Fabulous and generous portions. Our party tried multiple dishes and all loved them. I had the…read morechicken with smoked cheddar potatoes and it was amazing. Great service and we were in and out without feeling rushed. Definitely recommend a reservation

We visited Makars Mash Bar in Edinburgh and ordered the lamb shank and pork shank, both served over…read moretheir famous mashed potatoes. Both dishes were outstanding and showcased exactly why this restaurant is so highly recommended. The lamb shank was incredibly tender, rich, and flavorful, practically falling off the bone with every bite. The gravy paired perfectly with the creamy mash, creating a hearty and satisfying meal. The pork shank was equally impressive--crispy on the outside, juicy and succulent on the inside, with deep, savory flavors throughout. The accompanying red cabbage and slaw added a nice balance and freshness to both plates. Portion sizes were generous, the presentation was excellent, and every component felt thoughtfully prepared. If you're looking for authentic Scottish comfort food in Edinburgh, Makars Mash Bar is a must-visit. Both the lamb shank and pork shank were exceptional, and we'd gladly order either again.

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!

Walking in to The Devil's Advocate in Advocate Close, just above Market St, the large bar greets…read moreyou. We chose the Scottish Road trip whiskey flight. As someone who truly loved little about Scotch, it was a wonderful way to taste and compare smoky vs peaty whiskeys. Fun. Our table was upstairs and we sat next to an open door which allows for fresh cool air. It was a warm day in Edinburgh. Our server was wonderful, patient and really helpful. Our choices were truly delicious. We started with the fish board, olives, and mushroom skewer. We loved them all. I enjoyed the cod main dish, while my wife finished the starters. The side of asparagus was also excellent. The mouse dessert was delicious but very rich, it's enough for 4 people. The cost of dinner was also totally reasonable. I recommend this place highly.

I don't really understand why the ratings are so high at this restaurant. We tried going here one…read moreevening and I messed up the reservation. I'm not used to seeing it in blocks and our end time was bolded but not the start time. We showed up at the end time. We were charged obviously because you have to give a card for a guarantee. I get that. I was fine with it since it was my fault. What I wasn't fine with was the rude (dare I say bitchy?) hostess who I spoke with upon arriving. She was awful to me and looked at me like I was garbage. Even after that, I decided to rebook and pay attention to the time. The restaurant had been recommended to us by a relative as the "best place they had eaten" while in Edinburgh and I wanted to try it. I booked for lunch and when we arrived the male host was lovely. We were sat early (because I always show up to a reservation early) and then we waited almost a half an hour for the one waitress there to come and help. It was fine. I can understand they are understaffed and busy. But then the food, it was also just fine. It was decent but not great. Like a lot of things in the UK, it's understated and seasoned. My husband had the pappardelle and my two children and I had the flat iron steak. His pasta had zero flavor. It was a cream based sauce. It needed more salt. As for the steak, it was fine. It was cooked well. Mine was medium rare and the kids both had medium. It was also not seasoned well. However the steak was served with a dipping sauce (a garlic sauce, a peppercorn or lemon mint). We tried all three since we had three steaks and those were all good and kept the steak from being bland. On the plate were chips (fries), which were not salted well but we had the dipping sauces. Also on the plate was plain arugula and a couple on the vine cherry tomatoes. Nothing spectacular. The waitress didn't come back once the entire time we were eating. Overall, it just wasn't worth it for the money we paid.

Bar staff friendly and timely. Carrie (bartender) served us 2 nights in a row. So good we came back…read more2 time on our two night stay. Didn't wait long for drink in a very busy bar. Food was also good, veg were perfectly warmed, not over seasoned and crisp. Exactly how I like them. Food was a Lil pricey. But a great experience overall. Highly recommend.

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.

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.

After several disappointing dining experiences elsewhere in the UK, Badger & Co was a refreshing…read morereminder of how exceptional a gastro pub can be. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere struck the perfect balance between cozy and clever, with a unique and humorous Wind in the Willows / Mr. Toad-inspired décor that gives the place real character without feeling gimmicky. The food was absolutely top-notch. Every dish we ordered was clearly made with care, high-quality ingredients, and beautiful presentation. From the Scotsman scallops to the steak pie and desserts like the sticky toffee pudding and cranachan teacake, everything tasted as good as it looked. This is the kind of place where you can tell the kitchen takes pride in what they send out. The drinks were just as impressive and creative, well balanced, and easily some of the best we've had on this trip. Definitely a place where the bar program matches the strength of the kitchen. Service is where this place truly stands out. Sean and his team created a welcoming environment, and our server William absolutely knocked it out of the park. Attentive without hovering, friendly without being forced, and genuinely invested in making sure we had a great experience. Between the incredible food, outstanding drinks, fun atmosphere, and exceptional service, this ended up being one of the best dining experiences of our trip. I would confidently recommend Badger & Co to anyone visiting Edinburgh who wants a memorable gastro pub experience.

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.

Great little gastro pub, not a huge selection but ok food, nice vibe as set away from the tourist…read morestreets of Edinburgh.

Absolutely the best place in all of Scotland!!!! Eat drink and be marry!! The only regret is…read morethat we found this place on our last night in town rather than the first. Next time this will be our main place to come. Awesome!!

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 !