2 Best Restaurants in Leith, Edinburgh and the Lothians

For fine dining with a touch of theater, it's hard to beat this superb open-kitchen restaurant, where you can sit at the bar and watch the skilled chefs prepare and assemble each course. The three- and five-course menus have a small choice of starters, mains, and desserts, all abounding with delicate but interesting flavors, in dishes such as dressed crab with peas, grapefruit and socca flatbread, or hake with fregola and courgette flower. A three-course meal with set you back £65, the five-course £80 without drinks.

Despite its large interior with acres of seating, this bakery-café still regularly has lines out the door. The reason is simple: it bakes the best cakes in Edinburgh, using everything from Oreos to Reese's Pieces to strawberries and cream. It also serves great breakfasts, all-day brunches (with dishes like black pudding eggs Benedict and five-bean chili), and an excellent afternoon tea. From the exceptional food to the fun decor, the friendly service to the reasonable prices, this is a must-try dining experience.