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Restaurants Overview

Edinburgh has many restaurants serving sophisticated international cuisines, but you may also notice a strong emphasis on traditional style. This tends to mean the Scottish-French style that harks back to the historical "Auld Alliance," founded in the 13th century against the English. The Scots element is the preference for fresh and local foodstuffs; the French supply the sauces, often to be poured on after cooking. Restaurants tend to be small, so it's best to make reservations at the more popular ones, even on weekdays and definitely at festival time. As Edinburgh is an unusually small capital, most of the good restaurants are within walking distance of the main streets, Princes Street and the Royal Mile.

As befits one of the richest cities in Britain, Edinburgh has many diverse, sophisticated restaurants representing cuisines from around the world. Perhaps the most exotic, however, is genuine Scottish cuisine. On restaurant menus, look for the traditional and nouvelle versions of classic Scottish foods, including salmon, venison, black pudding (a kind of sausage cooked with an animal's blood), cullen skink (a rich haddock soup), Loch Fyne herring, and, of course, spicy haggis, usually served with neeps and tatties (mashed turnips and potatoes). Scotland is also known as the "land o' cakes," with delicious buns, pancakes, scones, and biscuits served for breakfast or high tea. Not so long ago the standards of cooking and service too often betrayed that puritanical Scottish conviction that enjoying yourself is a sin. Today Scottish game and seafood are often presented with great flair. After the feast, other delicacies await: handmade chocolates, often with whisky or Drambuie fillings, and the "petticoat tail" shortbread are good choices. Oatmeal, local cheeses, and malt whisky (turning up in any course) amplify the Scottish dimension. And speaking of whisky, be sure to try a "wee dram" of a single malt when you visit Scotland's capital.