I was desperate for a hot, carb-loaded dinner after landing in Edinburgh and thankfully La Favorita was right around the corner from my Airbnb and had great reviews on Yelp. I was happy to find an Italian restaurant in Scotland since I was looking for some comfort food. The interior has lots of seating space in separate little rooms. It's all one connected space, but there are separators and barriers around the sections, if that makes sense. There's seating for larger and smaller groups, and I was immediately seated at a table by myself. The staff was very friendly. I ordered the arancini and seasonal risotto. I told you, I wanted CARBS. The arancini was gooey and cheesy and fantastic and came with a spicy tomato salsa. The perfect appetizer. The risotto was divine! It came in a parmesan cheese crisp bowl and had a parm cheese base, pears mixed in, and balsamic vinegar drizzled on top with some arugula. Everything came together for one delicious, decadent meal. The portion was also huge and I had plenty left over for another meal. My server and I talked about cats and I instantly felt welcomed in Edinburgh and at La Favorita. If you like Italian food, I definitely recommend hitting them up! read more

La Favorita - Arancini (cheese, rice, beef) - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Greeted with "Buona sera signorina", the sound of accordion background music, and an array of ice cream flavours as I walked through the door of La Favorita, I was instantly cheered out of my lethargic state. Not least because the twinkly-eyed waiter called me "young lady" - this kind of complimentary talk earns anyone an instant tip as far as I'm concerned. This eatery is the kind of classic, traditional Italian experience which has to produce at least a smile from visitors, even if you've had the worst day at work ever/been dumped/dropped your favourite ornament/are a generally grumpy individual. I opted for the Risotto Imperiale, a tasty, well presented, affair, which came with jumbo, juicy prawns and a langoustine with one claw perched on top of a generous portion of rice and champagne sauce. My very critical fellow diner, definitely a pizza enthusiast, went for the Pizza ai due Salami, which after a few minutes of careful munching he announced was "very good", definitely high praise for him, before continuing to devour the rest of his meal, (only offering me a small slither). La Favorita has a pretty extensive menu, with all the dishes on offer you would expect from an Italian restaurant, so if you've got a craving for decent pasta and pizza somewhere different, where you're not paying over the odds, take a wander away from the centre of town and get down to Leith Walk. read more

La Favorita - Photo from la-favorita.com. - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Had a terrible experience on an early afternoon, being myself the only client. Pros: I asked for a pizza Primavera (Parma Ham as the main attraction) plus salami as an extra topping, and it came with plenty Parma Ham. Cons: Front of House waitress Maria ignored me for two minutes as I was waiting to be seated in front of her (the pizza chef greeted me and realised that so he called her a couple of times) I asked for Pizza Primavera plus salami, and repeated it twice to avoid any errors, but the waitress looked clueless as she doesn't comprehend the English language. Got the Pizza Primavera...but guess what...no salami... I pointed that out to Maria but all she said was that it comes with Parma Ham... I told her that the salami topping I asked for as an extra was missing...to no avail. Got the bill and guess what...the £ 2 extra topping was included... Asked to get that removed but she was still unsure what extra topping (or the absence of it) meant... Got that removed...hurrah! Paid quickly left no tip...won't come back... Conclusion: that happens when you hire a waitress who's not a waitress with almost zero grasp of the basics of English language....what a shame...it used to be a very good place to eat... read more

See all

Yum! Perhaps not the best pizza out there, but one hell of a fine option if you're in Leith. The lunch specials are where La Favorita shines on quality and price. £8.95 nets you a main and drink, or £11.95 with a dessert. The pizzas are large enough to satiate a full appetite, or even to be split if you only have the munchies. The mushrooms on their pizzas are the perfect kind; small and flavorful and a perfect compliment to the pepperoni. With some chili oil you've got proper flavor in abundance! read more

