When you think Scottish food, you don't think "gourmet."…read more In fact, if you're the average person you probably don't have have even a conceptual idea of what the food is like other than similar to English food. You wouldn't be wrong, but also not the greatest of reputations. Then a place like Makars stands up and says "We can be Scottish and delicious" and the result is a humble restaurant in old town dishing out quality comfort food. I wish I had come here hungover. It's one of those places where everything on the menu seems to be aimed at reviving a wounded tourist. For most people the people will consist of a meat of your choice on top of a mash potatoes of your choice. All of the options looked awesome. I was just coming from an 11 hour flight, so I didn't get too crazy. I pulled trigger on a pork over bacon mash and it did not miss. The meat was exceptionally fall off the bone tender and the mash potatoes were flavorful and complimented the meat perfectly. One bit of advice - the portions are big so either come hungry or consider splitting an entree. I'd feel confident recommending this place to anyone who thinks that the Scots can't cook. It'll prove them wrong.

Having tried unsuccessfully to make a reservation before arriving in Edinburgh, we instead used the…read morewalk-in line, where they take your phone number, give you a wait time and text when your table is ready. Very convenient. The decor is somewhat industrial, probably because of the AC ductwork. Much appreciated during a warm spell in July! Staff were all welcoming and friendly. Service was great! Food came out of the kitchen quickly. It's all about the mash, but the meats stole the show! The lamb shank was large, meaty and complimented by the cheddar potatoes. We thoroughly enjoyed the juicy pork shank with applewood smoked cheddar mash. In addition we sampled the savory beef shoulder with horseradish mash as well as the Lions Mane mushrooms topped with rocket (arugula.) Each was satisfying and full of delicious flavors. Definitely worth the wait!

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!

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.

Out of all the places I've been to in Scotland, I think Queens Arms was one of my favorites…read more We had reservations for this place recently and when I took one step inside, I was already in love. I mean who doesn't love a good pub? You get great drinks and great food at an affordable price. As I write it makes me think of think of when Zidane reunites with Freya in FF9. Sometimes we don't wanna eat at fancy Michelin restaurant that has small plates but charges a premium. Sometimes we just wanna cut all the BS and just get a nice hearty meal. And thats what we got. When we sat down we found out that they were doing a Trivia night. Normally I would have told my girl to pick another spot to eat but for some reason I was cool with it. There was even a table nearby with kids(yuck). And you know what? It was fine. That's because we had been sipping on some amazing cocktails. If you also partake, Gin and Mezcal enjoyers will love the Bramble and Hibiscus Crush. What color are Luigi's overalls from Super Mario? That's such an easy question. Wait...what do you mean Luigi's overalls are blue? They are green. Look at this picture onli...Oh... One of the stars of our meal was the Haggis. This was the first time I had ever tried it and after trying it at multiple places Scotland, Queens Arms I feel has done it the best. I love the complexity of the flavors of the meat with the creamy and pepper flavors of the peppercorn sauce. If you've never had Haggis, you definitely have to try it here. The best part is that it comes with mashed potatoes too! Shoutouts to the Fish and Chips if you are also into that. One of my friends ordered that and I definitely had to go back in for multiple bites. Finally the roast. The Sunday Roast should just be an automatic order if you happen to come here on a Sunday. You get so much food and it's all so damn tasty. They'll cook a roast to whatever doneness your heart desires. We went with Medium Rare and it came out perfectly. If you didn't have enough flavors with all the extra sides it comes with, they also give you gravy to pour on anything you want. Thanksgiving basically came early this night. But as I looked around and admired all the bookshelf's and all the families have a nice dinner with their loved ones, I just thought about how happy I was. I was finally here! This was the start of my trip. Queens Arms has set a high ceiling on great experiences in Scotland. We even went back there a couple of days ago just because we knew we would be able to end the night on a good drink. But in the end I think if you are Edinburgh, you have to come to this place. It is one of my favorite experiences I've had in Scotland so far and I dream about when I can come back again.

Came here on our first night in town on the strength of the Yelp reviews and were not disappointed…read more We enjoyed a fantastic Sunday roast including a delicious pavlova for dessert. The kids meal of mac and cheese and fries was perfect for our picky little eater, though big enough for at least two!

This place was such a nice surprise! I had low expectations for the food here given it is a pub but…read morethe food was so good, my sister and I came back two days in a row on our 5 day Scotland trip. We loved the cauliflower bites with bbq sauce! My sister has a gluten intolerance and they had a separate gluten free menu and were open to changing the dishes to be gluten free! They were very honest about possible cross contamination but my sister said it was okay for her intolerance. The servers were all very quick and lovely as well!

This was the first place we ate at on our trip to Edinburgh and it took immense self control to…read morecontinue to try new restaurants and not just return here. I had a delicious Caesar salad that hit the spot and had the most amazing, toasty hamburger bun croutons. I also had a delicious apple cocktail that was so fantastic and so unique. My husband has the Caesar salad sandwich which was also delicious. The vibes were also just amazing here. It was so cute and cozy here and they had quite an extensive drink and food menu along with some weekday drinks!

This was a standout lil place downstairs that takes you out of the fray of tourism into a hip…read moregastro/bistro atmosphere. Terrific food, unique local menu, tremendous small, choosy list of whisky, wine, beers. The beer pickled mussels amazing. Cheese plate terrific. Had a cod over white beans in tomato sauce. Smoked kipper pate. What I loved most is that the staff, kitchen , chef served really great food, cared about the ingredients, and just offered a hip environment. Highly recommend! Servers were cool and nice to us.

