And if you’re pushed for time, there is a fabulous selection of cafes and takeaways that will help fill you up if you’re in a hurry.      

During the busy festival period in August, restaurants can be extremely busy and if you want to dine at a specific place,  it would be sensible to book ahead. Also take into account that the Military Tattoo runs nightly at 9pm (7.30pm and 10.00pm on Saturdays) and many people choose to dine before they head up to the castle.  Try dining around 6pm, or after 8.30pm to avoid the busiest times.     

The majority of the Fringe venues have their own bars and cafes supplying food and drink between shows, but we understand that someone people want to experience good food at local places whilst they’re in town and avoid being handed flyers as they eat. 

Tea Tree Tea, Bread Street

Need a drink and a quick bite to eat?    

Look no further than our recommended Tea Tree Tea in Bread Street.  Drew, Jamie and the team always warmly welcome tourists amongst their regulars.  A wide selection of drinks alongside fresh soups, salads and paninis are offered with an amazing range of cakes (gluten free choices available).  They also have fast reliable wifi to check out the latest festival news and reviews.  Open early until 9.30pm every day (8pm Sundays).   

Around the corner on Lothian Road, there is the excellent Illegal Jacks  who offers fresh tex mex food at reasonable prices.  Allow the friendly staff to help you select your ‘weapon’ and munch your way to happiness through one of their excellent burritos and quesadillas or tuck into their sizzling fajitas. Their vintage chilli has been taking Edinburgh by storm recently.    

At the West End of town, try Wannaburger for breakfast and burger lunches and dinners.  The food is good and service quick and efficient.     

Looking for a curry in a hurry?   Look no further than the excellent Kebab Mehal in Nicolson Street.  You may have to a share a table as you eat their halal dishes, but it’s a foody experience not to be missed in town.  The best Malaysian in Edinburgh has to be the neighbouring Kampong Ah Lee, which also offers an informal dining experience.     

Prefer a more relaxing meal?    

In the town centre, we recommend Urban Angel who have branches at Hanover Street and Forth Street. They only use local, organic, free-range and fairly traded produce.     

Our current favourite Indian restaurant in town is the Spice Pavilion in the New Town.  Serving excellent food with a genuine smile in sumptuous Indian surroundings, you will not be disappointed.        

Indian delights at Spice Pavilion

If you want to try Middle Eastern food, then Hanam’s at Castle Terrace is the one for you.  If juicy steaks are more to your liking, then you must try McKirdy’s Steakhouse.  Looking for authentic Thai food?  Passorn at Tollcross offers incredible Thai food and hospitable service.     

Avoca in Stockbridge has consistently good food and a warm local feel, as does their sister restaurant near the Botanical Gardens, The Orchard.   Another Stockbridge gem is The Saint in St Stephen Street who offer top notch food at very reasonable prices.     

A short walk from Haymarket sees some of Edinburgh’s favourite restaurants.  Italian food galore at La Partenope and across the road, First Coast always delivers.     

A slight longer walk or bus ride from town, but well worth the journey are a couple of Leith favourites.  Tony Crolla will warmly welcome you to La Favorita for any meal occasion and in true Italian style, families are well catered for.  Their log-fired pizza is the best in Edinburgh.  The Roseleaf in Sandport Place is a bar, but their food is tremendous. They also offer ‘pot tails’ which is alcholic drinks served in tea pots!     

Put simply, Edinburgh provides a feast of food and drink for locals and visitors alike.     

Bon apetit!

Jacob's chocolate cake- personal favourite

*Updated July 2010 with more cakey reviews* 

Edinburgh is home to many wonderful cafes and cake shops and we love sampling them so that we can advise you the best places to enjoy a sweet treat.   The following suggestions are in no particular order of preference, but have been grouped together by area of town.  As you will see, we have visited every single suggestion and reviewed it, so click on the links to get location details and our thoughts on the cafes.       

Starting off with my local favourites, we have Muffins at Goldenacre and  Moo Cafeteria at Canonmills.  The great thing about Moo’s menu of cakes is that it is ever changing. Different desserts are always rotated through the week, meaning there is always a fresh choice to choose from and I have yet to have a disappointing cake.   The neighbouring Circle Cafe does a wonderful carrot cake and completing the choices on Brandon Terrace is the fabulous Coffee Angel.  Moving towards town, there is the Russian Passion Cafe who do a selection of Russian desserts and kick started my 2010 with a cakey bang.       

On Broughton Street, the freshly baked scones at the Bakehouse merit a visit and Urban Angel at Forth Street do an amazing selection of cakes and muffins to devour.        

On the Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile, you have the choice of Clarinda’s Tea Room and Forsyth’s who have old style home baking on offer.  Although not cake shops, the Fudge Kitchen on the Royal Mile is definitely worth a visit, as is nearby Lickety Splits.       

You can also relax in chocolate surroundings at Chocolate Soup although I’ve found the service isn’t always the best and at the top of the Royal Mile, I can’t think of a better value and quality afternoon tea than The Hub’s current offering.  Their chocolate brownies are heavenly and scones served warm.     On nearby George IV Bridge, the Cellar Door Patisserie has a german chef who creates cake masterpieces alongside truffles and chocolates.  On Victoria Street, generous slabs of cake are served at the Bakehouse.  

Rainbow cupcakes

Also in the centre of town is Spoon Cafe and their carrot cake is a personal favourite of mine with its’ lime frosting.  Peter’s Yard at the Quartermile is worth a trip for a Swedish take on cakes and the views from Debenhams on Princes Street cannot be beaten, but the offerings are not the best.        

There are hidden cake gems to be found in Bread Street’s Tea Tree Tea but I can’t see past their honeymoon slice.  They also do gluten free options and classics such as empire biscuits.  At Tollcross, the cakes at The Tree House are mouth wateringly delicious (the Victoria Sponge portion is huge) and moving South to the Bruntsfield area, my current favourite is the Chocolate Tree.  I find it better value than the nearby Falko Konditormeister.  