See all

Their lunch special (before 5) offers a main and drink, a main& starter and drink, a main& starter& dessert and drink, all for slightly increasing prices. The selection has a bit of everything Italian, all their famed pastas and pizzas, at cheaper prices. We went at 4pm for a very late lunch, late enough that people were crossing the street hearing our bellies grumble- I don't know if they were worried we would turn cannibal, or if the rumbling sound was offsetting their deep vacant thoughts. At last, we got a seat and the food was not long in arriving. The Italian server added pepper and cheese, and we dove in. I had pizza, which was thin and crispy, with fresh veggies, and so large I didn't even eat half. Luckily my companions were more willing to stuff themselves, even after also comsuming an read more

La Favorita - Italian beer - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Love love love. Authentic homely Italian food. Extremely friendly and lovely staff and they made the the whole experience so much better. The food was just fantastic and we wiped every plate clean. We were really hungry so we skipped the starters and went straight for the mains. Ordered the risotto, chicken Milanese and asparagus and ricotta tortellini. Every single dish was delicious and would definitely go back here. For dessert order the tiramisu and the gnocchi chocolate. Yum! read more

See all

This is definitely my favourite pizza place in Scotland! I miss it so much since moving to Glasgow but visited again recently went through in Edinburgh seeing friends. It's still as good as I remember - I had the 5 cheese pizza (but with added chicken, my favourite pizza topping) and LOVED it - such a good combo of cheeses, tasty blue, salty pecorino, stringy mozzarella... I can't remember the others now but it was delish! I used to always get the Zia Rosa (chicken and peppers with cherry tomatoes but am glad I tried another - they're both fab!) The wedges were nice too but would have been better if crispy and with a bit more parmesan, I liked the truffle oil though. I like the decor and the staff are always very friendly and efficient. They even used to deliver to me in Slateford when I lived there, despite it being completely the other side of town! :) read more

See all

Very good friendly engaging service. Our starters of porcini & ricotta ravioli and grilled scallops & king prawns were excellent. We had sirloin with marsala sauce and rolled fillets of sole with asparagus. The only snag was that the steak could have been a bit more flavoursome. The green salad was a let down - the balsamic dressing was way too gloopy. All in all I will return... definitely want to try their pizza and more of their pasta. read more

See all

Chose them because of their good rating but should have known there was a problem when the phone answers "Are you calling about placing an order or about one that was already placed?" Check it out before hand and hear for yourself. When I called to check on the pizza I had gotten a text 30 minutes beforehand but still had not received the guy told me it did leave then but was still in its way??? 20 minutes later, still no pizza. I called to cancel the order and they told me that I would have to take it up with corporate two days later! Don't bother people, not worth the headache. Credit card company is having to get my money back because they didn't refund me read more

Oh, La Fav, La Fav, we are breaking up, and by the looks of things it's definitely not you, it's me. I just - I just - I'm sorry. I don't get it. I'd love to give this an extra star just for the timely delivery and the polenta chips, which are great, but really, it wouldn't be representative: I have not found the experience as a whole A-OK. My three starses are chirpy. But I am currently sad and doleful. And it looks like this will be the very first two star review, so anybody reading this, please just assume I'm wrong, because I am so in the minority and I want La Fav to do well. But anyway, I'm writing because it is my habit to do so. Here goes. I heard such amazing things about La Fav's pizzas. They're the best in Edinburgh! They're astonishing! They're... really not... for me. And to say that I'd sooner pay the extra couple of quid and get a pizza from a national chain is really upsetting for me, because I'd love to prefer somewhere local and non-chainy and freshly made and all that jazz. And I tried. Really. I was super unimpressed with the first pizza I had delivered, which was a calzone. When it arrived, sure, it was big, but it was also completely wet and falling apart. It bled juice everywhere, was not all that warm, and was just - well, if *I* don't enjoy a pizza, something is wrong. Anyway, I figured that that something that was wrong must be me, because the reviews continued to pour in. Hooray for La Fav! We love La Fav! Their pizzas rule pizzaland! So I tried again, a couple of months later. And, well, this one was not bad. It also wasn't all that good. I just felt it lacked flavour. It was - I can't believe I'm saying this about a pizza - boring. Not boring like simple-and-predictable-but-yummy-nonetheless. Just... eh. I paid all that for this? Here's the kicker. I. Didn't. Finish. It. A pizza. Me. ...Tears. So there's my saga of twin woes. My chronicles of double disappointment. My tale of two pities. Have a great life, La Favorita. I wish you all the best. You will find someone who appreciates you for what you are. read more

