I was a solo traveler so I did not make a reservation and just stood outside for opening for…read moredinner! I was able to put in my name and about 45 min later I got in. It is like the bar sitting area in a small room but it is perfect. Nicely decorated and cozy. The server and receptionist are both very friendly! I ordered lamb shank with bacon green onion mashed potatoes and an elder flower cider! It did not take too long for the food to show up and I did not have lunch so this was perfect and just right to the spot! Lamb shank was soft and tender and full of flavors! It was so so good. Mash potatoes is also very yummy and flavorful! The elder flower cider is very floral and I really like that!

We were a group of 6 and waiting time was less than an hour on a busy Monday at 2pm. Notification…read morewas via text or through a link which you can monitor your table's availability. We had a lovely meal here at Makars Mash Bar (technically called The Makar's Rest) We ordered the following: - Coke & Ginger Kombucha - Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg (deliciousness to share and a great way to begin a meal) - Home Grown Lion's Mane pan-fried bites, served with vegan aioli wasn't a hit with the group but I really liked it. - Slow Cooked Lamb (rich and full of flavor) - Crown Of Slow Cooked Beef Shoulder (incredibly tender and literally fell apart) - Makars Wild Boar Sausage With Beef Dripping Gravy (got a bite in and it didn't taste gamey) - Sides of Black pudding mash and Scottish cheddar cheese & onion mash which we really enjoyed. - Sticky Toffee Pudding was a perfect end to the meal. Great comfort food, generous portions, and a really enjoyable experience overall. Would definitely recommend. Atmosphere outside in the chilly air was a challenge at first. Outdoor heaters would have been a plus. At least we were seated.

Such a friendly and beautifully set restaurant. The food is picturesque and top notch. Everything…read morewe had, from the large portions of bread paired with roasted red pepper humus to the flaky and flavorful cod, was exceptional. The wait staff is helpful as well as friendly. They prepared a table for us even amidst a packed house. Know that this is not just a restaurant, it's a date night restaurant. We brought the kids, which was perfectly okay, but the setting and price is more date night worthy. This place is terrific! Enjoy!

We had a full day in Edinburgh and went by Howies Waterloo for a proper Scottish dinner. We hiked…read morecalton hill to watch the sunset. My meal (the venison stew) as well as the truffle fries and the soup and haggis was really good. My friend who got roast chicken said hers was also good. My friends who got Scottish lobster and pork belly both said it was overcooked / dry. The ambiance was very nice. We were in casual clothes and didn't feel under or over dressed. The service was great until the vary end. We were trying to make the sunset and did. But we had to wait a while after our meal before the check.

Just an awesome, rockin' final meal in Edinburgh - fantastic food, good service and energized local…read morevibe! Absolute must to get reservations! We tried on our first week in Edinburgh and failed, but were able to make reservations 3 weeks out for our last night in Scotland, and we are glad we did. Pork cracklins were a bit hard and crunchy, but everything else was perfect. We had fresh bread and langostinis for starters, along with a smokey whiskey cocktail, the Smoked Indiscretion! For mains we enjoyed the poached Cod, and the Pork with Barley. Service was very good, and wine selection was extensive. Atmosphere was loud with music and locals' chatter in the bar below, but dark tables and heavy wood panels made it a perfect place for a couple celebrating 3 weeks of travel. Highly recommend a visit to the Devil's Advocate, if you can book a table in advance.

The Devil's Advocate is undoubtedly a treasure to find in Old Town Edinburgh, especially if you…read moreaccidentally take the News Steps to get there, only to realize you should have simply taken the steps up Advocate's Close from Cockburn Street. But they call these lessons, "character building," apparently. No matter, the Devil's Advocate is worth the search. Located in an old Victorian pump house halfway up (or down) Advocate's Close, the Devil's Advocate is known for a killer whisky shelf of more than 300 different bottles from various distilleries across the Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Campbelltown, the Islands, and Islay. I finally sipped on a 15-year Tamdu that has convinced me to keep a bottle at home. Then there's the Clydeside 2024 Limited Edition Cask Strength that was wicked impressive. The bartenders are class at making and serving seasonal and regular cocktails that have their spin and character. My wife enjoyed gin-based cocktails such as the Clean Slate (with St-Germain, citrus, and sugar), Rose Garden (with Yellow Chartreuse, Cocchi Rosa, apple, lemon, and mint), and Bee's Knees (honey and lemon). I went full speed ahead with the scotch cocktails, which are essentially classics with a scotch-substituted twist. The Double Shot is an Espresso Martini with Dalmore 12 in addition to Kahlua, espresso, and demerara -- quite smooth without being too sweet. The Scotzia is a Negroni with Fettercairn 12, while the Boxcar is a Sidecar only with Aberfeldy 12. We enjoyed the bar for a few hours, watching the bartenders make magic while sipping on cocktails, while listening to 80s pop tunes. A great evening indeed.

