl and it was all amazing. Everything was so good I used the bread from my cheese to mop up every ounce of juice left from coley plate. Great service, great views, and incredible food. All local and ever changing menu to fit what's in market. You'll see handwritten additions to each menu like the cheese and fish. The steaks were the 35 day dry hung flat iron steaks.

Three of us stumbled upon The Outsider while out looking for a place for dinner. It was so good we…read morewent back with 2 more friends a few nights later. Nice pleasant room with good size tables and very helpful, friendly courteous wait persons. Very good steaks, and fish, and affogato for dessert. Go to read the creative food descriptions on the menu!