This is theeee place for pizza. There is nowhere better in Scotland, end of. If you don't like their pizza's, well I'm afraid you don't like pizza. La Favorita's pizzas are made fresh to order in the traditional way, using a real wood fired oven, hand stretched, not too thin, with tasty, fresh toppings and real mozzarella cheese. One pizza is more than enough to satisfy the hungriest of appetites, but if you dare go for the antipasto platter you'll be blown away with the quality and amount of produce they cram onto the plate. The staff are friendly and attentive and anywhere that is worth a round trip from Glasgow, just for pizza, is worth 5 stars. read more

The best gluten-free pizza and pasta I have ever had. Their customer service is amazing too, and they are very knowledgeable about cross-contamination. I've never had a gluten reaction from them (I have coeliac), and am assured each time I order delivery, because they put a special sticker on anything that is gluten-free. Their delivery is also amazing, having never been even 2 minutes late! Seriously, can't say enough good things. read more

Pizza in Edinburgh = La Favorita. Simple as that. It's authentic Italian pizza mind, so if you're after an americanised slopfest of stodge, well, best go elsewhere. If you want a pizza that's every bit as good as one you'd get in Italy, this is the only place to go. So often in Edinburgh, authenticity comes at a premium price... not here. Even using a discount card Dominos is more expensive and infinitely more crap. We no longer order pizza, we order a Favorita. It really is synonymous with pizza in our household. read more

mmmm who doesn't love pizza??? i, for one, am a massive fan!! and on sunday night after a day being rather lazy and sloth like, i could think of only one way to end the weekend right... going for some log fired pizzas from my local pizzeria, la favourita. i'm one lucky girl that this place is literally less than a ten minute walk from my flat and that my boyfriend was more than happy to agree that we should visit before he dropped me off at my flat. on arrival we were warmly welcomed and shown to a good sized table for two people. one thing that i really love about this place is how nice and cheerful everyone who works here is! i swear, these people don't ever frown, there is always a smile and such a warm welcoming customer experience :) as we walked through, i got a good glimpse of the restaurant which is huge!! although i've been here a handful of times before i never realised how big a space they actually have....loads of tables so definitely a good place for a large party of people! on receiving the menu, i suddenly was overwhelmed with all the choices available!! not only is there more than a dozen choices for pizza goodness, but they also have a special pizza each day to add to that. being all about the pizza, we didn't bother with starters and went straight for the mains. i was trying to decide between three options, one being a calzone, but in the end i went for the Capricciosa changing the ham for salami milano. i'm a total sucker for pizzas with artichokes on them...yum!!! the boy went for the Vesuvio to get a spicy kick with his dinner. we also decided to share a green salad. beers arrived (innis and gunn for me, i'm a total convert!) and we'd barely had our first sip before the pizzas were placed regally on our table!! these pizzas were HUGE!!! and so fresh with a nice crispy but also chewy crust mmmmmm. the salami made an excellent addition to my pizza and each bite was a combination of fresh mozarella, flavourful tomato sauce, fresh mushrooms, olives, aritchokes, and salty salami. just pizza heaven!! the green salad was also super tasty and fresh with a good helping of lettuce, cucumbers, celery, and olives. it had a tangy balsamic vingrette on it which i couldn't help but dip my pizza crusts in. judging by our empty plates we were very happy with our meals! but unfortunately there was no room left for dessert, although they have an awesome selection of gelato that i am looking forward to on another visit! i also look forward to more delicious pizzas and friendly service! so glad that la favourita is my loca pizza joint!!! :) read more

