Absolutely the best! Stac Polly was recommended by our Whisky guide as a place where you can get fantastic upscale Scottish cuisine for a reasonable price and it most definitely exceeded out expectations! I had the haggis inside the phyllo dough with the cheese tray and my husband enjoyed the steak and kale. The desserts are wonderful as well! HIGHLY recommended! read more

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(I've added a few pictures to this restaurant's page from their own website, I hope they don't mind.) Like the earlier reviewer this restaurant came highly recommended by our hotel, which arguably has the best goddamn concierge in the UK. For fellow travelers, once the restaurant filled up there were noticeably few Americans in the place. Please don't get the impression that this is a tourist trap. In fact, its better if you don't tell anyone else about this place or it could get as difficult to get into as the Wedgwood. The food was certainly as good. First the atmosphere was well done, stone with tasteful tartan accents. Impeccably Scotttish as was the food. With the layout and the lighting it was romantic, this is not a kid-friendly restaurant. The service was amiable and attentive, if a bit difficult to understand at times. As I've noticed at most of the UK restaurants I visited this summer; the staff are from the EU countries in deepest economic crisis (Spain, Greece and Italy were all well represented). But this was a relatively minor hassle. And the food was worth it. The beer was excellent and local, you can't ask for more than that. I started with the haggis wontons in a wine reduction. They were an unusual combination of sweet, umami and spicy that was enjoyable. I followed with the salmon. You really can't go wrong with scottish salmon, it was tender and flavorful. My father had the venison dish, and I tried some. Dear god, I almost regretted my order. It was unlike any American venison I had ever had. It was sweet, tender and completely lacking any gaminess. It tasted like a combination of buffalo sweetness and kobe juiciness. Anyway, go there. Its a bit off the beaten path of the Royal Mile, but go there anyway. And for god's sake don't tell anyone about it. I want to be able to get in easily when I go back to Edinburgh. read more

Stac Polly - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Had dinner here at the suggestion of our concierge at The Scotsman. We were not disappointed. Lovely, intimate setting in a wine cellar. Food and service were impeccable. Lovely experience overall. read more

We visited Stac Polly in Edinburgh on night 12 of our 15 day tour. While I found the food to be good, it was not exceptional and there were a number of issues. There were 38 if us squeezed into a room and the waiters bumped into those in the center aisle every time they walked by. The room was very noisy. Napkins were thin and flimsy, much like tissue paper. I'd expect cloth napkins at a restaurant of this caliber. They brought bread to the table. It was a sliced french bread stick, it was soft and tasted ok, but they only brought enough for 1 slice per person and we had to request more bread, twice (maybe the waiter didn't hear or ignored request first time). The pepper soup was good but there was not a lot of it. As you'll see, small portions are the way this restaurant works. I ordered the lamb, it came with green beans and potato. The food was good, it was not exceptional, and the portion was small. Perhaps 100g of lamb. My companion ordered the salmon, it came with pasta and 2 tiny pea pods. The salmon was cooked well and tasty; the pasta was starchy and only average tasting. Not enough pea pod to have an opinion. Dessert was cheesecake with defrosted frozen berries. It was good but I doubt that they could have sliced it any thinner. The berries looked like different types but all tasted the same. They waited until we had finished the cheesecake dessert before bringing coffee and tea. The cups were half full. I had the coffee it was unremarkable, tasted like freeze dried coffee. I had to ask for a full cup of coffee and wait for it to come. Service was slow and at times disorganized. I left the restaurant feeling that I needed to have another meal as I was not full. Bottom line, I will not revisit this restaurant and cannot recommend it to others. read more

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Probably the best known Scottish restaurants even thought their approach is rather contemporary, you wouldn't know this from the outside with heather coloured walls and the fact you're standing on a very Scottish cobbled street. The choices of meat are very native, a lot of salmon on the menu and also a lot of venison. Being a big fish eater I was even tempted away and enjoyed a wonderfully tender piece of meat. Oh dear, the bill, now this is one for the tourists to work out, if you want real Scottish food (excluding deep-fried haggis) then I couldn't recommend anywhere better, but if you were after just a nice meal out - there's plenty of other places of the same quality without the niche but hefty price tag. read more