Every time I am in Edinburgh, I gravitate to Under the Stairs. In the summer months, it gets…read morepacked, especially later in the night. The first time, we arrived around 10 pm on a weekend. Thankfully a couple left just as we arrived so we were able to snag a table pretty easily. The drinks are lovely and the flavor profiles are rather unique. I love spritz drinks so I really enjoy that they rotate the flavors seasonally at least. The last time I was in Edi, I stopped by maybe 2-3 times on my way to or from dinner for a cocktail. I tried to order different cocktails off the menu to taste as many as possible. I enjoyed every one of them which is surprising. Sometimes when a place tries to be different and interesting, the drinks can fall flat. These were exactly as described! I don't often eat here but one afternoon, we grabbed a cheese board, roasted turnip and hummus. The turnip was DELICIOUS. I was shocked since I never really care for them most days. I liked that the hummus was served with (i think) endive leaves. It added a nice crunch to the bite. The cheeses and bread were great. I have never seen one particular item before.... Pickled grapes. Wow. They were so interesting. The vinegar flavor was not strong but it added such a unique flavor to the otherwise sweet fruit.

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.

My wife and I visited for dinner and had a very nice time. We were celebrating our honeymoon. The…read moredecor was so fun and cozy, but also a bit more upscale than I anticipated. We were there at the beginning of the Fringe Festival, so it was pretty crowded, but the service was high quality regardless! I could tell they communicated very well as a team. We tried several dishes. The chicken pot pie was very tasty, but perhaps a little over done on the outside - not necessarily a complaint just an observation. The pesto pasta with mayo was a little too rich for my palate but my wife really enjoyed it. The bread was phenomenal, simple and delicious. We also had the cabbage, which was straightforward and enjoyable. My wife had an old fashioned and liked it a lot. I had the Cold town lager and it was excellent. All in all a nice experience, and I would recommend to those looking for a semi upscale dining experience, but not to those looking for a fast casual dinner.

Badger & Co. was one of the places we most wanted to try while visiting Edinburgh. It was…read morecompletely booked on our first night, so we tried again the next evening and were fortunate to snag an 8:30 p.m. reservation. Even after arriving, we still had a bit of a wait for our table, but we were able to order drinks from the bar while we waited. The atmosphere is what really makes this place special. The Wind in the Willows theme is charming and thoughtfully done, creating a cozy, beautiful space that feels uniquely Edinburgh. As for the food, it was good but not outstanding. Two of us ordered the chicken pies, one had the steak pie, and one had the macaroni and cheese. Everything was enjoyable enough, but nothing really stood out, especially considering the prices. Service was fine, though not particularly memorable. Overall, I would recommend Badger & Co. for the ambiance, decor, and experience rather than the food itself. It's a lovely place to stop for a meal or drinks and soak in the atmosphere, but the food and service didn't quite live up to the hype for us. 4/5 stars.

Had an amazing dinner at The Scran & Scallie last night - our first evening in Edinburgh and it was…read morea terrific way to start our Scotland vacation! Service was friendly and efficient. Cute space in a neighborhood outside of the touristy area - easy bus ride from old town especially if you take it in the correct direction to start, oops! - Scallop and potato starter - 5/5 really delicious three scallops on a small bed of smashed potatoes with something deliciously crunchy on top, presented in scallop shells, pretty! - fish pie - 5/5, dining partner had this and the bite I had was delicious - shrimp, fish, don't know what other seafood inside but yum! - fish & chips - 5/5, I laughed when the plate arrived with an enormous piece of fish and then proceeded to eat the whole thing. Homemade tartar sauce the best I've ever had. Chips were like steak fries, so good! Crisp on outside, soft and steamy on the inside. I tried to finish them all but could not there were so many! - broccoli on the side - 4/5 solid offering to round out the meal - toffee sticky pudding with pecans and vanilla ice cream - 5*/5 this was outstanding! The best I've ever had and wish I hadn't polished off the entire fried fish so I had more room to have more of this! Highly recommend Scran & Scallie when you're in Edinburgh and want to get a terrific friendly meal outside of the tourist zone

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

I wondered if I'd feel guilty whilst drinking cask ales at a traditional Scottish pub, right…read moreoutside of a church. Nope. It was brilliant. This place is grand...and by grand, I mean chill and comfy. Great for crews to relax and have philosophical debates and enjoy some beer. Love it.

I love the cosy, hidden away feel of St Vincent bar. I really do feel like it's been hidden away…read morefrom me for some reason, and the only reason I learned of its merits was because my brother was participating in a Poker tournament here one evening, and so I came along to basically peek over his shoulder and embarrass him and put him off the game by asking stupid questions. While I was there though, I thought, what the heck, I'll have myself a cheeky half pint (it was a Sunday, so I was winding down from the weekend) and take in the atmosphere. It was one of the pretty few and far between bars in Edinburgh where I felt completely comfortable and part of the banter within five minutes of being in the place. St Vincent is frequented by a lot of regulars, but not the kind of regulars that put their pint glasses down and fix you with a steely stare in silence as you creak the pub door open, and then through which you inevitably awkwardly feel like you should creep back out of again. All in all, this is relaxed and welcoming bar to attend of an evening, and if poker is your forte, you can play your heart out on a Sunday evening.