La Favorita - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

It pains me to write that the pizza is likely the best in Edinburgh. It pains me to write this because there are so many things about this place that annoy me. -£1.50 delivery charge no matter how much you order. -If they get something wrong they will always say 'we will send you out a voucher' - NEVER happens -Always trying with the upsell when you eat in. I know that is the Italian brusque 'style' of service but come on - give it a break! I don't want to order your overpriced wine. So to recap. Good for Edinburgh, if you are a tourist from a big city (hell, even a small city) in USA or even Europe you will find this place a bit lacking. We have a million pizza places and this is the best one but the comparison pales when removed from Edinburgh. Neapolitan pizza, 00 flour, wood fired oven. Has all the hallmarks of a great place but misses just due to the fact there is no decent competition. I know that down the road there is another good pizza place but the culture is not alive in Edinburgh. Get - pizza Don't get - sold their expensive wine read more

I'm going to have to add another shining review to La Favorita's already gleaming Yelp page. But, man, those pizzas! Fresh, seasoned to perfection, generous in toppings; delicious, delicious, delicious. I really don't think I've had a pizza that's bowled me over like La Favorita's. This, my pizza-loving friends, is the pizza of dreams. And the fuss, it's all well-deserved. La Favorita is a flashy affair. As you walk into the restaurant, you'll pass the swish open kitchen. Efficient and fast; churning out pizza after pizza. There's a genuine camaraderie between staff, and we received an enviably warm welcome. It's all go. And the smell of classic Italian flavours looms in the air. Just catching sight of the dishes making their way from kitchen to table had me drooling. I couldn't wait to have myself one of La Favorita's acclaimed pizzas. The Nduja (mozzarella, italian sausage, spinach, nduja & red onion) and the Ventricina (mozzarella, premium spicy salami Ventricina, chicken breast, peppers, red & green chillies) did not disappoint. Not one bit. Service, for the most part, is smooth. - Waiters are animated and energetic, adorning braces and friendly grins. Other than some trouble in catching our waiter for the bill, we were definitely well attended to. La Favorita's just perfect for a special occasion. - During our visit for dinner, the lights were turned right down as the tune of 'happy birthday' rang out. This, of course, didn't bother us, but I imagine that on a night of several birthdays, it might be a little distracting considering just how dark it got. Nonetheless, nothing could distract from just how good the pizzas were. Italian in Edinburgh? La Favorita is foolproof! read more

Yum, Yum, Yum, Yum, Yum. La Favorita is the best pizza place in Edinburgh, full stop. The pizzas are all authentic Italian, cooked in log fired pizza cookers and are absolutely delicious. Above all that they are cheap as chips. The quality is amazing for the price you pay and in reality I'd happily pay more. £6 for a Marinara!! £10 for the Vesuvio and something like £12 for a pizza that has sirloin steak on it! The place is just such amazing value for money. The fact all their pizzas are available to order as take away and delivery should really put Domino's and Pizza Hut out of business. How anyone can pay for the other two brands (and all the other pizza delivery places in the city) is just scandalous. Whether you are sitting in or taking away, this place is a gem. If you're sitting in I'd recommend the bruschetta or mozzarella wrapped in Parma ham as starters and get some of their lovely Italian Ice-Cream for desert. Edinburgh's number one pizza, bar none. PICK UP THE PHONE! read more