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The OH wanted to try this place after I raved about my lunch here. It's taken us a while to make it here but we finally went for dinner on date night. The food was excellent but we felt that the service let down the whole experience. We had to repeatedly ask for drinks and at the end of the night the staff seemed to be more Interested in chatting amongst themselves than giving us the bill. We waited 20 mins & then had to go & ask for it. Very disappointing. read more

Stac Polly - Gin cocktail - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Talk about a hidden gem off a side street!! We were looking for a late dinner and noticed this restaurant onky 2 blocks from our hotel. Everything about it was A+! The atmosphere in the basement is elegant and cozy. The service is incredibly polite and the meal was perfectly paced! The food itself is spectacular ... our party had the beef fillet, the lamb rump, and a vegan dish that i cant think of at the moment, and everyone was extremely haopy! We also had pretty much every dessert between all of us and the quality was conistently great! You cant go wrong here....worth every penny! (or pence i suppose!) read more

Stac Polly - Main dining area - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Wonderful first meal on our brief trip to Edinburgh. A cozy dining space on the ground floor welcomed us to a charming little table. For the first course we had the pheasant and he haggis which were both outstanding. Mains consisted of their generously portioned lamb shank and the sea bass. The sticky toffee pudding looked and sounded so good that we refused to share it and each got our own. Reasonably priced glasses of wine and whiskey were also fantastic. Our server provided excellent recommendations and was a warm and gracious host. If you're ever looking for a sensibly prices upscale meal in Edinburgh this is a must visit. For two people each having two drinks, a first, a main, and a dessert the bill came to £128 with the service charge. read more

Stac Polly - Background: haggis pastries. Foreground pheasant - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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We had dinner at Stac Polly with a fairly large group on our first night in Scotland. This place is absolutely amazing! The atmosphere in the basement is cozy, but comfortable. Since we had a large group, the menu was preset but there wasn't a single complaint from our group. There was wine on every table as well as bread and butter to start. Our first course was a soup of some sort of squash, pumpkin and pine nuts (I think). It was delicious! From there, we were able to pick from a selection of entrees of either chicken, salmon or lamb. I promise, Reno Yelpers, I do get more adventurous with eating as the trip continues on. But for this night, I had the chicken and Jason went with the salmon. The salmon was in a savory butter sauce and melted in your mouth. But the chicken won the round hands down. You didn't really even need a fork for this chicken, let alone a knife. If you stared at it long enough, it would fall apart. I have never had a piece of chicken breast be that juicy and tender at the same time. YUM! For dessert, we were served a cheesecake that had some sort of sauce - I'm assuming whisky, covering it so of course that was delicious too. Again, I'm kicking myself for not taking pictures of the food so you'll have to use your imagination. The food was just great and the service was fantastic for our large group. On our next trip to Scotland, we will make a point of finding Stac Polly again. read more

Stac Polly - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Stac Polly came highly recommended by our hotel We had just completed a tour of Edinburgh Castle & w/ nowhere else to go & nothing else in the vicinity, we ended up arriving about 15 min early & consequently 15 min before they opened. ( Plus, when travelling w/ parents, you're eating the early bird timetable which actually works out well since we're almost always guaranteed reservations ) There were 2 guys still setting up for the evening - 1 invited us in & the other looked incredibly & apparently perturbed. Gee - I'm sorry....shall we go stand out in the rain for 15 min while you finish your conversation? Not a good start to our evening... I likened their dark beer (Caledonian Ale) to more of an amber ale & tried 2 different varieties but thought they were both lacking a certain something Started out w/ a Poached Pear w/ Cheese - it was okay but cold. Guess this is what we get for being the 1st to dine - things right out of the fridge Both Mom & Dad had the Salmon which they enjoyed My Veggie Risotto was crunchy - nuff said Only Dad ordered dessert - the Strawberries & Cream & the verdict was delish. The strawberries were super sweet & when combined w/ the cool fresh cream, it was perfection Would be willing to give this place another try & it's not like we hated our meals ( well, I did ).....we just weren't wowed & for this kind of £££, we would probably seek elsewhere next time read more

