OK, we're all geeks here, right? Right. We've all seen Guardians of the Galaxy?…read more The scene in the prison where all hell breaks loose, and Rocket and Groot are fighting bad guys, and the bad guys are all like "PEW! PEW! PEW!" and Rocket doesn't have a gun, and then Drax arrives and is like "BAM! BAM! BAM!" and kicks people and throws Rocket a gun, and Rocket says "Oh.... yeah!" in an almost religious way? That "Oh... yeah!" was how I felt when I took my first bite out of a Jack's burrito for the first time in a long time this evening. I donated to the Jackstarter to help Illegal Jack's return from the dead, so I popped in today for the first time since the reopening to see how things had gone (and pick up my swag bag, priorities, people!) and I didn't plan to stay and eat due to lack of time... Then I saw a couple of burritos being built in front of me. And I smelled the pulled pork... and I caved, people. I folded quicker than a paper tent in a hurricane. I watched the staff look after the woman ordering two burritos to takeaway, wrapping the first one and leaving it where steam and heat would stop it going cold while the second was assembled. I love attention to detail like that. Also, using the lid of whatever filling you choose to catch any spillage so the fillings aren't cross contaminated. Little things make a difference, people. It came to be my turn. I opted for carnitas (that's what the pulled pork smell wafted out of) with a mild salsa, sour cream, pinto beans, seasoned rice and cheese. I watched in awe as the burrito was rolled. I really need to learn how to do this myself some day, I took my cup, filled it up with Coke and sat down. One bite later, I was back in Tex-Mex heaven. I'd missed Jack's, I really had. Other places may have more branches, but quantity isn't quality. Jack's is quality. The new premises are still a work in progress as Mr. Jack (nice bloke!) explained to me, but are still clean, bright, comfortable and welcoming, and even the music being played ticked all the boxes for me. Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd? Perfect Tex-Mex music. Honestly, I can't fault it. I will be back, I will eat too much every time I go, and I wil swear that I'll never do it again. But it's a lie. It's all a pretty little lie... Oh, and if you're in over the next week or so? Ask about the cranberry salsa - it's astonishing! Welcome back, Jack. You were missed..

BURRITOS! WHO DOESN'T LOVE EM??…read more Last night after a long and rainy day at work I coerced two coworkers of mine to join me for a bite out. My bus routes being what they are, I'd not only seen the remnants of the old Illegal Jack's on Lothian Road (though never got to try it), but now had spotted the new location along St. Patrick's Square nestled in the corner. Because we were looking for a budget meal that we could still sit down to, we decided to give Illegal Jack's a go. The first thing that became apparent to us is that Illegal Jack's has actually employed friendly staff. Wha... what? Where even am I? Walking in the door to being greeted with smiles and genuine friendliness is such a novelty when so many places give you the ambivalent "I'm being nice because I have to" luke-warm treatment at best, or downright snubbing at worst. And yet when we walked into Illegal Jack's the two gals at the counter of wonder were chatty and all smiles, and we had a short conversation about how good the music they were playing was. (Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack anyone?) Next comes prices. I got a small veggie haggis burrito (score!) that was somewhere around 6 pounds. Normally I'd be greedy and add chips or sides, but even this burrito being small, it's actually massive (I was impressed the gal at the till managed to perfectly roll it, and even smush it all around so the proportions were evenly mixed--MY HERO). So I topped it off with a nice wheat ale from Stewart's and left with my bill around 11 pounds. Not bad at all for a solid beer and a solid burrito. Next came seating. Illegal Jack's isn't quite up to restaurant standards of atmosphere for obvious reasons, but the seats feel a lot cozier and less standardized than your typical Pinto's or burger chain. We sat down next to a gentleman mysterious staff member who was doing some laptop work--he very nicely jumped to shift some of his things to the side for us so we could sit. Again, as I was remarking loudly that the music was lovely he thanked me for noticing as he must've been the man in charge of the playlist (come on, Grateful Dead was playing, my hippie heart rejoiced!). But enough about my music tastes. How was the burrito, you may ask? Delicious, of course! That was a really damn solid burrito. My coworker even did a happy dance (twice) whilst she ate it, which I think is a good sign for any burrito. Even more than that, when the gentleman staff sitting next to us noticed my bottle of Louisiana hot sauce on the table he disappeared into the back and plopped down a bottle of Scotch Bonnet + Mango hot sauce from his personal supply in the back for us to try. Damned if it wasn't delicious, but whoo it had some great heat! Overall I left this place feeling 1) chuffed as all get out 2) with super duper happy tummies 3) pleased at how NICE everyone was and 4) STOKED that I have found an amazing burrito place that I can easily get to (lamenting the fact that Los Cardos is all the way on the other end of town in Leith!). So if you're fancyin' a fairly-priced burrito in a joint that feels just a little bit closer to home, give Illegal Jack's a scope. I know for certain I'll be back!