Hold up, another review for La Favorita's delivery service (and a good one at that). Now, they warn you that if you're booking at a busy time (Friday/Saturday evening, for example) that your order could take up to 90 minutes, so pre-booking is advised. I've fallen prey to this mistake before (the mistake of not ordering in advance) but I can't say I wasn't warned. Last night, however, our pizza was delivered very quickly, so 6pm on Sundays mustn't be peak times! Anyway. We like to order a pizza and a pasta to share, and the best day of the week to do this is on a Tuesday as like every other pizza chain and its dog, they do a deal on a Tuesday. But just to be different, it's not a 2 for 1, instead it's order a full price pizza and get a pasta for £1, which given the pizzas are several pounds cheaper than Dominos et al, is definitely a good deal. But do you know what's a better deal? The desserts. You can order two for £6.50, and if you've got a sweet tooth you should definitely avail yourself of this. But don't just order any pudding, order the profiteroles. Why? Because there are two sizes of profiteroles (7 and 10) and both are included in the deal. Which is insane, as ordering 10 profiteroles by themselves costs £7.95. And yet you can get 20 for £6.50. I've now got lots of profiteroles in my fridge. Did I mention they're salted caramel ones too?..... I'm drooling on my keyboard! Oh yeah. and the pizzas are great! Proper, authentically Italian tasting pizzas, with gluten free bases available. I'm normally a pepperoni girl, but La Favorita inspires me to try something different, and I've yet to go wrong. The pastas are decent, I did really like the vegetable lasagna but that is no longer on the delivery menu, so last night it was normal meat ragu lasagna, which was tasty. Not the best I've ever had, but decent. I've actually only eaten in once, a while ago, but from what I remember service was friendly and prompt, and we had a great time drinking wine and eating pizzas in the sun. Like any takeaway, if you're ordering lots then it'll be pricey, but if you're savvy and you get deal happy, you'll come away with a tasty meal and won't feel like you've broken the bank. read more

I'm giving 3 stars because of the fantastic service and delicious gin moitito! The food however disappointed. My all time favourite of a seafood pizza was soggy, slightly uncooked and simply not the same. Like I said this pizza was my favourite, sadly not anymore. I'll need to look elsewhere now. read more

I was delighted to see that the menu offered gluten free choices and I was able to relax and enjoy a birthday treat with my boyfriend. Only to discover that in fact the pizza which boasted gluten free and which I checked several times with the waiter was in fact NOT!!! I really wish that people who don't have coeliac could, even just once, know what it feels like to be given gluten. My boyfriend had to stop the car on the way home for me to vomit on the beach, dog walkers gave me funny looks, there followed 5 hours of vomiting, diarrhoea and becoming so dehydrated I considered getting admitted to hospital. My son who was convalescing from an injury at the time heard noises coming from the bathroom that no child should hear a parent make, he was so concerned he kept asking me to call a doctor. But the vomiting and diarrhoea stopped, and really its not the short term effects that worry me most, harrowing as it all was, when someone with coeliac eats gluten they are putting themselves at risk of osteoporosis, anaemia and cancer. And the owner had the cheek to offer me £25 as compensation, this dis not even cover the cost of the meal far less the bathroom towels, mats and clothes I had to throw out. Never mind the psychological trauma.. DONT EAT HERE IF YOU ARE COELIAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

La Favorita has created a sense of dischord in my household. On one hand, I loved the vegetarian antipasti - a massive pile of vegetables and cheese (the chickpea puree was delicious!) that would overwhelm one person, no matter how hungry they were. I also loved my pizza - thin base, log fired Favorita (smoked salmon, fat juicy capers, caviar and shrimp with a generous squeeze of lemon) - in my cold-addled state, every flavour pierced the fug and excited the senses. It was such a pleasure to eat a pizza that didn't disappoint for a change. On the other hand, while the boy equally enjoyed the starter, he was less enamoured with his tomato-less De Leone - bresaola, radicchio and rocket was not a winning combination for him. Our debate around La Favorita became quite heated as a result! But we will be back, and next time he'll be testing out a pizza more to his liking. read more

Went here based on a recommendation from the concierge at our hotel. The food was just ok but the service was terrible. Waitress was inattentive at best and the manager made the excuse that she didn't understand. The only bad meal I've had in Scotland. read more

