Dunfermline Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: A bright Indian street food design is laid on strong at this large yearling, serving a variety of boldly flavoured bites. One or two encouraging early reports of “amazing flavours” win it an inclusion, but too few reports for a rating as yet.

2023 Review: “The best steaks we have ever eaten!” – the Davidson family’s roadside inn near Linlithgow has built its renown over four decades in operation, for the quality of its meat; and there’s also a selection of prime-quality burgers. Reflecting their heritage, South African wines are the backbone of what’s a high-quality list to bolster the generally red-blooded vibe.

2023 Review: “A seafood restaurant that never fails to please, with constantly changing menus that reflect what is available seasonally”. That’s the take on this small (24 covers) family-run fish restaurant and ‘seasonal hotel’ which sits on Hawkcraig point, with views of Edinburgh and the islands of the Forth. “The owners really do pull out all the stops to give a nice dining experience. Great for that special occasion!”

This old inn by the Union Canal, close to Edinburgh airport, is a “really lovely place to sit and watch the barges go by” while eating “well executed classics” from the superior gastropub menu – and it’s “nice to see seasonal game on the menu, too”.

It’s “worth a ride on the tram” (to the terminus of the Edinburgh line, which is a short walk away) to get to this dockside outfit in a Victorian building, which was launched in 2018 by fancy seafood haunt Ondine, of the nearby capital, and Welch Fishmongers, who supply it. It’s a “very busy” place with “limited tables” in the tiled dining room and on the outdoor terrace: one diner for whom “the takeaway was the only possibility” reports that “it was worth the long queue” for the “excellent fish and chips” (as against the fancier fare in the dining room) even in the winter chill.

“What a joy!” – Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s selfconsciously Scottish gastroboozer (‘Oor menu; Yer starters’) is a “buzzy” and “enjoyable experience” serving “upmarket and well done pub grub” as well as “wine by the useful 500ml carafe”. Top Menu Tips – the S&S fish or steak pies.

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.

“If you’ve ever been in Thailand, you’ll know how authentic the food is” at this “very popular Stockbridge restaurant” (which also has an offshoot near the castle). It’s “small, intimate and always busy, but the efficient staff try their best to provide you with a good dining experience”. Top Tip – “the chili crab signature dish”.

“The food is of the highest standard” at chef Maciej Szymik’s modern European spot, tucked away in the New Town – “we were lucky to stumble on it”. There’s “only a handful of tables in each room, which gives the feel of quasi-private dining”. “My only real criticism is the portion sizes are too large – it just wasn’t possible to leave room for dessert”.

2022 Review: “Still knocking out great burgers with a retro feel – the relish selection harks back to the 1970s”. This “great local burger joint” in Stockbridge which celebrates its half-centenary this year is “always reliable and never changes”. “The staff are rushed off their feet, but they’re always really professional and smiley”.

“Consistently fresh, bold, interesting food – forthright but beautifully balanced and absolutely delicious, and a decent wine list too” inspire nothing but high enthusiasm for this emerging star of Edinburgh’s dining scene – a ‘Restaurant & Bakery’ from Lloyd Morse and James Snowdon with traditional looks but a forward-looking menu of “simple seasonal food” delivering “outstanding” flavours. Top Menu Tip – “crispy lamb belly and sausage on mustard lentils”.

2023 Review: “Amazing Italian cooking using Scottish produce – impeccable – and with outstanding service” inspires excellent feedback on this stylish and moodily decorated New Town site. It was opened in mid 2021 by Stefano Pieraccini of the Rocca Group in premises vacated by Martin Wishart’s The Honour (RIP).

2021 Review: “From the owners of nearby Locanda De Gusti” – this three-year-old sibling is praised for its “authentic Neapolitan pizza” and at a good price too.

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.