City Of Edinburgh, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

It’s one of the Scottish capital’s more famous dining rooms within one of its landmark hotels and run by star chef Dean Banks, yet feedback is perennially thin regarding this 1920s chamber, which has been through a number of incarnations in living memory. Named for King Louis XV of France‘s favourite mistress, its hand-painted walls and opulent decor are Grade A listed, although this somewhat grates with its current format, with bare tables and vividly coloured bucket chairs. The menu is that of a luxurious brasserie rather than something more haute and the tasting menu likewise at a relatively affordable £75 per person. Feedback is ‘all good’, but doesn’t give enough detail for a solid rating.

2022 Review: “In the Caledonian Hotel (Waldorf Astoria)” for the past couple of years, in a space previously occupied by the Galvin brothers, Mark Greenaway's hyped modern English and Scottish venture may be a little ill-named (it's less about sharing plates than heftier options) but receives feedback that’s notably sound, including for the “fab” puds and “well-presented” Sunday lunch.

“Well deserving of its Michelin Star!” – the Radford family’s converted Victorian warehouse (originally built as a props and costume store) has built a strong culinary reputation since it opened 11 years ago and was finally recognised by the Tyre Men in their 2023 awards. A five-course menu for £115 per person is the entry-level option (although there is a more extensive tasting menu available for £145 per head).

2022 Review: “Good all round” – this popular and well-priced Marchmont venue keeps a local crowd happy with the French-accented dishes sent out by its owner-chefs, a Sicilian/Canadian couple who live nearby. A proper two-course lunch costs under £20, which adds to the appeal.

This “small” Stockbridge basement restaurant has become one of the city’s most beloved fine- diners, with chef-patron Paul Gunning (who learnt his trade alongside MPW, amongst others) offering “wonderful and imaginative dishes” that come in “generous portions” to boot. Best of all, for cooking of this pedigree it’s all “great value”, whether you opt for the two- or three-course set lunch, or the five- or seven-course tasting menu at night. In early 2024, the Purslane team re-opened the former Aurora restaurant on Great Junction Street, in Leith, just months after it closed; now rebaptised Dùthchas, it’s another relaxed fine-dining spot that focuses on tasting menus.

It’s “not often that you go to a restaurant and it’s a pleasure to order the entire menu”, but that’s the case at Stuart Ralston’s minimal-chic New Town venture, where the selection is limited to a baker’s dozen of “spectacular” Asian tapas-style dishes, inviting you to explore (or possibly over-order).

2021 Review: “Get the best seats in the place” (at the back, which offers “beautiful views” of the castle) to make the most of a visit to this city-centre staple, also turning out “enjoyable” cuisine of a modern European bent.

2021 Review: Owned by the Crolla family (who started Valvona & Crolla, Scotland’s oldest deli and Italian wine merchant – see also), this sixteenth century fine dining spot is a beacon on the otherwise touristy Royal Mile owing to its “well-cooked and well-seasoned” Scottish fare and “good value Sunday lunch”; for a truly intimate dining experience, try ‘Halo’, upstairs, which seats just four.