Moving down into Morningside, a trip to Loopy Lorna’s cannot be missed for the whole cakey experience with a vast range of tea presented in tea pots covered with cute tea cosies.   They are due to open another branch at the Churchhill Theatre at the beginning of August where they will take advanced bookings.       

Ex-tea-mernate cosie at Loopy Lorna's

Stockbridge choices for cake include Leo’s Beanery in Howe Street,  Zanzero in North West Circus Place and newcomer Madeleine’s patisserie and espresso bar.     

Porto & Fi at Newhaven is another excellent choice for a cake break.   Along the road in Leith,  favourites include Cafe Truva and The Roseleaf.  And I couldn’t write this article without mentioned the fabulous Sicilian Pastry shop in Albert Street and the Manna House on Easter Road.    Kitsch also hits the mark in Leith.  

In Gorgie, look no further than Patisserie Jacob which is amazing quality at reasonable prices.  Out of town, the meringues and other puddings at the Forth Rail Bistro are worth travelling for and have the added bonus of wonderful views.         

In Newington you can die and go to chocolate heaven at Choco Latte or choose one of the Grind House Cafe’s excellent cakes.  

If those selections haven’t make your mouth water and head out the door, you can always order cupcakes online from Edinburgh companies Rainbow Cupcakes, Lizzie’s Tea Party and Cupcake and Ribbons. All 3 of these companies also supply cupcakes in cafes around town and details are listed in their articles.         

One of my favourite desserts in town has to be the banoffee pie at Howies which never disappoints, but needs to be eaten as part of a meal.   As for my ultimate favourite cake in Edinburgh – well I just can’t make up my mind, so might have to pop round all the options again before making my final decision        

Another Wetherspoon pub is opening in George Street tomorrow – The Alexander Graham Bell.  Situated at the West End of the street, sees this fair-priced pub sell all the usual Wetherspoon food and drink including the very popular steak and curry clubs.

It is situated in very handy location for a quick coffee, or bite to eat at lunch and means you can drink in George Street without breaking the bank.

128 George Street

George Street, Edinburgh

Suitable for disabled?  Ground level access and fully accessible bathrooms.

Today I ventured back for the second visit so I could give it a proper rating and am pleased to report that the food quality and service came up trumps again. 

99 Hanover Street

The menu changes weekly so you don’t have to repeat your choices. 

Bargain lunch

Today I chose the black pudding and red onion sauce for 99p, the coley with curried carrot for 99p and a cranachan dessert –  for you’ve guessed it, 99p. 

Black pudding and red onion jam

Coley and curried carrot

Cranachan parfait

The black pudding and red onion sauce was a very tasty starter and the coley and curried carrot was heavenly in both taste and size.  The cranachan hit the mark on such a sunny day and I relaxed for a while longer in the sumptuous surroundings of the bar.  

99 Hanover Street is buzzing at the weekend with a DJ, but this current lunch deal makes it hands down the best value food in central Edinburgh. 

Wifi is available, so you can use the bar work in, or just watch the world go by from the huge arm chair in the front window. 

Suitable for disabled?   Yes, ground level access and fully accessible toilet on ground floor.

Avoca, Dean Street

Avoca in Dean Street, Stockbridge is my local restaurant and bar of choice.  I live half-way between here and its’ sister restaurant and bar, The Orchard which we recently reviewed.  They have a mixture of seating including stools at the bar, normal tables and chairs at the rear (which can be booked for private functions) and sofas in the main section.  

Their weekend brunch menu is to die for and is served ‘until we run out’ which makes it possible to munch on a full breakfast at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon.  My personal favourite is the pancake stack with bacon and maple syrup, £6.50 which always hits the mark if I’ve had a ‘late one’ the night before.  

Staff are super friendly and efficient here and remember those who have been in previously.  If it’s not too busy, you will be served at your table for drinks as well, which makes it a very relaxed experience if you bag one of the super-comfy leather sofas whilst reading the complimentary papers.  

This review covers a recent lunch, where I took a while to decide from the menu with has a wide range of comfort food alongside special dishes with enough variety to suit every one’s taste.  I opted for the large fish in beer batter, peas and hand-chips, £9 whilst my dining partner chose the nachos with chilli, £8.50.  

Whilst we were waiting on the food, we were automatically served iced water with lemon, alongside a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a pint of beer we ordered.  

Light and fluffy fish

The fish was extremely light and fluffy and I was given extra tartar sauce to smother over this fishy delight.  The hand-cut chips really hit the mark in both taste and portion size.  They were smaller cut than normal, but still as tasty.  

My dining partner delved into his nachos and chilli leaving no corn chip uneaten and he was more than satisfied with the quality.  

For dessert, the pear and almond tart with creme with vanilla ice cream and rich chocolate and mascarpone cheesecake, also with ice cream were ordered, £4 each.  The warm tart was heavenly and worked well with the half of the chocolate cheesecake I was given   I’ve never had a bad dessert at Avoca and everything is lovingly made on the premises.  

Mouth-watering desserts

Verdict?   Consistently good food at reasonable prices, with excellent service and relaxed atmosphere.  

Suitable for disabled?  Yes, ground floor access and bathrooms on ground level, although are quite small for manoeuvring wheelchairs.  

Food served Monday – Thursday 12pm – 2.30pm and 6pm – 8.30pm.  Friday – Sunday 12pm – 7.15pm.  

Friendly Stockbridge bar

The Orchard, Howard Place

Although it’s primarily a bar, I attended for the restaurant quality food at reasonable prices, having sampled its sister restaurant, Avoca in Stockbridge, on many occasions.

What I love about the Orchard is that you never have to leave your seat (apart from bathroom breaks) as everything, including drinks are brought to your table.

We were in no rush the day we dined, had left the car at home, and ready for 3 courses.  After ordering our food, we saw a neighbouring table being served one of the sandwiches on a slate plate which looked delicious, so also a place for a quick business lunch.