They did a wonderful job welcoming our large group into their restaurant and the service was very good and attentive. We came here via a friends recommendation and most people really enjoyed it. The pizza is supposed to be their thing and although it was good it didn't knock my socks off. But what did see is everyone enjoying ourselves and the wine kept flowing. I would go back and try some of their other options. read more

Our expectations were high with this restaurant coming in as the highest placed Scottish restaurant in Yelp's recent top 100 UK eateries list. The vibe is casual and welcoming and the staff friendly and professional. The menu is quite large and overwhelming so it took us a while to figure out what we wanted to order. My Fucco e Fumo pizza was good - the base was nice and crisp, but I expected my 'fire and smoke' pizza to pack more of a punch flavour-wise. There's a good selection of wine, spirits and classic cocktails but the beer choice is a bit limited. For dessert the dark chocolate gnocchi piqued my interest however I was too full of pizza for that so I opted for ice-cream. The ice-cream is amazing! I'd definitely recommend saving space for a few scoops at the end of your meal! I tried the chocolate, pistachio and amaretto flavours and they were so good, particularly the amaretto! read more

La Favorita - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Went here when my mom came for a visit. Tasty pizza, big, thin crust. We both got the aubergine one. It was good but not amazing, a little bit bland. It was very busy and our table (all the way in the back) was quite wobbly and super close to the next table. There was no way to move out comfortably at all, especially with coats and bag. Also I had no knife on my table, so took one from the table next to me. so then they had no knife :) Because of course the waitress was so busy, it was hard to flag her down. Super friendly though! Liked the interior, bit too crowded for me, just everything too close together, made me enjoy my meal a bit less. Wouldn't mind trying it again but just can't give more than three stars based on my visit. read more

PESCATORA. PESCATORA. PESCATORA. seriously, if you like seafood, DO IT. i'm going to put this out there and admit that for most of my life, i haven't been a pizza fan. this is perhaps surprising, since i am half italian. la favorita really has changed that. their pescatora (and other!) pizza is just AMAZING. it has no cheese, and melted cheese might be my problem with pizza, but it is just so so amazing. and i like all the other pizza's i have sampled from here too. both take away and sit in are just as good, depending on your mood! the waiters are fun, friendly, and typically italian ;) highly recommended! read more

It had been a while since my last visit, but the quality doesn't seem to have diminished in the intervening period. As far as we can see, this remains the best pizz place in the city. Overall, we said: "La Favorita served us really nicely, and restored our sense of wellbeing in no small measure. Although we haven't sampled from all the leading pizza places in Edinburgh, yet, I'm happy that this place is still serving a quality product, so would be happy to recommend it to anyone looking for top-notch pizza." read more

So I have to say this is based purely on delivery from their Mornignside branch. Pizza's have in the main been great, there does seem to be an issue with these thin bases - the pizzas almost every time have arrived cold or luke warm. With pizza I always have high expectations of hot umptious cheesy goodness. Just hasnt hit the mark often enough for me. Side dishes have varied from ok to a disaster. Sent for delivery in boxes not fit for purpose. Not great! read more

Much better than I expected! Very family friendly and good service. Ordered pasta and some starters, and finished off with some grape ice cream that didn't end up being top sweet. Was impressed by the customer service and had a large table to accommodate a group larger than 5 plus kids. read more

See all

La Favorita was highly rated and listed in Edinburgh's top 10 places to eat. We only had the pizza and requested our own toppings - onion, mushroom and 1/2 Parma ham, 1/2 spicy salami. They automatically split in half for serving which was perfect. This place did not disappoint. Service was great and server was attentive. They also have a nice outdoor space for dining which is perfect when the sun is shining. Would absolutely eat here again. read more

La Favorita - Delicious! Half Parma ham, half spicy salami - they serve already split - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

