5 of the best weekend restaurants in Edinburgh

Edinburgh has no shortage of excellent restaurants, but sometimes, especially at the weekend, we just want great food with minimum fuss.

Published 21st Sep 2017
Updated 18 th Sep 2023

To help, we've picked out five great restaurants which are perfect for relaxing in at the weekend.

 

 

The Scran and Scallie

(1 Comely Bank Rd, Stockbridge, EH4 1DT, 0131 332 6281)

The kind of weekend breakfasts we can get behind. Picture: Scran and Scallie Facebook

They don't come much more laid back than family-friendly gastro-pub The Scran and Scallie, and with Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack at the helm you know the food will be good. So good in fact, it has already won the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand for 2017.

The menu – with headings in Scottish dialect – offers a mixture of old pub favourites like fish and chips and Sunday Roast, alongside forgotten classics such as sheep’s heid Scotch broth.

The interior also retains many of the building’s older features, while adding the comfort Isle of Bute furnishings and a sound-proofed soft play area for young children making it ideal even for the family.

Locanda De Gusti

(102 Dalry Rd, Edinburgh EH11 2DW)

Seafood to die for. Picture: Locanda De Gusti Facebook

A Trip Advisor favourite and a local institution, Locanda is the watch word for Italian cuisine in the city.

Delicious, brightly coloured ingredients will greet you on every plate from the seafood to the pasta and the service truly is second to none, it's the best place to escape a mediocre week and just enjoy an hour or two of delightful food in a wonderfully relaxed setting.

Island cafe with stunning views to team up with Michelin-recommended Edinburgh restaurant for one-off supper club

husband and wife team Rosario and Maria Sartore combine Scotland and the Mediterranean so well you'll think that you've stepped into some small town trattoria in southern Italy.

Purslane

(33A St. Stephen St, Edinburgh EH3 5AH)

It tastes as good as it looks. Picture: Purslane Facebook

Foodie favourite Purslane lies a little of the beaten track in the Stockbridge area of the city and is the perfect place to escape to on the weekend.

Head chef and owner Paul Gunning really knows what he's doing and his flair in the kitchen has had the city's bloggers talking since the restaurant opened.

So sit back and relax and prepare to be wowed as the culinary works of art make their way from the kitchen to your table.

New Scottish restaurants added to the Good Food Guide

New Chapter

(18 Eyre PlaceEdinburghEH3 5EP)

Few things look more appetising than a well presented plate. Picture: New Chapter Facebook

Described by our restaurant critic Gaby Soutar as a "hidden gem that should be enjoyed before it becomes too popular", New Chapter is the kind of restaurant that quietly builds a reputation while nobody - except those in the know - notices.

It's also the kind of place that fuses modern cuisine from different regions (in this case Scotland and mainland Europe) so effortlessly that you wonder how they do it.

With prime Scottish ingredients like Hand-dived Ullapool scallops, 35 days dry-aged Ribeye steak from the Borders and Roast Scottish lamb on the menu you'll be spoiled for choice with all the mouth-watering options.

Lioness of Leith

(21-25 Duke St, Edinburgh EH6 8HH)

El Perro Negro and Ka Pao team up for kitchen takeover in Glasgow 

Roasts are what Sundays are made for right? Picture: Lioness of Leith Facebook

Sometimes a trip to Leith is what's in order and in the Lioness you have a place worthy of visiting on a weekend.

This Victorian-themed gastropub with modern art adorning the wall, keeps things simple by simply doing things well.

With a (smallish) menu that features classic British staples like fillet steak and beer battered cod, its the perfect place to head for a no-nonsense meal.

The real highlight though has to be there Sunday roasts which come with all the trimmings (beef, chicken, lamb or veggie) and all for under £20.

 

 

Driven by a passion for all things drinks-related, Sean writes for The Scotsman extensively on the subject. He can also sometimes be found behind the bar at the world famous Potstill bar in Glasgow where he continues to enhance his whisky knowledge built up over 10 years advising customers from all over the world on the wonders of our national drink. Recently, his first book was published. Dubbed Gin Galore, it explores Scotland's best gins and the stories behind those that make them.
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