For start, my dining partner opted for the Arbroath smokie pate, with seasonal leaves and toast (£6) whilst I opted for the grilled goats cheese on toasted brioche with seasonal leaves and red onions, confit and pesto dressing, £5.

Arbroath smokie pate starter

Both of the starters were beautifully presented, a theme which occurred for the rest of the meal.  The pate was extremely flavoursome and the toast, a perfect accompaniment along with the salad.

Goats cheese and toasted brioche

The goats cheese was melt in the mouth quality over the hot brioche with the red onions making a wonderful combination.

I drank a lovely glass of pinot grigio at  £3.75 whilst my dining partner sampled a few of the ales and lagers on offer.  For main course, we both opted for the Cockburn’s black pudding with Ayrshire bacon, poached egg and hollandaise sauce (£10).

Black pudding, bacon and hollandaise

For dessert, we opted for the chocolate and marscapone cheesecake with Baileys ice cream and the pear and almond tart with vanilla pod ice cream, both £5.

Pear and almond tart

Chocolate cheesecake

Again, both of the dishes were beautifully presented and tasted as good as they looked.  The cheesecake was nothing short of perfect with the ice cream and fruit compote refreshing on the side and a break from the chocolate high.  The pear and almond tart was served warm and beautifully baked with the almond flavour wonderful.  Both of these desserts were simply divine, as did the the others on the menu look.

More drinks followed after dessert and we were never rushed to leave.  I can’t recommend the service and quality of food in this place enough and beats its sister Avoca in my eyes.

Suitable for disabled ?  Yes, there is seating  on the ground floor, but would perhaps be advisable to book ahead to ensure a table, the rest of the seating is raised up some steps.  Bathrooms on the ground floor.

Guilty Lily

I love Guilty Lily on Bonnington Road.  It allows the option for one person  drinking herbal tea as the other sups on real ales whilst tucking into scones and other baked goods at all times of the day.  The food on offer is varied and can be eaten in the dining area at the rear of the premises or at the low tables in front of the comfy couches in the main part of the bar.  

Service is warm and welcoming and on asking the barman one day what a sporting score was, he said he didn’t know, but went through the back to check on his iphone and came back with the result.  I was more than impressed with that personal service. 

Wonderful beef  (and vegetarian) nachos, £6.95 sit alongside the usual pub grub suspects.   Lady sized burgers are available from £6.95  and more meaty man sized burgers for the hungry male customer.  I love the inventive breakfast dishes such as ‘Eggs Benny’  – a variation of eggs benedict and ‘Smokin Lily’ .  They’re served every morning and all afternoon at the weekends. 

Do not miss the ‘Guilty waffles’ which are definitely the stars of the sweet goods on offer.  The waflles with crispy bacon and maple syrup, £3.50 get my vote most visits. 

Free wifi is available and a TV for background sport (not a sports dominated pub).  Families are made welcome and during the day Guilty Lilycan be popular with mums meeting up for something to eat with their wee ones.  It’s a cosy bar, that’s hard to leave and luckily on my bus route from home.  

Relaxed seating

On the visit that this review covers, I had the eggs Benedict ciabatta and herbal tea for brunch and my dining partner had a pint of real ale with a man-sized burger.  No complaints for either of the dishes – the food here does not disappoint. 

Eggs benedict ciabatta

 Suitable for disabled?  Yes, you can enter through 2 doors which give you access to the whole place and accessible bathrooms.

Inside The Saint

Set down a set of stairs, there are a mixture of old wooden tables and chairs, with a selection of easy listening music playing in the background.   The Saint is also a pub, so you can pop in for a drink, but you would probably find it hard to resist the food, which is undoubtedly the star of the show here. 

Wonderful starter

One visit I had the salmon and oatcake starter which was the beginning of an excellent meal.  Starters are around £4 and mains which have included fish dishes, duck and vegetarian risottos are around the £9 mark making The Saint serve some of the best and cheapest food in Edinburgh. 

Heavenly desserts

Dessert aficionados will not be disappointed with options such as chocolate spring rolls or Scottish pancakes with homemade toffee sauce (pictured).  A good relaxed service is offered, with ample time to talk over coffee or linger longer for after dinner drinks. 

Suitable for disabled?   The Saint is down a steep set of stairs and not suitable for wheelchairs.

Great wee pub

I love the Jolly Judge pub which sits at the foot of a vennel in James Court.  The Jolly Judge is only 2 minutes from the Castle but is a great discovery for locals and tourists. 

They do a  good selection of draught beers and malt whiskies alongside real ales, wines and spirits. 

On a warm summers’ day, it’s great to sit at one of the outside tables in such an historical area.  At other times of the year, it’s great to cosy together in this intimate pub and see tourists mixing with the locals. 

The Jolly Judge has been here for many many years, but has moved with the time and now even has wi fi.  Bring your good coversation and chat with other patrons over  a light lunch or a beer.  Definitely worth tracking down on a map. 

Suitable for disabled?  Unfortunately the pub is down a few stairs, but it would of course be possible to sit outside in warmer weather. 

The vennel you enter through

All important deliveries

Starbank Inn open again

There doesn’t seem to be that much difference in the ‘extensive refurbishment’ that has taken place.  Now owned by Belhaven pubs, the Starry has 42 inch plasma televisions and a subscription to Sky Sports.  I popped in yesterday and although the football is on the screen, the volume is low, allowing people to still hold conversations.  The locals were obviously happy to have a nearby pub open again as it was standing room only by mid afternoon. 

All the seats in the rear of the restaurant (semi-conservatory area) were full with diners sampling the new food menu.  On first glance, the food is typical pub grub and an average dish is around £8-£10.  I didn’t have anything to eat, but on looking at the plates on neighbouring tables, I made the right choice.  Perhaps the food tastes better than it looks.  One of the bar staff had trouble pulling a decent pint of ale on my visit, but I am sure her training will come in due course. 

