Best New Town Edinburgh restaurants - The Scotsman's top five

Edinburgh's elegant Georgian New Town is full of stylish restaurants for you to choose from. Here are five of our favourites.

Published 3rd Mar 2017
Updated 18 th Sep 2023

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If you want a more sociable night of dining, The Gardener's Cottage is a perfect opportunity.

Communal dining tables and a cosy historic building provide a friendly atmosphere and a chance to get to know your neighbours.

Designed by William Playfair as a gardener's home, the B-listed cottage sits at the foot of Carlton Hill.

The restaurant's chefs put an emphasis on building relationships within the local community and finding seasonal Scottish produce for their constantly updated menu.

Dinner costs £50 per person.

The Pompadour by Galvin

(Princes Street, EH1 2AB, 0131 222 8975)

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Edinburgh's Waldorf Astoria is home to this beautiful rococo dream of a restaurant.

Established in the 1920s, this ornate dining room was converted into its current incarnation in 2012 by the Galvin brothers.

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Jeff and Chris Galvin have already bagged the Urban Restaurant of the Year Award, and continue to dazzle with their expert grasp of French cuisine.

Views of Edinburgh Castle only make the experience of dining here even more charming, and the dishes completely conform to the Galvin brothers' ethos: “quality and luxury in simplicity”.

French techniques and Scottish produce are combined to create such wonders as their roast fillet of Peterhead stone bass, or their tender Perthshire pheasant.

Three courses cost £58.

Number One

(Balmoral Hotel, 1 Princes St, EH2 2EQ, 0131 557 6727)

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This is the number one spot to sample modern Scottish cuisine at its finest.

The restaurant has been open since 1997, but was fully refurbished in 2015, making it even more stylish than before.

You can take a seat on one of the dove-grey wool banquettes, and enjoy the fabulous art on the walls, including a triptych of a Scottish oak tree by Adam Ellis.

However it is the food that is the main event. Dishes include such delights as Balmoral smoked salmon with quail's egg, and Inverurie hogget with mint yoghurt.

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The executive chef at Number One is Jeff Bland, who has held a Michelin star for fourteen years.

The seven-course tasting menu costs £85.

Paul Kitching 21212

(3 Royal Terrace, EH7 5AB, 0131 523 1030)

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This restaurant has received a number of accolades over the years, including the “Best New Restaurant in the UK” award, a Michelin star, and four AA rosettes.

Paul Kitching, co-owner and head chef, has also won a Prince Philip medal for services to the catering industry and, when you taste
his food, you'll see why.

21212's menu is full of contemporary French dishes which are as beautiful to look at as they are delicious.

There is a new menu each week, to keep things fresh, but past dishes include “fish and chops”, and beef fillet “nut museli”.

The Georgian townhouse restaurant is light and airy, with period features and contemporary fittings - a perfect place to sample innovative dishes combining old and new techniques.

Three courses cost from £65.

The Honours

(58A N Castle St, EH2 3LU, 0131 220 2513)

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The Honours was opened in 2011, and its Glaswegian sister restaurant followed in 2014. The menu offers a blend of traditional and modern French cuisine, with inspirations taken from countries
across the world.

The name derives from the moment when Walter Scott rediscovered the Scottish Crown Jewels, known as the Honours of Scotland.

You can try out a fantastic poached fillet of halibut, with fennel, pepper and black olive, or you can sample a blanquette of veal with pilaf rice.

For dessert, why not order an apple tart tatin to share, which is served with cinnamon ice cream and caramel sauce?

Main courses cost between £21 and £24.

The Gardener's Cottage

(Royal Terrace, EH7 5DX, 0131 558 1221)

Maddy lives in Edinburgh and has written for the Sunday Herald and the Ed Fringe Review. She is passionate about authentic, sustainably sourced food, and is always keen to discover exciting new flavours.
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