The Scottish capital not only impresses with its stunning castle overlooking the city and its location between rolling hills and the sea, but also with its array of culinary delights. If you’re visiting Edinburgh this spring, here are six restaurants you need to know about right now.
Seasons describes itself as a modern Nordic restaurant and its Swedish chef cooks up a storm with locally sourced ingredients from Scotland as well as Scandinavia. For owner Matthew Urry, wine and food are a match made in heaven and as a result, Seasons naturally offers a fantastic range of cocktails, beers and wine. The restaurant’s sommelier James Paulin is happy to help you find the perfect pairing. It’s an added bonus that you can transfer straight from your dinner table to Season’s bar without having to venture into the rather chilly Edinburgh nights.
At Timberyard, there really is a lot to love. From its farm-to-table ethos and a menu that marries Nordic foraging, smoking and curing with traditional French techniques and Scottish produce, to an enticing wine list presented by equally charming staff. It’s located in a high-ceilinged former warehouse where the hard edges have been softened with tartan blankets and a wood-burning stove. Everything feels right here, and why wouldn’t it be, since Timberyard is the creation of the Radford family, a local restaurant dynasty. A definite must-visit.
If you fancy a quick escape to the countryside, a visit to Gardener’s Cottage is your best bet. Surrounded by vegetable patches and located in a building dating back to 1836 that was once the cottage of the gardener, the young team here takes the meaning (and tastes) of seasonal and locally sourced food to a new level. Enjoy fresh halibut, mussels or Highland burgundy potato chips seated at long, communal wooden tables. Dinner at the Gardener’s Cottage makes the world seem a little more wholesome, and we can all do with an experience like that once in a while.
If you enjoy a good steak and people-watching, the no-fuss but very stylish Chop House is definitely worth a visit. Here, the very best British beef is cooked in the open-flame custom designed grill. We recommend booking in advance, since the restaurant is a firm favourite with Edinburgh’s creative types.
Dishoom is housed in a beautiful 1920s-era Grade A-listed building and pays loving homage to the Irani cafés of Bombay. The restaurant has an open kitchen on the ground floor, a first-floor dining room with fantastic views across St Andrew Square and a basement cocktail bar, drawing inspiration from the history and heritage of Bombay and Edinburgh. Must-try: Executive Chef Naved Nasir’s legendary breakfast and lovingly curated Bombay comfort foods such as biryanis and curries.
La Garrigue, which opened its doors in 2001, is a firm favourite among Edinburgh foodies. Why? Because it offers rustic family-style cooking, complimented by a large selection of the best wines from an area of France known as “Le Midi”. It is conveniently located only minutes from Waverley train station and offers great views of Calton Hill. Gordon Ramsay also named it as his favourite French bistro – need we say any more?
Visit OpenTable to discover more great restaurants in Edinburgh.
This is a guest post from freelance journalist Beatrice Clark. She has written for Vogue, Glamour and Vanity Fair, among others, and has spent the past 15 years living in France, England and Scotland. She is currently based in Berlin and is always on the hunt for the perfect Eggs Benedict.