There are some tables in the beer garden which will no doubt fill quickly in the summer months. 

Suitable for disabled?   Despite having fully accessible toilets, there are the 5 stairs to negotiate into the pub.

Of course, when there is a game on, you would not want to visit for a quiet bar supper, as the place is always packed with fans before and after a game. It gets so busy during match days that the hotel puts up a temporary marquee in the drive to cater for extra demand!

I’ve eaten here a few times over the years. The food used to be great – hearty portions, a varied menu and quality that edged above the level of usual pub grub fare. The previous time I came, about a year ago, the food had taken a huge dip. I don’t know if the hotel had changed chef or supplier, but it was extremely disappointing.

On the basis of this visit, sadly, things have not improved. The menu is still relatively varied, and the food sounds good on paper, but our experience left a little to be desired. The bar was quiet; it was relatively early on a Friday evening. We still had a fairly long wait for our food, and we had begun to glance at our watches.

When it arrived, the food looked a little uninspiring. My partner had ordered a mushroom omelette, which sat looking a bit forlorn and lonely on the large plate with only a few salad leaves and some fries for company. It was tasty enough, but nothing special.

I’d ordered the beef and ale pie, made using meat from the Buccleuch estate. There was plenty beef here, and it was lean; although a bit on the tough side. The biggest disappointment was the gravy however: it tasted burned and was slightly greasy, leaving me with a rather unpleasant taste which lingered into the rest of the evening.

The Murrayfield Hotel is a great place to come for a drink and soak up the atmosphere during rugby match days. However, as a place to have a pub meal, it leaves quite a lot to be desired and there are far better options available nearby (the neighbouring Hampton Hotel, for example). This visit saw me giving it one last chance to impress, based on the previous good experiences I’d had here: sadly, however, I’ll not be back.

Disabled access: yes, the bar and toilet area are on one level, easily accessible from the street and car park to the rear.

Grand Cru, Hanover Street

In the evening it’s an upbeat venue for dinner, but also a good place to have a drink. The atmosphere is different throughout the day.  

This review covers a brief visit in the New Year when my dining partner and I were looking for a light lunch as opposed to a big three course option.  

The staff warmly welcomed us and provided attentive service throughout, but because there were only two of us, we were not allowed to sit in the window seat for four despite a lone diner doing just that.  There are some low informal tables with comfy chairs alongside traditional tables and chairs for two and four. 

My dining partner had originally ordered some mussels after seeing a neighbouring diner’s portion, but was informed they had run out.  She opted for a classic ham and cheese panini at £4.95.  It normally comes with fries for that price, but she chose to forego the fries. 

Panini

It was a classic simple panini and reasonably tasty.  The portion of salad was a welcome bonus and was covered in a beautiful salad dressing.   I opted for a toasted steak baguette with Bearnaise sauce which also came with french fries at £4.95.  

Steak baguette

 The baguette did taste good and at that price, I wasn’t expecting lashings of meat, therefore I wasn’t disappointed with the portion size.  What I did eat was very tasty and gives me confidence for the rest of their menu.   The salad accompanying the meal didn’t have any dressing on it though. 

We were in and out within the hour and the table by the window we weren’t allowed was never was occupied whilst we were there.  

Suitable for disabled ?    No,  as there are the steps in the picture leading up to the bar and the toilets are actually Bar Napoli’s, the restaurant below Grand Cru!  

Grand Cru sign

The Voodoo Rooms

Although I’ve drunk there (too) many times to mention, I’ve never eaten there before. Today I put that right with a quick visit for lunch.

I don’t know whether it was the snowy weather or the time of day (around 2pm on a Saturday), but the Voodoo Rooms was very quiet when we arrived. The atmosphere was still chilled out and relaxed however, and the staff were friendly and efficient.

We sat at one of the large mirrored tables in the main bar area and ordered our food and drinks, relaxing in the ambience and gazing up at the distinctive ceiling and decor. Rather unimaginatively, we had both opted for the same item – the Voodoo Beef Burger with hand-cut fries – despite a varied and reasonably-priced menu.

The Voodoo Burger

The food took a little on the long side to arrive, but when it did we could appreciate why. The burgers – thick, juicy and extremely flavoursome – were perfectly cooked: slightly chargrilled on the outside; deliciously medium on the inside. The cheese topping was generous and the fries were seasoned with tasty yet subtle spices and once again well cooked.

Portions and time left no room for dessert, but after this brief visit we promised we would return to sample some more devilish treats from the Voodoo’s kitchens.

CC Blooms

CC Blooms is the weird uncle of Edinburgh gay scene: it’s old, creepy and embarrassing, but you wouldn’t want rid of it altogether.  Named after Bette Midler’s character in ‘Beaches’, this dark and dingy meatmarket is Edinburgh’s oldest gay club and has gained infamy world-over; Margaret Cho even referenced it on her ‘Notorious C.H.O’ tour in 2001. 

In general the clientele is significantly older than that of its neighbour and rival, GHQ, and drinks are ridiculously overpriced, but it’s nonetheless quite popular with younger clubbers as entry is free and it’s open from 7pm til 3am every day of the week.  The club’s two storeys are each composed of a bar and dancefloor, both as dirty, sticky and sweaty as the other, each blasting the dance, house and pop anthems that have become so standardized in gay clubs.  Dress code is practically non-existant; in fact, I’d advise against wearing anything nice to CCs, as after half an hour or so in there it will probably be irrevocably soiled.  In spite of its many flaws, the (very) occasional night out there can be fun in an ironic sort of way… Tragic, but it’s anything but pretentious.

Owned by the G1 group (the team behind Glaswegian gay haunts Polo, Moda and FHQ, amongst others), GHQ has become the crux of Edinburgh’s gay scene since its unveiling in 2007.  Composed of two bars, two dance rooms and a VIP area, this average-sized club never fails to pull in a fairly large crowd, particularly on Saturdays where you can occasionally end up queuing for twenty minutes or so before unfriendly bouncers grudgingly let you past.