This might be the best early evening eating spot on Leith Walk when the sun shines. Go there on a warm afternoon and order an Italian draft beer (I think it was Peroni we had) - it's ice cold and quite the most refreshing thing. The plate of vegetarian antipasti was epic - and delicious - and the pizza (one to share between two was more than enough after our starter) really tasty. We sat outside, in warm sunshine, watching life go by on Leith Walk - we could have been in Italy. Almost. Really friendly waiters with proper Italian accents who said hello to Fergus and brought him a big bowl of water - much appreciated. read more

I don't know what all the fuss is about. When we visited Edinburgh my better half (an Italian- gluten free rather sniffy eater) asked around for the best Italian. Favorita came up time-and-time again. So we gave it a shot. The Pizza toppings were sparse and the quality wasn't great. The staff knocked over our drinks and were all-together far too much in-your-face. I didn't enjoy the pizza, the gluten free one was terrible - and good gluten free pizza DOES exist. They brought our friend the wrong order and explained what they wanted wasn't available. From the reputation I expected more. This is a small, flashy diner that has - in terms of quality - most probably sen better days. We were really annoyed. Expensive too. read more

I've been here few times and I always enjoy my visit. The staff are lovely and helpful. The menu is extensive. The food is delicious with massive portions. The price is alright, not cheap but not breaking the bank. The desserts are lovely. If you haven't had La Favorita yet, get there and find out why people love it so much for yourself! read more

Whenever I see 'wood-fired' or 'log-fired' to describe a pizza I get a bit worried that it's going to come out like a crispy tortilla wrap with toppings. I know it's probably horrendously untraditional and sacrilege of me, but I like a bit of stodge to my pizzas. Our pizza here was a little crisped at the edge but the thin base was very soft and melt-in-the-mouth. We opted for the Vegetariana, replacing the mozzarella with dairyfree Italian rice cheese and omitting the mushrooms (my husband & I don't like mushrooms). As an aside, I've just looked at the website menu again which lists the Vegetariana as having asparagus, aubergine, sautéed carrots, and sliced potatoes. Our menu had mushrooms, aubergine, and peppers. It was 14" as standard so we split a pizza and a side of wedges. We asked for wedges with no parmesan (usually not vegetarian, as well as obviously not vegan) and they were nice. Not as fluffy as I prefer my chips to be, but they were a tasty accompaniment. Service was fantastic, and I felt the food arrived quite quickly. I look forward to their Glasgow branch opening soon! read more

La Favorita - Pizza with Italian dairy-free cheese topping, no BYO vegan cheese with them! :) - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Fantastic upscale Italian restaurant with great pizza and main dishes. I ordered the prawn stuffed sea bass and it was fantastic. Also, you can't go wrong with the bruschetta with mushrooms and truffle oil. Simply a great experience overall with great food and service. read more

Hmmm I am American and I grew up in the NYC area, so I am fairly confident that I know good Italian food when I taste it. I am not saying that the food isn't good, but it definitely did not blow me away. We came here because it was listed as a Top 10 Best Restaurant in Edinburgh, according to The Guardian and I definitely would not rate this in my top 10. However, with that being said, the service was fantastic. Our servers were all very friendly and attentive. The portions here are enormous and we did feel that they mislead us into ordering more food than we needed because we did ask if the starters were big enough to shared and they recommended that we order two. Both plates were huge and we certainly could have just shared one between the two of us. Not to mention the entrees were enough for 2-3 people to share. So come hungry! Ambiance has a little bit of a corny feel but also reminded me a lot of any Italian spot in suburban New York / New Jersey, in the sense that there was Frank Sinatra playing in the background the entire time and the servers were a little over the top trying to prove their Italian-ness (actual, and not the macho mobster Guido kind we see over here in the States). read more

