Top in 2016
Soup at The Walnut
Here’s the list of the top places we’ve visited in 2016. All of these places scored 16.5/20 or better, marking them out as exceptional places to eat.
The Table
Absolutely mind-blowing food from chef Sean Clark. A must-visit.
The Royal Oak
Further afield than our usual stomping ground, but with strong Edinburgh connections, Helen Browning Organic’s Royal Oak in Bishopstone is an absolutely outstanding place to dine, so well worth a special visit, particularly for their outstanding pork.
Edinburgh Food Studio
My first trip was for an exceptional feast of delicious Nordic seafood, delivered in partnership between Roddie Sloan, Ben Reade and Sashana Souza Zanella. I subsequently had the privilege to be there for the Gala’s Game dinner with Brandon Baltzley and Laura Higgins. Both were incredible meals.
Hula Juice Cafe
Hula has been a long-standing favourite with their recent interior and menu revamp taking things to the next level.
Twelve Triangles Left Hand Dinner
An incredible dinner with bread and beer at its heart and an outstanding venison pie as the centrepiece. Wonderful.
Art & Vintage
A great spot that’s a handily placed getaway from the hectic excesses of the city centre. Their daily changing specials are extremely satisfying and the café space is very stylish.
The Bon Vivant
Offering one of the city’s finest lunch deals, The Bon Vivant is rightly valued as our finest bar restaurant.
Cult Espresso
Cult Espresso is an excellent coffee shop which is now developing its in-house food offering. Make sure to visit regularly to see how things develop.
Cairngorm West End
A fantastic, bright, stylish West End café with outstanding coffee, with Helsinki’s Good Life to the fore.
Ninja Kitchen
Team Ninja have grown to be a huge Edinburgh favourite with the latest incarnation of their pan-Asian street food taking this to an even higher level. A must-visit.
Century General Store Abbeyhill
Knockout coffee from Assembly, Steampunk and Williams & Johnson is supported by food from an excellent array of local suppliers in this gem of a cafe.
Dovecot by Leo’s
Taking over where Stag Espresso had forged a delicious path, Dovecot by Leo’s is a very good new place from the people behind Leo’s Beanery and Leo & Ted’s.
Down the Hatch
Tucked away in Port Edgar, Down the Hatch is a really impressive little cafe making lots of good choices – baking their own bread on-site, for example – and serving very tasty grub.
Educated Flea
Another fantastic restaurant from the team behind The Apiary and Three Birds, the Educated Flea has added yet more variety to the fabulous food and drink neighbourhood that has grown up around Broughton Street.
Grams
Our first “naked cafe”, Grams has at its heart an excellent selection of raw, vegan, allergen-free cakes. With a lovely menu of breakfast and lunch dishes alongside first-rate coffee, it’s a really good new addition to the Edinburgh cafe scene.
Greenshoots
An outstanding café in Gorgie serving first class coffee and a really well-prepared menu of lunch options. Worth a special trip.
Leo & Ted’s
A great new Tollcross cafe from the team behind Leo’s Beanery. Smart, stylish and packed with quality.
Maialino
An excellent William Street Italian deli serving the best bacon rolls in the city, and outstanding lunchtime sandwiches, too.
Mumbai Mansion
Pretty much the best place for Indian food we’ve found in the city, Mumbai Mansion offers outstandingly good dishes presented to a very high standard.
Paesano Pizza
A great barn of a pizza shrine, Glasgow’s Paesano is the best place in Scotland to go for pizza. Any questions?
Rollo Broughton
An excellent wine bar and restaurant packed with flair and charm, Rollo’s second branch brings fabulous style to Broughton Street.
Strumpets
An oasis of calm in the hectic West End, Strumpets can be relied upon to exude effortless charm, with impressive coffee and dishes filled with panache and verve.
Teuchters Landing
With a splendidly versatile and diverse menu, Teuchters Landing is right up there as one of the best places in the city for pub grub. They do a mean seafood platter as well.
The Walnut
An outstanding new Leith bistro serving dishes of really impressive quality, value and style.
The White House Kitchen
A fantastic café in a slightly unlikely setting packed with charm, excellent soup and hearty local fare.
Wildmanwood
A fine purveyor of rustic pizzas delivered with style and panache.