Like most places in the Pink Triangle the dress code is casual to the point that dressing up nice is almost seen as weird, but the club’s stylish decor nevertheless rivals that of the more upmarket venues found in New Town. The atmosphere is really relaxed, and with lots of booths and beds for lounging across there’s ample seating for those who’d rather sit and chat with friends than dance themselves into a pop-induced frenzy.

Recent additions to the club include the VIP room’s hot tub, complete – fear not, health & safety fans – with scantily clad lifeguard. (GHQ will accept no liability for any STIs caught in said hot tub.) Prices vary on different nights of the week, with Tuesday’s Love Traffic offering free entry and cheap drinks but Circus Saturdays demanding a £6 entry fee and rather costly tipples.  It should also be noted that on Wednesdays the club becomes Groove HQ and hosts Movida, a straight student night.

Music varies throughout the week, but in general the main dance area is dedicated to a mix of current and classic pop hits while the dance bar churns out heavier house tunes. Monthly nights such as the revoltingly-named Furburger, Edinburgh’s biggest lesbian night, provide a bit of musical variety, but in general the music at GHQ is very mainstream, and it’d be nice to see the DJs venturing out of their comfort zones and introducing something a bit different into their sets once in a while.

Other gripes include the fact that the only smoking area is right by the front door, so you trek home smelling like an ash tray no matter how many fags you’ve consumed. Despite these small cons, a night out at GHQ is usually good fun, the staff are lovely and the loyalty of the club’s very many regulars is testament to its good service and friendly atmosphere.

Edinburgh Spotlight eats at a venue twice before publishing a review.  This allows us to enjoy our first meal without taking notes or photographs and judge the service and ambiance whilst having a meal.  The second visit is the one where we click away and scribble our finds before reporting on an average of both visits.  If we find a restaurant/cafe to be excellent, we want to ensure it has consistent high standards with perhaps a few weeks or even a couple of  months apart before we report our findings.  If a place is not enjoyable the first time around then we do not return, as it is our hard earned cash that we are spending.

When Edinburgh Spotlight has not been working from home, we have been conducting meetings in Tea Tree Tea and Coffee Angel.  Both premises offer fantastic food and drink (teas and coffee) with friendly service, alongside fast secure wi fi.  We have been in these places too many times to count and will continue to visit them 2010 unless another venue can possibly tempt us away.  Both are excellent for breakfast as well as morning or afternoon tea and cake.

We have eaten at the majority of the venues below many times before we started the website.  I present to you Edinburgh Spotlight’s favourite places they have eaten in 2009;

*

Breakfast

Peter’s Yard - does a great Swedish breakfast (as well as lunches)

Cafe Renroc - laid back friendly place with good food

Now Rest- Excellent greasy spoon cafe in Leith

The Bakehouse – goods baked in house and silver service teas

*

Lunch

The Treehouse - serving simple but great quality food at fair prices

Urban Angel  – Forth Street branch is the one I prefer, consistently good food and service.

Iglu – hidden gem in New Town

Metropole – excellent cafe/bistro in the south side of town

Tex Mex II – Thistle Street Mexican food heaven

*

Dinner

The Orchard  – wonderful food, immaculate presentation and friendly service

Kampong Ah Lee - delicious Malaysian food and other Asian dishes

First Coast – consistently good food with ever changing menu

The Pataka and Mezbaan are our favourite Indian places.  The Kismot is also fantastic and offers the unusual option of chocolate nan bread.

Ondine – fine seafood dining

Roseleaf Bar/Cafe- a firm favourite in Leith

*

Takeaway

Tempting Tattie - baked potato heaven

Oink - slow roast pork or nothing!

L’Alba D’oro - the king of chip shops in town

Well Hung and Tender - meat heaven in Castle Street

*

First time

New restaurants I have tried this year include The Blueglass in Morningside which was a pleasant surprise for the quality of food served with the bonus of excellent service.  Will definitely return in the New Year.  I also sampled the fish and chips at the Tailend in Albert Place and have since ordered takeaway on a couple of occasions. One of the biggest surprises was the great meal that was eaten at the Granary in Leith.  The food was beautifully presented and of higher than expected quality.  We have since recommended it to friends who have also enjoyed their experience.

*

Newcomers

A couple of great newcomers to the Edinburgh food scene this year as been Moo Cafeteria at Brandon Terrace.  I first visited them for breakfast and had some of their legendary banana brioche pudding and have returned many times since for a more substantial meal.  Moo is certainly holding its’ own amongst Canonmills favourites.

We previewed Illegal Jacks the night before it opened and didn’t take long for us to return (the food was so good) to enable us to review it properly.  Another great addition to the bustling Lothian Road.

*

Just for fun

The best dessert/pudding/sweet goes to the carrot cake at Spoon Cafe.  They have moved to new and bigger premises in Nicolson Street and in doing so have not lost any quality in either their food or service.  The carrot cake was nothing short of sublime and have yet to experience anything close to this masterpiece.

In a close second place has to be the honeymoon slice at Tea Tree Tea.  This sweet creation is so delicious, you need to experience it for yourself.  Despite its’ generous size, it’s over all too soon and trumps the cakes on offer from Manna House and Sicilian Pastry Shop.

If you have a fantastic dessert that you think we MUST try, in the interest of reporting about it of course  then please let us know.

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Do you agree with our findings or have somewhere you think we should try next year ?  Please leave a comment below or email us at info@edinburghspotlight.com.  Happy Edinburgh eating for 2010!

Cafe Habana

Hosting different pop/dance DJs throughout the week as well as karaoke sessions on Wednesdays, Habana mirrors Planet in the excessively loud volume of its music, as well as in its rather average prices.