Game in rich sauce, seafood, little cubes of tablet with your coffee - Stac Polly does good Scottish/ French-style food. It's a pleasant venue*, staff are friendly ... so it's hard to put my finger on why it's just not that exciting. First, I have to say that everything I ate was delicious - scallops in their shell, pheasant with chestnut puree, a nice bottle of red and then coffee. J's partridge was tasty but a bit tough, but the venison was amazing. Like Catriona, I find the fact the menu doesn't change a bit disconcerting - they must get bored with doing the same stuff, surely? Shouldn't it depend what's good on the day/ week? But .. they do it well, plenty of practice, I suppose! I would go back if I had visitors to Edinburgh who would appreciate good Scottish ingredients - you can get haggis in a fairly safe and non-scary little filo parcel, for example! But not if anyone in the group was vegetarian, as there's nothing at all listed for them to eat. And if it's just the two of us - probably not. There's too many other places in Edinburgh to try. *I won't blame them for the lack of phone coverage/ wifi, but it was frustrating for a geek like me. And it's odd that everything's downstairs, leaving an empty waiting-room area on street level. Going up there to go to the loo was vaguely alarming - who knew who had walked in off the street and was hanging about in this empty area? (Oh, and it bugs me when restaurants add a service charge. Feels sneaky, and like they think you don't know to tip, We tip! But if you put a service charge on then you're not getting a penny more than that.) read more

My husband and I hosted a large dinner for family and friends (about 40 people) at Stac Polly on Dublin Street on a Friday night with a set menu from their Autumn 2014 selections. The food was stunning, as always, and at a very reasonable price. The starter of Baked filo pastry parcels of finest haggis, sweet plum and red wine sauce was a real crowd-pleaser (every plate was perfect) and eloquently introduced the Roasted rump of Borders lamb with mustard and herb crust, aubergine and red onion tart tatin, star anise carrots, fine beans and game jus. Everyone who ordered the Vanilla pod crème brûlée underlain by summer fruit compote all agreed they could have eaten a gallon on it! I cannot emphasis strongly enough the quality of food and cooking at Stac Polly. I have enjoyed Scottish fine dining in a number of highly acclaimed restaurants in Edinburgh but not one outstrips a meal at Stac Polly. The attentive and relaxed service in a warm and understated atmosphere results in an experience reminiscent of a good meal and excellent company in the home of close friends with the benefit of someone else clearing the table :) I can't wait to go back! read more

So on the advice of our hotel we go to this place... a little long drive as actually they have two locations and we got the wrong address first ;-) A little empty for a Sunday night but I guess that's normal for such a day at 9pm... We discovered a nice restaurant, going down a few stairs, old and cosy. Just looked comfortable and welcoming. The food is quite typical, offering traditional Scottish food, from haggis to nice fish. It's all good and tasty. But even though it appears to be quite fresh,I had the impression some of the plates where from food prepared in advance, easy to finish the cooking on the spot. There was no "wow" factor. Service was quick and efficient. So all in all good food, nothing amazing, but you will still have a good dinner. read more

