Edinburgh City Guide

Cosmo

Edinburgh

Owned by David Murray, the Rangers boss, and run by his son Keith (formerly of Langan’s), Cosmo has been part of the fabric of Edinburgh’s restaurant scene for more than 30 years, delivering classic Italian cooking to a loyal following that includes Sir Sean Connery. They know what they like, from a simple dish of spaghetti with shellfish cooked in white wine and garlic to comforting stalwarts such as pan-fried calf’s liver with red onion gravy, pancetta and mash, or osso bucco. An excellent Italian in a city with tremendous competition.

Fishers in the city

Edinburgh

A city centre branch of the long-established Fishers in Leith, Fishers in the City makes full use of the teeming West Coast waters. Along with the daily blackboard specials and Fishers’ favourites, such as the seafood platter, this buzzing restaurant pushes the boat out with recipes such as Thai-marinated crab with vermicelli noodle salad, and roast fillet of monkfish with tempura baby fennel and baby asparagus with a raisin and caper berry vinaigrette. Raspberry and strawberry-filled pavlova is a great finish

Forth Floor

Edinburgh

Enjoy lunch and dinner in the Forth Floor Restaurant, Brasserie and Bar, with spectacular views over Edinburgh.  Brunch is also served in the Brasserie on Sundays. Head chef Stuart Muir provides contemporary Scottish food of the finest quality to complete the ultimate dining experience.

Kalpna

Edinburgh

Kalpna has maintained a special place on the Edinburgh restaurant scene since 1982, attracting a regular crowd of theatregoers, students and tourists with an exceedingly affordable and distinctive brand of South Indian and Gujarati vegetarian cooking. The kitchen offers a wide range of dishes, full of subtle flavours and fragrant spices. The South Indian thali, which includes two vegetables, dosa or puri, sumbhar, rice, yoghurt, pickles and a dessert, is one of the best and cheapest ways to experience this distinctive cuisine

Oloroso

Edinburgh

The unbeatable views from the top-floor corner site take in the Firth of Forth and Edinburgh Castle. Tony Singh’s rooftop restaurant, bar and private dining room can still lay a legitimate claim to being Edinburgh’s most fashionable place to eat and be seen. The menu is a multicultural pick ’n’ mix, with the likes of seared marlin with stir-fried vegetables and Asian pesto, and veggie-friendly grilled polenta, mushroom and artichoke ragout with a gruyè re cheese glaze and chive beurre blanc. Bar snacks range from curries, fishcakes and Highland beef burgers (with great chips) to BLTs, chicken Ceasar salad and pasta. The 250-strong wine list offers plentiful choice of good pedigree (including a wide range of Dom Pérignon).

Opal Lounge

Edinburgh

Still the place for the city’s impossibly young thin things to do their socialising, Opal Lounge would not be on a foodie’s hitlist, but it has its own lively charms with an oriental “greatest hits” menu that varies from mix-and- match “bites”, such as Thai fish cakes, duck spring rolls and sushi to more substantial Thai curries. Three bars, a dancefloor and dimmed lighting make for a late and zingy evening. Corporate card packages are available to avoid the queues

Skippers

Edinburgh

For more than 25 years, Skipper’s has been whisking seafood from the West Coast of Scotland and putting it on plates at this cosy Leith restaurant in as short a time as possible. The menu changes twice a day, depending on what has come into port, but its fishcakes remain firm favourites along with the Loch Etive oysters, whole grilled Dover sole (perhaps with a pickled ginger, lime and coriander butter) and grilled finnan haddie (with brie, prosciutto and morcilla).

The Number One Restuarant

Edinburgh

Since Jeff Bland was awarded the second Michelin star of his career and Number One’s first three years ago, it has been difficult, though not impossible, to get a table at the Balmoral’s flagship restaurant. The setting is as grand and as opulent as the dishes, which emphasise Scottish seafood and seasonal game with an accent on the more rarefied ingredients. The bill can be hefty, but there is a variety of menus available that go some way to reducing the damage. The lunch menu at £18.95 and £22.95 for two or three courses is a bargain.

The Witchery by the Castle

Edinburgh

This is one of Edinburgh’s destination restaurants; the guest book reads like a Who’s Who of Hollywood and Scottish politics and industry. With its beams, oak panelling and candles, it looks like a baronial pile that has been transported into the heart of the city, and is a favourite for romantic liaisons as well as business lunches. The food relies on letting flavours shine through rather than over- complicated dishes. Try the salad of Buckie crab and lobster, or butter-roasted quail, followed by roast sea bass and caponata lasagne, steak tartare, or grilled fillet of Scotch beef, with peach melba to finish. The wine list is exemplary.