The bar itself is a little small and getting your hands on a drink on a busy Saturday night is no mean feat, but there’s lots of room to chill out upstairs, including a little balcony that looks over the downstairs seating area.

The decor is bland – the upstairs resembles a shopping centre food court – but there’s a friendly, laid-back atmosphere, and its proximity to CC’s and GHQ is a big plus for most of its customers.

Iglu, Jamaica Street

I visited one Saturday for an early lunch with a friend but we ended up ordering the same dishes.  Even on a Saturday, there was a set menu for 2 courses, although we ended up paying a  small supplement for the steak.

For starter we had vegatatian haggis spring rolls, salad and sweet chili sauce.

Haggis spring rolls

Haggis and sweet chili wasn’t a combination I had tried before, but it was really tasty without the sauce being too spicy.

We both ordered steak for our main and it was perfectly cooked with lovely garlic butter melting over the meat as it was served.  The chips were handcut, thick and delicious.

Steak and chips

Time did not allow for dessert, but the cheescake or cappuccino mousse looked tempting.  We finished our meal with a lovely organic tea and continued our day.

A wonderful little find in the heart of the New Town.

Suitable for disabled ?     Yes, there are seats on the ground floor, although there is seating upstairs, so best to reserve ahead.

Cafe Renroc

In the basement, Nevo beauty salon takes its’ place – offering a wide selection of treatments and massages.  What a perfect combination – relaxation with food and drink before or after (or both).

I popped in for a morning cuppa along with a read of the complimentary papers.  My masala tea was beautiful and I took it without milk, but you can have it as a chai.  Obviously I had something sweet, today opting for rice krispie cake (the oldies are the best) but had I waited 10 more minutes, the freshly delivered carrot cake or chocolate brownie would have been my first choice.

Paper, masala tea and krispie cake

There is always a lovely atmosphere in the restaurant, with friendly staff and soothing music.  I sat upstairs today to enjoy the light streaming through the windows, but there are only two tables.  The rest are nestled downstairs in the cozy basement with differently sized tables and chairs with wonderful decoration.

Nevo in the basement of Renroc

As I read the paper, I noticed how popular the place was with locals, nipping in to get their usual coffee (with the staff knowing their order).  I can’t wait to go back again to try some of the fabulous meals on the menu and relax and unwind.

Renroc ground floor

The location of Renroc is shown below, but is just a short stroll from Leith Walk and away from the hustle and bustle. Well worth a visit.

Renroc = corner backwards don't you know

Christmas Food

This list is by no means exhaustive, just a wide selection of suggestions from around the city, all of which Edinburgh Spotlight has dined in at other times of the year and knows that the food is good.

The dates in which Christmas meals are served from differ with some available now, some from end of November and some during December only.

The lower of the two prices detailed is for lunch and the higher price is for dinner (some exceptions)  Please check with the restaurant’s website direct as they can change information and prices.

Calistoga Rest  Central and Southside    £15.50 – £25   menu

Blueglass  Morningside   £18.50 – £21.50 menu

Iglu  Stockbridge  £20 – £25 menu

The Scottish Cafe The Mound  £19.95 – £24.95  menu

e:s:i  Leith    £18.50

Amicus Apple  Frederick Street – £19.95

Stac Polly  Dublin Street, Grindlay Street, St Mary’s Street £27 – £33

Howies  various locations    £19.50 – £25.00  lunch menu & dinner menu

Roseleaf  Sandport Place – £20 – £25   menu

La Favorita Leith Walk   £22 – £28  lunch menu &   dinner menu

Zanzero  Stockbridge  £16 – £20  menu

Gusto George Street  £21 – £27   menu

The Saint, St Stephen Street  £14 – £21    menu

The Whiski Bar, The High Street £17 – £20 menu

Edinburgh Spotlight is definitely having Christmas lunch at the Blueglass and a couple of others, yet to be decided.   Reviews will follow.

Please leave your suggestions or experiences in the comments section below.  If you are a restaurant, please email us the information we need and it can be added to the article.

The Voodoo Rooms

The Voodoo Rooms is a relatively new cocktail bar and live music / club venue located above the Cafe Royal pub in West Register Street.

Lavishly decorated in blacks, golds and reds, The Voodoo Rooms is making the most of the neo-burlesque and retro chic movements currently in vogue and attracts a young and hip clientele as a result.

With a limited range of beers on tap, it styles itself predominantly as a cocktail bar and its drinks menu emphasises that point, being filled with some exotic and decidedly wicked sounding concoctions, all of which are mixed from the massive range of liquor stacked up on glass shelves behind the bar and served by well-trained and friendly bar staff.

The place has a relaxed, chilled-out vibe with lounge, hip-hop and retro tunes playing in the background as customers relax on leather-upholstered seats around mirrored tables. Although I’ve never eaten there myself, it also serves up some appetising-looking food from a fixed menu with a couple of daily specials, either in the bar area or in the dedicated – but still relaxed – dining area.

Besides the main bar and food area, The Voodoo Rooms also has two function rooms, each with its own dedicated bar. The Speakeasy is the smaller of the two and is located half-way up the stairs, whilst The Ballroom can hold 180 people and is where many of the venue’s eclectic gigs and club nights take place.

In conclusion, The Voodoo Rooms is a cool and stylish place to indulge in some quality rest and relaxation. It would almost be criminal not to sample at least one cocktail when you visit, but even if you’re just after a quick bite to eat or something softer to wet your whistle, it comes highly recommended.

Disabled access: Unfortunately not, as the bar can only be reached up a steep flight of stairs.

Roseleaf Bar Cafe

I absolutely LOVE the Roseleaf Bar Cafe in Sandport Place.  It’s cute, it’s kitsch, it’s quirky and best of all the service and food outstanding.

I made the good decision of reserving a table for Saturday lunch, this place can get very busy at the weekends, with good reason !

I have eaten here plenty of times before, but my dining partner looked perplexed as she was handed a copy of National Geographic, but it has the food menu inside it.  The drinks menu comes within a small book. 