Armed with a voucher for a meal out at Stac Polly, we arrived at a very stylish place. The surroundings reminded me of the inside of an Tudor Barn home stead, they even had the alcove open hearth. We were greeting with great enthusiasm. I am firstly impressed with the fact that we were able to use their normal menu, unlike other restaurants that present special voucher menus. The only extra was a supplement on the steak and drinks. So if you are picking up a voucher for this place, you get a real deal! Second I need to mention the service; pleasant, friendly and efficient. No faults or mishaps detected throughout our visit. And lastly I commend them for the chef's skill. Our Ham Hock Terrine and homemade pickle was delicious. The Rabbit was brilliantly paired with the black pudding. My Aberdeen Angus Fillet steak was cooked to perfection and the whole peppercorn sauce was rich and full of flavour. We finished with a rich Chocolate Cheesecake - this proved to be indeed very dense and rich. (Mostly finished off by Anita A.) - Portion sizes of all meals were spot on. The normal prices are £22 for the Rabbit and £27 for the Steak. For the quality and skill I would be prepared to pay that. Also wine by the glass is in relation to the bottle price. Nice. The coffee came with a fudge (hey, it is a Scottish Fare restaurant after all) which was buttery and sweet. All in all it was over and beyond my personal expectations. This place has the service, the chefs and the ambience deserving of a 5 star review. We will definitely go back here this year without the aid of a voucher read more

I had a very enjoyable meal here, and on a Groupon deal too so that's definitely a bonus. I find online deal meals can be very hit and miss, but in this case I would come back to Stac Polly for sure. I went to the restaurant on Dublin Street, which is down in the bowels of a building. So it's not got anything in the way of natural light and it feels a bit catacomb-like, but for romantic atmosphere that's probably a definite bonus. The service was speedy and polite. Waiters and waitresses kept us well-watered and fed and were very pleasant to chat to. The food itself was lovely. I ordered a game terrine with piccalilli to start and it was delicious. My main course was lamb with lentils and various other veggies and it was the best piece of lamb I have eaten in a very long time. Yum! The only thing I would say about this place is that it's pricey. It's over £20 for a main course so you had better be expecting some very nice food indeed for that price. But for the quality of food and atmosphere, I'd say it's definitely worth it for a birthday meal or special night out. read more

What a superb dinner in Edinburgh! There was a set menu as I was in a large group. We were in the lower level, which somehow had quite a bit of space! The set menu included bread, tomato soup with pumpkin seeds, a main course (salmon, chicken or lamb) and a raspberry chocolate torte with ice cream for dessert. I had the salmon as the main with potatoes and vegetables. All the food was absolutely decadent. Plus, I heard that the lamb was to die for! Great service, especially for serving a large group. Lovely mix of rustic and modern decor. read more

Traditional Scottish restaurant that does what it says on the tin. Old school dishes (game, beef, salmon) served in a traditional environment in the New Town. It ticks the box nicely if that's what you're after but hard to think of a reason to go more than once in a blue moon because it's exactly the same all the time. I had partridge for my starter which was mixed. The breast and the cabbage and bacon accompaniment were excellent, but the wee leg was charred beyond recognition. I couldn't get into it with cutlery and was forced to pick it up and take a bite . . . but I couldn't. Absolutely rock hard. Really didn't match with the quality of the rest of the dish and the quality of everything else we ate. Maybe it was just one of those things. The venison main was excellent though. The staff were nice, the place is very nicely turned out, if not quite as warm as it could be, so it's a good place that I would consider taking someone who wanted olde worlde charm, but there wasn't really anything to drag me back. And while having the restaurant downstairs is nice enough (although it blocks your phone reception...!), the empty upstairs bit that's open to the street is bizarre. A few tables and chairs with no apparent purpose, and you need to go up there to reach the toilet. Weird. So I'm a bit torn on how many stars to give. Other than my cremated partridge leg, the food was very good, and it's a nice place, but somewhat meh at the same time. read more

Though Coming here for the Fringe Festival and the great (yes, great, dining) I have been avoiding Stac Polly for about 10 years because of it's rep as the place for the Scottish Experience. How stupid of me. This is a exceptional dining that I would be happy to see in any great culinary Capitol in the world. The food was superb, and we have eaten in most of the top restaurants in Edinburgh over the years, the service professional, and the ambience perfect, in a tucked away corner under the street, very cosy and warm. Don't neglect the warm onion tart starter. It far exceeds it's description. And my friend who is a fan of haggis was thrilled with her wee pouches in a spicy plum sauce. From there to salmon and lovely lamb rump. Both wonderful. This was a meal to come back for year after year. read more