A couple of our traveling companions tried the Ivy in Dublin. The Edinburgh location was close to…read moreour hotel. Service from hostess to chef was excellent. I have to say that at least every restaurant we ate in the first question from servers are there any allergies? Every restaurant was super accommodating with an unusual allergy. Food was excellent and the drinks were on point. Great experience and highly recommend The Ivy.

I was so incredibly disappointed with our lunch/ early dinner on Sunday 28th June. The food was…read moremediocre.. some dishes quite tasteless. I asked for a dish without chilli which the waitress said was possible to do. It was so hot I couldn't eat it. I chose shepherds pie which quite frankly I can make a tastier version myself . The others good was either too hot and dried up. The wine which was half price had to be corrected on the bill( they tried to get away with full price!) Nice surroundings and very good service but crazy prices for rubbish food ! Won't be going back there again!

Great place to hang out and enjoy some tasty late-night bites. We've enjoyed several lavash wraps…read moreincluding the chicken, cheese, and Jalapeno with Cajun chicken, cheddar cheese with sliced jalapenos and baby gem lettuce, Southern fried chicken with Maxi's hot sauce, peppers, onions and baby gem lettuce and finally the Halloumi Reuben with baby gem lettuce, crispy O's, pickles, mustard and tomato sauce. The wraps are well constructed and bites of flavor. The fajitas are also well executed and thoughtfully presented. The menu is a bit out there, but accessible to the open-minded.

I can only review as a bar as I ain't eaten here…read more.. As a bar it is decent, seems a bit rough about the edges in a dive bar type of way, but the clientele usually are ok and the atmosphere always seems pleasant enough. It's got a lot going on, In that there is a club down stairs, food is served upstairs and there is also a lot of focus on it just being a pub. I've been a good few times and it's usually mobbed. I think that's partly because there ain't any other decent pubs on queen street (that I can think of) and it means everyone heads here. In other areas it might not be my first destination, but where it is it ranks quite highly amongst the places I would stop for a pint if passing. Sometimes it even has some unusual bottles of craft beer hidden in the fridges which is always a good thing. Could be a three on anther street, but a better option on queen street, so I will go with a positive 4 stars.

I am a huge fan of the styling of this place. I may have watched Grease far too many times as a…read moreyoungster and it appears to have had side effects beyond the trauma my poor Dad endured when I, aged 10, declared that I wanted to be just like Rizzo. The red vinyl booth seating, shiny chrome, mini jukeboxes in each booth and thoroughly wholesome Americana vibe is done well. Unfortunately, I feel that it's more style than substance. The menu looked interesting but failed to excite, The waitress made it clear we were still in Scotland and did not transport us to the land of over enthusiasm and gushing service. Whilst there was nothing wrong with our food and it arrived piping hot it was a standard burger and chips. In an American Diner I expect perfectly crisp french fries not anaemic, limp chips that you know were pulled out of the freezer minutes before. The other sides were equally disappointing frozen onion rings and bought in coleslaw. I wanted to like Ed's Easy Diner. I wanted to it to be more than just a pretty face. I'm just a bit meh about everything other than the decor.

has the makings of a good restaurant but not quite! Carbon…read morecopy if Eddie rockets. Had a really nice milkshake. Hot dog was mediocre. Limited menu. Was looking forward to some chicken wings but non on the menu which surprising and disappointing for a diner!!

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.

It's has such an unassuming look to it when you first walk in. There's just one big round booth in…read morethe back with only a few tables to the side and back of the bar. There is an outdoor space that sits on the West Bow bend of Grassmarket, but nothing was set up for that when we were there for a late lunch. Perhaps it's a seasonal thing. All first impressions aside, it turned out to be a very good lunch. We were greeted immediately upon entering. We were fortunate to get a table without a reservation. You will definitely need one here during peak times. The service was warm & friendly. Artur was very helpful in answering all of our questions. The lunch menu is limited, but you can also order from the higher priced dinner menu as well. I was mostly amazed by the fact that you get complimentary oysters delivered to your table. My husband is not a seafood fan, so I was fortunate enough to enjoy both of them. These are large & tasty Pacific oysters grown at a farm in Loch Fyne. Delicious! It was such a great starter. I couldn't pass up the half kilo pot (lunch portion) of steamed mussels. These are Scottish rope-grown mussels. I should have ordered a kilo. They were so addicting. The white wine sauce with shallots was perfect. However, I did have a difficult time deciding which sauce to choose. The whisky with smoked bacon also sounded amazing. If I had to say anything negative, it would be to maybe add more bread to soak up the sauce. I probably could have asked for more, but I didn't. That's on me. I really wanted to return to try the Surf & Turf. We just didn't have enough time to do it all. I would go back in a heartbeat. It ended up being a great find. A great experience!