Drinks Menu

As we were deciding on what to have, we watched in amazement at the creations coming out of the kitchen onto neighbouring diners’ plates.  Fantastic breakfast selection such as eggs benedict and the plate of nacho’s looked extremely appetising.  I really doubt anyone is disappointed with what they choose here.

My dining partner opted for Mrs McNally’s Mac & Cheese at £6.95 which is goold old fashioned macaroni cheese in wonderfully creamy smoked applewood sauce, accompanied by fresh salad.  I tasted some and it was fantastic.

Mrs McNally's Mac & Cheese

I opted for the lemon chicken ciabatta with guacamole, rocket and tomato which came with a choice of salad or crisps – Big Al’s Big Sarnie, £6.50.

Lemon chicken & guacamole ciabatta

The chicken had just the right amount of lemon zest which complimented the tangy guacamole perfectly.  The salad was dressed well and the ciabatta perfectly warm.  A real tasty combination (in addition to mouthfuls of macaroni cheese !)

For dessert we had the scone with home made berry jam and the chocolate fudge brownie, which today was honey and vodka flavoured.  I can’t say I specifically pickes out the honey vodka taste, but the brownie really was a melt in your mouth experience.  I even kindly helped my dining partner finish off her freshly baked warm scone.

Scone and homemade jam

Warm honey vodka chocolate brownie

After dessert, we opted for a pot of Jasmine tea which came in a fantastic teapot and we were advised on how long to let the tea brew for.

Jasmine Tea

The girls who work in this place are friendly and have good menu knowledge and happy to make suggestions.  It’s run seamlessly with food being delivered, dishes smoothly cleared and presented with the menu again.

There was a whole mixture of people in on the Saturday I did this review, a lovely atmosphere about the place.  Some people having late breakfasts, some people starting early on their fabulous range of cocktails and some people kicking back with a drink reading the complimentary papers.

Old Fashioned Money Container

The bill came in a very old fashioned stone money container (I remember the plastic ones from C&A) which is a cute way to collect the money.

Our bill for all our drinks and 2 courses each was £28 which is reasonable for the quality and quantity + tip.

Further details – 23/24 Sandport Place,  Edinburgh,   EH6 6EW     Tel 0131 476 5268 info@roseleaf.co.uk

Suitable for disabled ?   Yes the whole place is on the ground floor as are the toilets, with a fully accessible separate disabled toilet.

BONUS REVIEW

 I wouldn’t normally get excited about a set of toilets, but the Roseleaf’s are extremely cute.

Roseleaf's Toilet

The actual toilet cubicles themselves have swing doors and a blackboard you can leave a message on with chalk which is left in a hanging tea cup.

There are funny signs and reminders all over the bar, but I liked this one on display

Toilet Wall Sign

Make sure you pop into have a look !

Planet, Baxters Place

Drinks are reasonably priced, with a few good offers during the week; sadly there are no cocktails on offer, but this is made up for by the novelty of Fanta on tap.  The atmosphere is always nice and laid-back; whereas you might feel awkward walking into some George St bars in anything less than a dress and heels, in Planet you could rock up in a potato sack and Crocs and people would barely bat an eyelid.

Open from 10am every day and serving food till 10pm  and drinks till 11.30pm and later on weekends – makes it a busy place with a variety of clientele streaming through its’ doors.

Interior of Filmhouse Cafe/Bar

At 10am, I ordered beakfast drinks and shared the area with pensioners, mothers with their babies and other professionals.  I made good use of the free wifi (not password protected, so not 100% secure).

Their lunch and evening food is imaginative and reasonably priced with something suitable on the menu for everyone and a good vegetarian selection

Good coffee and tea, with a wide range of soft drinks and for those with a sweet tooth, an excellent choice of tray bakes and scones.

This place gets really busy on the weekends, but I love the atmosphere in the air here and the staff are friendly and efficient.

Filmhouse Cafe/Bar

Further Information

88 Lothian Road
Edinburgh EH3 9BZ
0131 229 5932
cafebar@filmhousecinema.com

The service was impeccable and I would go as far to say that the waiter was one of the best I have encountered in Edinburgh.

I used the List Card here for dinner but will definately be back again as I was pleasantly surprised at the quality for ‘pub food’.

Neither of us could see past the thai curry that was on the menu at £8.95.

It was absolutely delicious, not too spicy, but a nice touch was the pita bread and tsatsiki on the side.  The portion was very generous and the rice was cooked perfectly, although it doesn’t look that good in the photo.

Along with our wine, we were served iced tap water with lemon without any feelings of being made to feel guilty for doing so.  I wish Edinburgh restaurants would serve it automatically.  For dessert, we both had the Amicus Apple crumble with cream at £4

Again, I don’t think the photo does it justice.  It was reasonable in size and was cooked perfectly with it being crunchy on top.  You can order ice cream with it if you don’t like cream.

A thoroughly satisfactory meal with near perfect service (slight confusion over the List Card) and I will definately be returning.  We both felt comfortable as we ate in the respect that the office crowd were there in their smart suits, we weren’t and it didn’t matter.

Suitable for disabled ?    No, unfortunately not as the pub is down a set of stairs

It’s part of the Wetherspoon’s chain and has been really popular in Leith since it opened in 2001.   Nipped there for a quick lunch today on my friends’ lunch hour, sometimes you just need any kind of grub !

It was pretty busy inside, mainly with ‘older’ clientele and some kids since it’s the school holidays.

I opted for a classic plate of sausages, beans and chips, sometimes you just can’t beat it !  It’s certainly never something I would cook at home and took me back to my school days. 

Very reasonably priced at £2.99 plus a soft drink for 99p, it’s a cheap express lunch !  Sausages were good, as were the beans and chips.  I like how there’s a good selection of sauces in this pub, i.e proper heinz ketchup and HP sauce.