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!

With so may average pubs in Edinburgh, this one really stood out. Best off so far. I had the…read moreShepards pie which was fantastic and mostly meat. Veggies were perfectly cooked and seasoned. My daughter had the duck, and it was the best meal on our trip for her. Generous portion perfectly cooked and seasoned. Very impressed and I would come back in a heart beat. Very few pubs were as good as this one.

The menu has enough choice to give even the pickiest of eaters something to love, however it is…read morelimited enough to prevent the indecisive from spending time unable to choose a dish. We had such a fab time here, and the entire table loved their meal - the beef was our favourite dish. The only thing to be wary of is to make sure you request a table on the ground floor and not up the staircase, if you have mobility issues.

Forage and Chatter was my last meal in Edinburgh, and I'm glad that I could end my visit here on…read moresuch a high note. I made reservations for one. And was seated in their outdoors (-ish) area. It's almost like an outdoor alley but still has a roof. I agree with the previous Yelper comparing it to a farmhouse/garden. The service was impeccable. Each team member that helped take care of me was very attentive, polite, and knowledgeable. I ordered the cured salmon appetizer, lamb neck filet entree, and a few whiskys. Both dishes were cooked perfectly, with a nice combination of flavors and textures. Forage and Chatter was one of my favorite meals in Edinburgh and I would most certainly make reservations here if I ever came back.

This restaurant is located in the lower level of the Scotch Whisky Experience building. It was the…read morevenue for the "Taste of Scotland" 3 course whisky pairing dinner we signed up for.   As far as the food, the 1st course was a trio medley of duck, trout, and vegetarian haggis.  I never really liked haggis, but this vegetarian version was pretty good I must say.  The 2nd course was a trio medley of venison, chicken, and hake filet.  The dessert course was a sticky toffee pudding.  Besides the two whiskies paired with dinner, we had a choice of a third non-whisky libation and I chose a nice Stewart's Holyrood Scottish pale ale.  The 1st whisky was a delectable Auchentochan Lowland 12 year old single malt to start our dinner.  The 2nd whisky was a delectable Edradour Highland 10 year old single malt which went with the pudding dessert.  The whisky connoisseurs here were informative and engaging, and the meal was tip-top fun and delicious, and particularly so if you're a whisky drinker.

We were part of a tour group that partook in the whiskey dinner experience…read more I recommend it. I am not a whiskey fan at all. But hearing a descent rundown on it handmade me less ignorant. Our meal was a 3 course small plate gourmet English supper. It was a cold patty. If duck/beef My only complaint. It was tasty. Sea trout. Excellent.

Delicious food in a very cozy upstairs space with great service. I had the venison, which was…read morecooked perfectly and served on a bed of greens and beets with a horseradish purée. I usually dislike beets but this combo really worked! My friend got the polenta, which was also very good and filling, and we shared the shoestring fries. All in all, a wonderful meal with friendly service. They have a weekday lunch special, which we would definitely return for.

The Perch offered us the ideal dinner. We were visiting Edinburgh, were hungry but it was late and…read morewe wanted some comfort food. And that is exactly what we got! Fish and chips were delicious, and perfectly prepared. My daughter had a burger and loved it. Service was excellent too!

For a name that conjures images of expansive open spaces, Field is a surprisingly cosy space…read more Nestled on West Nicolson, right by the University and across from a rather bustling student sports bar, (https://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/the-peartree-house-edinburgh), you could walk right past the restaurant without noticing it if you weren't careful. And that would be a shame, since it was very good! I came here for a family dinner, and we enjoyed the intimate space, friendly service, and carefully prepared dishes. To start we ordered drinks, and while they have a nice wine list, they didn't have as much in the way of beer or cocktail selection. Then, we had appetizers: White Onion and Beer Soup, Fried Octopus, and Smoked Chicken and Mousse Salad. All very good! Although not my dish, apparently the chicken salad was phenomenal :) For our main courses, I had roast rabbit loin, and my companions had vegetable tikki and a rack of lamb. My dish was quite tasty, and plated nicely, although nothing out of the ordinary. The Tikki (not sure what that is, actually), was crunchy, spicy, and tasted very nutritious. The rack of lamb could've been served a little warmer but was cooked to perfection and of very high quality. Dessert is actually where Field really shone-- we ordered some tea and I enjoyed the raspberry "cheesecake." It was spectacularly tasty, and quite inventive, not what you think of at all for a cheesecake, it was instead crispy layers of caramelized hazelnut crumb biscuit with what seemed like mascarpone cheese in between. Yum! Also tasty, the chocolate mousse, and lemon curd meringue tart. What a lovely dinner, not horribly expensive, and conveniently located in the old town while neatly avoiding becoming some garish tourist trap! An excellent choice for a finer meal in Edinburgh, and after dinner you can walk over to campus to see Teviot square and McEwan hall which look quite nice lit up at night!