The entire idea of this space, amazing. Super cool design - very much detective style restaurant…read more The food is great, we had burgers and fries (as pictured below). The service was also fabulous.

I live locally and The Black Fox is a nice bar with decent food, however, after my last visit I…read morewon't be back anytime soon. The kitchen area is in the main bar which is fine but it's clear there is little done to clean the air filters, fans and cooker hoods - the smell of cooking oils hits you when you walk in the door and it sticks to clothes, hair and jackets for several days after you have visited. I have had the same experience on previous visits but had hoped it had improved. I appreciate space is limited but I feel more needs to be done to manage this issue.

We stopped by Rancho for dinner since it was in walking distance from our hotel and they weren't…read morevery busy. We were greeted and welcomed at the door and asked for a booth. It's a good thing we did because not 5 minutes later the restaurant became packed! We ordered the filets which were cooked perfectly, not much seasoning as they let the meat speak for itself. The sides were just ok, nothing spectacular. We had great service and I feel like the prices were very fair. The nachos looked like something my child could have made, melted shredded cheese on tortilla chips, my least favorite of the meal. Magners Cider Guacamole Nachos Papa Asada con Crema Arroz Cirollo Champignones à la Parilla Anillos de Cebolas 9oz Filets

Nice Steak Place ! Everything Cooked perfect , Place is…read moresmall , but comfortable, out of the way ? so I think mostly Locals !

food: we think it's the best scottish can get. authentic flavors but definitely elevated past the…read morenormal. my favorite parts were the haggis and the sticky toffee pudding service: nice staff ambiance: cozy, seems to be more of a local spot, didn't see many other tourists

We had a really nice evening at Scran & Scallie. We…read morethoroughly enjoyed the scallops and trout pate to start and mains of fish pie and steak pie. Service was friendly and efficient, the cocktails tasty and the atmosphere comfy. Recommended !

Cons: Our booking for 8 people that we made online was not in the diary,…read moreThe kitchen had an electrical fault and shut mid way through the night Pros: The staff were very friendly and helpful and immediately arranged a table for us Whilst the kitchen did go down, everyone who did order food did get their order Whilst there was a couple of hiccups the staffs friendly attitude more than made up for the issues and the food was very well cooked. We got a couple of the family deals and shared family style and it was a struggle to eat it all. Definitely would return

I go months without visiting the lime kiln as I find it very hit and miss. I feel the lime kiln has…read morelost its identity as it has went from pub grub to american burgers to a miss mash of dishes. When my wife and I visited on saturday 28th of December we where blown away with the food. Very tasty and filling. I introduced my wife to chicken parm (which was rich and flavourful) and I had sirloin steak with haggis which was cooked perfectly.

There comes a time when all pubs start to look like each other, and for this reason the interior of…read morethe Antiquary doesn''t differ too much from the norm; it's dungeony, (but at least it's got the excuse of being in the basement floor!) is decked out in dark polished wood and has quite friendly staff. Take into account that the general Edinburgh pub standard is pretty high, and you've got a pretty good quality place. Location wise, it's a little bit off the beaten track, particularly for tourists, as it's in Stockbridge, so I won't be making it back there anytime soon! However, they do some good food, particularly breakfast if you'd rather eat than drink, and have some open mic nights, with folk music being the general theme.

I only discovered this pub a couple of days ago, after going to St Stephen's to see a show. It's a…read morelittle basement pub tucked away on a street just off Stockbridge. I like it because it's got a wee outside area with parasols, has Lia Fail and Addlestone's Cider on tap and just seems to have quite a lot of attitude. There's also this hilarious barrel behind the bar with a huge sign on it that reads "ABSINTHE! 3.75 a shot. Only two shots per person per night." Which makes me laugh, though I might be the only one who gets a kick out of that. A pint of ale will cost you around 3 pounds and same goes for the cider, so it's not too pricey, though I've definitely been to cheaper places. I was pretty happy to discover this pub and I might even go so far as to say it's a bit of a gem.