The Foot of the Walk does have some ‘interesting’ clientele and it wouldn’t be unusual to see drunk people at lunchtime.  Just keep an eye on your bag as you dine    

Suitable for disabled ?    Yes, has full disabled access and toilets  

All the main meals are under £5 just now which seems a great offer and no vouchers are needed.  My lunch partner and I both ordered the beef teriyaki ciabatta with onions, fries and honey & mustard mayo (£4.95)

Beer Teriyaki

The meat was seasoned and cooked nicely and the onions added to the taste.  We did both ask for our honey mustard mayo on the side otherwise it would have been all over the sandwich and I was worried it would be too strong, but it was good.

For dessert we ordered a banoffee pie at £3.75 and belgian waffles with ice cream and maple syrup at £3.75.

These took a little longer to come, i.e wouldn’t have had time to eat them if we had been on our lunch hour, but they were well worth the wait.

Banoffee

 The banoffee pie was really moist so there was no need for ice cream with it (not that it came with it anyway) and the caramel layer was the best bit (very sweet though)

Waffles

The waffles were also delicious (I tried them so I could report accurately ) and soaked in maple syrup.

We were both satsified after our lunch and for around £10 with a soft drink, good value, but not the quickest of service, so not  a place you could pop into on a time limit.

Suitable for disabled ?      No, the bar is located down a steep set of stairs, but there are some seats outside, so if you lucked out with the weather, you could sit outside, but the bathrooms are downstairs 

Since the weather was beautiful on Friday, a visit to Arthur’s Seat was in the master plan, followed by dinner at the Sheep Heid Inn.

It’s in Duddingston Village which is a cute wee place in itself.

We arrived at 4.45pm, so beating the office crowds to get a seat in the beer garden. The place was pretty busy already, so other people obviously had the same idea.

 We took our seat outside and ordered from the bar and perused the menu that was on our table, deciding what to have for dinner.

I went to the bar to order dinner, nothing complicated, just 2 burgers with chips, but was told that you’re not allowed to eat downstairs (inside or outside) on a Friday !?!

We were told we had to go upstairs, where it’s not so fresh and sunny, but there was still a table outside on the balcony.  I just don’t understand on such a sunny day why they didn’t bend this rule as once people saw our burgers walk past them, surely other people were going to get the munchies after drinking outside all afternoon !?

Sheep Heid Beer Garden

 This is half of the beer garden from the balcony, please note no-one is eating !

Because it was such a hot day, the kitchen which is beside the balcony had its’ window open and with the grill, we were soon smothered by the smell of beef burgers and all the other dishes that were being cooked, so we had to move from our lovely balcony spot so we didn’t smell like a chippy.

Sheep Heid Burger - Delicious

When the burger did come, it was nicely presented and a nice touch was the caramelised onions and lettuce etc, £7.45.

The meat was lovely, perfectly cooked (well we did smell it getting grilled ) and the chips were good aswell.

The burger filled me up and it was a lovely afternoon / evening apart from the fact that we were moved from our lovely seat outside to eat elsewhere (and it’s not like you can leave and go anywhere else local).

Suitable for disabled ?    Yes, there is a toilet on the ground floor, but not recommended if you want to eat on a Friday !   I wonder if they would have made a disabled person go up the stairs ?

The Granary

I’ve just come back from a most delicious dinner at The Granary on The Shore in Leith.  I was looking for a place down in that area to be close to my friends’ work and consulted with The List guide with intention of using my new List Card 2 for 1 (info here) but found a deal online that seemed almost too good to be true – 3 courses plus a vodka or gin for £10.99 !

I found it on their website when I went to book online HERE.   Thought I would give it a try and I am pleased to say that it was worth every single penny.

I arrived early and was warmly welcomed by the staff and chose a lovely seat by the window in a comfy leather tub chair.  I had a pot of tea whilst I was waiting and sat and read whilst enjoying the quiet atmosphere with Eva Cassidy playing softly in the background.

There were a few people in the bar and as the working day finished at 5pm, the place got busier.

The manager came and gave me the menu that we were choose our dinner from and I was pleasantly suprised at the choices.

For our starter, my friend went for the warm goat’s cheese and tomato bruschetta with salad and I went for the black pudding and flat cap mushroom salad.

We were most impressed with these starters, generous in size and absolutely delicious.    The black pudding dish doesn’t look the best, but it was soft black pudding with the mushroom on top and a combination first for me.

Black pudding and mushroom

Goats cheese bruschetta

If this was the standard that the food was going to be, then I couldn’t get my second course quick enough.

My friend was more than happy with her bruschetta starter and was a fairly large portion. (2 separate pieces)

Thai curry

For our second course, we both opted for the Thai curry.  Again, the picture doesn’t do it justice.  The curry had a wee kick to it, plenty of vegetables and A LOT of chicken in it.  Again, this was devoured rather quickly due to it’s good quality.

For dessert there was choice of two sweet dishes and one of cheese and oat cakes.  I went for the sticky toffee pudding which came with ginger ice cream which was a new one on me.  I asked the waitress what it was like and she offered to put it on the side for me, but assured me it was freshly made and delicious.

Sticky toffee pudding

Shortbread stack

Again, it was a very generous size, but of course I managed to force it all down     The ice cream was nice with fresh pieces of ginger throughout.

My friend went for the strawberry, cream and shortbread stack which looked wonderful

and was delicious, despite the quandary on how it was going to be eaten.

The whole meal was scrumptious / yummy / delightful and I would have expected it to be twice the price for the quality and quantity that was served.  In addition to the food, we both had a vodka and cranberry juice and it came to £10.99 each !

The place had a lovely atmosphere and the staff exceedingly friendly (without being false) and I would not hestitate to eat here again.   We tipped the staff well since we were getting such a bargain.   Highly recommended from me.

Suitable for disabled ? Yes, there is ground even access and lots of seating on the ground floor and a disabled toilet with ample room