We had some amazing meals in Edinburgh, but this was probably the best. Only about 8 tables so it's…read moresmall but we were able to show up without a reservation toward the end of the short opening hours on a Saturday. We started with the Harissa Spiced Lamb Neck. It was fantastic. There was just enough Harissa to create a good bit of spice. It also came with a watermelon and feta salad though which cut through the Harissa spice and made for a well balanced dish. My wife got seared scallops and Thai chicken wings. She said it was very good and it was definitely a good portion but I can't wait. I got the Onglet Steak with Haggis. Wow. The steak was plentiful and cooked perfectly. Super flavourful as there was a slight bit of whisky sauce And spinach in the plate to eat it with. I could've just had the steak and been fine. And that's coming from someone who doesn't eat tons of steak. But the Haggis was the highlight of the dish. Full of flavour. Smooth texture with tons of seasoning. Would get the Haggis alone and be happy. It was served in a caramelised onion spring roll. Added amazing nuance to the flavour. Just superb. Would love to return. Will be sure to make a reservation next time.

I was so excited to try this place after seeing good reviews but our experience was terrible. There…read morewere gnats everywhere that we were killing at our dusty booth. When our food arrived we finally asked to move spots but the back of the restaurant was just as bad. I can't believe other families weren't complaining. We also found a hair in our appetizer and the mains were subpar. My husband complained about his fries and burger and the manager was combative. They comped us for one whiskey and we left as quickly as possible. The shepherds pie was very salty and the side of veggies was very clearly from frozen.

**RACIST & DISCRIMINATORY** The young blonde hair girl in…read moreher maybe late-20s hostess, bartender or server (not sure which) was super rude! We came in excited about this place, and the restaurant had open tables at about 6:50pm on a Friday ... we had just walked all day and were starving with a 2-year old and an elderly after walking all over town and sightseeing all day long. However, was told by this girl that they didn't have a seat for us. Although there was no wait, no one ahead of us and empty tables. I told her she could seat us in that booth, we didn't mind since our 2 year old wouldn't be eating. However, she cut me off and said that would not work. I thought that was weird but that should have been That it would take them about 30 minutes to get us a table. We walk around in the cold, come back to the restaurant ... there are plenty of open tables. My husband takes my 2-year old inside to wait so she is not in the freezing rainy cold (especially since she was sniffling). The hostess then says it's going to take longer and that we must wait outside the restaurant. We tell her it's cold, and we've been waiting. She then says ... "This isn't going to work, I'm not serving you. You guys can leave." She did not want to serve of us this entire time! She could have told us when we first walked in, but made us wait and walk around outside in the cold rain with a 2-year old and an 88-year old ... then decides she doesn't want to serve us. We walked in at 6:50pm, came back at 7:30pm, waited until 7:45pm when she told us she wouldn't serve us. By this time all the other restaurants were fully reserved or with 1-2 hour waits. We ended up not able to have dinner that night, and got snacks from the grocery store. DO NOT COME HERE UNLESS YOU WANT HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! NEVER TREATED THIS BADLY BY A RESTAURANT!

This place is PERFECT as a comfy meet-up spot. Hot drinks, tasty food, cozy desserts, and a cute…read moreand sweet atmosphere--it's all good. And we left with full bellies, even though we only spent about 15 each! So, the food. YUM. We had some trouble deciding which of the menu items looked tastiest (we'll totally be back to try more options!), but she landed on the steak & ale pie, and i had the black pudding, tomato, & chorizo pie. Both were delicious--so tasty and satisfying! The chips that came with them (sweet potato for her, skin on for me) were perfect, and the mac & cheese side we split was also totally indulgent. We had sticky toffee pudding and a brownie for dessert, and those were so good they vanished pretty quickly even though we were already stuffed! We also got lucky and got to taste some of their soup of the day AND some fudge--both were heavenly. I'll be going back just to have some more of that soup, for sure. We both were really pleasantly surprised at how good the serving sizes were; I know I went in pretty hungry, and I came out COMPLETELY satiated. To top it all off, the waitress was an absolute delight. She was so sweet and patient, and she really went out of her way to spoil us! It almost felt like being at a friend's place. I'm really surprised I couldn't find any reviews on this place! It's such a treasure; we're really, really glad we gave it a try. I'll definitely be back. :)

Fantastic wee place full of character and appeal. Great for a coffee and a chat and the staff are…read morealwats friendly and go out their way to make things for you, even if they aren't on the menu. I could sit all day reading the paper, eating cake and drinking coffee! :-)