In Scotland with my running group to run the Edinburgh Half/Marathon, and we had our team dinner here. We had 25 people in all! The restaurant was already very crowded, and the place was tight with other customers waiting for tables. Busy doesn't even begin to describe the environment, but the waitstaff couldn't have been nicer and more patient and polite, not only with each other but with all the people standing around, waiting to get in. I was already very impressed! As I said, we were 25 people, so we had a set menu with choices within that menu. I started out with the bruschetta, and it was good, which was encouraging. For my entree, I had the lasagna, and it was delicious! As good or better than anything in the States, and I've eaten A LOT of Italian food in CA and NY. It was just as good as the pasta I had in Italy!!! For dessert I had the tiramisu, which I don't normally care for, but this was also delicious! The cake part was light, and the custard part was fluffy, and the whole wasn't overly "watery" or soggy like some tiramisus can be when they "overdip" the cake. Everyone else in our group enjoyed their choices, with most commenting on how good their food was! Again, I can't emphasize how incredible the waitstaff were. It is not easy to serve 25 people at one time with an already very busy restaurant, and they managed to not only serve us, but we were attended to with promptness and cheer. I never felt like I was being a burden, never had to flag someone down to refill my water or get another drink, etc... They were always one step ahead of us, and we wanted for nothing! The service was excellent. This was truly a wonderful dining experience, and I highly recommend this place!!! read more

The best way to describe this pizzeria is as one of the best-kept secrets of Edinburgh. I mean, apart from the obvious 'delicious!' 'amazing!' 'mouth-watering!' descriptions. Though all of these apply. It's a bit of trek if you're not a Leith-Walk-er (that was bad, I apologise profusely), but it's well worth the trek. I went there with a friend who'd just moved to Leith and decided that he had to find his local haunts. He'd heard on the very very quiet grapevine that you couldn't really get better than this, so we headed there not knowing what to expect. And, I promise, this restaurant done good by us. I ordered the special which was a pizza with ricotta and rocket and other perfect ingredients all put together, and my friend ordered the Vesuvio (a mountain of meat, really). The staff were all quick and gracious. The only downside, I'd have to point out, is the lack of beer on tap. I mean, there's one. And it's a good one, but it's a light lager and I'm an ale-girl. Definitely worth your while, and though you'll spend about 10 quid a person, you'll have enough food for a couple of days. read more

Like I've said before, If it's Italian, I'm in, and La Favorita has got some pretty great reviews on here so I felt it was my duty to visit and sample the fare. It's owned (I think) by the same people as the Vittoria restaurant up the road which was fab when I visited, so I expected big things. It's a bit more laid back than Vittoria, so I really liked that vibe, which was great because myself and three friends went here for a wee lunchtime catch-up and had lots of time and space to sit and sip some wine, just chatting. We booked a table and I'm glad we did because it was mobbed. I couldn't decide what to have so the waiter recommended a couple of things to me and I started with the Arancini, balls of mozzarella, mince and tomatoes rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried, served with a dipping sauce, and they were absolutely brilliant! The best I have had so far anywhere, by a mile. I went for the broccoli and chicken pasta for my main which was to die for. Honestly, I could eat this every day and not get bored, just my kind of meal. We had a couple of glasses of wine and left around 2 hours later which was quite lesuirely for a Friday lunchtime, but no-one rushed us, infact, quite the opposite. I would say this place is as good as, if not a teeny bit better than, Vittoria. Top Marks! read more

La Favorita - Italian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Went here for a family meal in Edinburgh. OK is about as good as I can go - service is friendly but bordering on the cheesy. Main gripe was with the food - it was all a bit bland and overcooked. We went for antipasti and secondi rather than pizza and I suspect that was our error as the pizzas looked excellent. We had two veal milanese that were both thick pieces of veal on the bone breaded and fried - and bland and overcooked. Also a piece of very dry swordfish cooked in similar style (despite a request for very rare) and an underseasoned seafood pasta dish (faggottini)? Ended up with icecream (chocolate was great) and the five of us were out into the Edinburgh rain 200 quid lighter (we had 2 bottles of the strongly recommended wine). Was it a bad meal? No not really, but just a bit underwhelming and expensive. Shame - if I go back I'll be sure to order the pizza as that looks great... read more