Stac Polly - Red onion tart - Scottish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Having an American friend over to visit, I had to introduce him to the highlights and the lowlights of Scottish fare - deep fried pizza (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/rainbow-restaurant-musselburgh); delicious ice cream (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/s-luca-musselburgh); tablet, broon sauce, pies and the such like, I felt it was required to show him a little more of the high life that us Scots enjoy. He wanted to try haggis before he departed our shores, so we took him to Stac Polly to see what they would come up with. Stac Polly definitely has highs and lows: Lows: * sample menu online is the same as they used on the day we visited - less sample, more stock - bit disappointing as it gave the impression that there was a rotational menu, perhaps on local availability, but it wasn't the case * no vegetarian main course. That's just poor show, chaps * Cranachan dessert. Given that Stac Polly was the place that introduced me to this fantastic dessert, it was extremely disappointing. Oatmeal that was left far too long in cream and whisky, turning what should be light, into a cream/oatmeal cake. The raspberries in sauce felt like they came from a tin and far too sweet - gave the heavy cream little if no contrast and became an overwhelmingly rich and unpleasant dessert. Came out far too quickly and clearly sitting in a fridge for longer than necessary. Less haste, more pleasure! * As the place was heaving, service was a little harried, but the waitress herself was perfectly pleasant. * No steak knives for the steak, which was a little on the tough side Highs * Accomodated my request to remove meat from one of the fish dishes so I could eat it but found random broccoli in the risotto - I have a food intolerance to the stuff, so rather bemused to find it on my plate. along with some buried beans - suspect there was a plating malfunction! * Lamb was apparently perfectly cooked and cut beautifully Overall, I am less impressed with Stac Polly than I used to be - I didn't feel the quality of the food was as good as I remember when this place was a regular haunt for myself and my family - it's good, but it's just not that good that I would necessarily pick this as a place to take guests again. read more

Every course was excellent, their drinks were on point. The whiskey went great with my Salmon! Dessert matched the Champagne! Across the board an amazing experience! read more

Went to the Stac based on the concierge's suggestion and we were not disappointed. The restaurant is oddly shaped but we had a private section where we could celebrate a birthday. I had the Portobello mushroom on Brioche which was the most delicious thing I have eaten. We ordered desert which was also great. Good service, good ambiance, great food! read more

I've lost count of the number of times I've been here over the years. This is my all time favourite restaurant, tucked away in a basement, full of charm, character and scottish tradition. The food is outstanding - I cannot recommend highly enough the Haggis Parcels to start - they are outstanding! The choice is limited (which I like) but the quality is outstanding. The food is locally sourced, the wine list is very good, the whisky is outstanding, the ambience is formal yet relaxed, the decor is beautiful and the staff are great. It's a special treat to visit Stac Polly, I think I might just book up soon! read more

Very disappointed. My husband enjoys fine food and we eat out often. But after telling staff he didn't enjoy his meal, they were rude and argumentative. We were treated like we were trying to pull a con and get some money off our bill, when my husband had actually found the meat to be tough and just about inedible. Will never go back and think this company need to retrain their staff to show customers a bit of respect and remember where their incomes comes from. read more

This food is not good at any price. The service was also bad (a bit rude and void of thought and care). My food clearly sat under a hot plate for a looong time. My wife sent her food back (and never does that). Avoid this restaurant. read more

this place looks long past its glory days. most of the reviews on their walls were from the mid-late 90's. why was my aberdeen prime rib so tough? sigh. it's a cute place, but not worth the visit if you've only got a few days in town. somewhat overpriced. read more

Had a prix-fixe dinner on Boxing Day 2016. The appetizers werr tasty; I had a Portobello mushroom tart in my wife had a slow cooked pork belly dish. The lamb rack lacked true glavour, but the sauce added in a more palatable element. Unfortunately, the sticky toffee pudding for dessert was not great, but edible. read more