10 Best places to eat and drink in Edinburgh during The Festival

Sound Bite PR have produced a list of 10 of the best places to eat and drink in Edinburgh during The Fringe and Festival this summer.

Article Source: Sound Bite PR
Last Updated: 14 July 2022 10:14

1. The hottest new spots in town: Heron and eòrna

Heron
A relaxed fine dining restaurant, Heron, on The Shore, Leith is one of Edinburgh’s hottest new restaurant openings. Two incredibly talented chefs, Tomás Gormley and Sam Yorke have joined forces to open the restaurant as joint head chefs. Heron offers farm to table fine dining with an a-la-carte menu, bar snack and tasting menu that changes every few weeks, showcasing the best of Scotland’s seasonal produce including organic fruit & vegetables, wild fish & seafood, game & heritage breed meat. With rave reviews from Scottish Field, The Times and The Scotsman, Heron was also shortlisted for ‘Best Breakthrough’ in the GQ Food and Drink Awards 2022. The restaurant is open for dinner Wednesday - Sunday, 5:30pm - 9:30pm Lunch Saturday - Sunday, 12:00pm - 2:30pm.

eòrna
A new Edinburgh restaurant from two of Scotland’s brightest hospitality stars - chef Brian Grigor and sommelier Glen Montgomery is set to be the opening of 2022/23. The pair have a wealth of experience gathered from some of Scotland’s finest restaurants including Number One at The Balmoral and Restaurant Andrew Fairlie.
Ahead of its official launch Brian and Glen plan to host a series of preview supperclub events where diners will be able to experience their intimate 12-cover fine dining restaurant concept ahead of time. The dinners will take place at surprise locations so with a six-course tasting menu focusing on the very best ingredients and classic old-world wines. Follow them on Instagram to hear first @eornarestaurant.

2. Best for fine dining

Aizle
Aizle is one of Edinburgh’s most talked about dining experiences and, this year, has been voted one of the “Top 100 restaurants in the UK” in The National Restaurant Awards. Located in the beautiful Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, Aizle has made its mark on the Scottish capital’s restaurant scene with no traditional menu on display.
Guests are privy to only a list of ingredients used in the six-course tasting menu, dictated by what is local and the latest seasonal harvest. Everything is made in-house, from the nutritious live ferment in the sourdough, to the hand churned butter, aquavit and aged kombucha in the cocktails. Recent dishes have included Loch Etive Trout, Yuzu Kosho and White Kombu; Salt Aged Duck, Rhubarb, Beetroot alongside Milk, Edinburgh Honey, and Truffle.
Collecting rave reviews from Scottish critics and nationwide food writers, Gaby Soutar calls Aizle ‘Spectacular’; Janine Ratcliffe, the food editor of Olive magazine said the ‘cooking was incredible’. Aizle also regularly appears at the top of the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for best fine dining restaurants across the UK and was awarded the ‘Best Fine Dining Restaurant’ at the Edinburgh Restaurant Awards 2022.
38 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4HQ T: 0131 527 4747

3. Best value lunch deal

Wedgwood the Restaurant
Located in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town on The Royal Mile, Wedgwood the Restaurant is loved by visitors and locals alike for its outstanding, daily changing lunch menu which gives diners a taste of chef patron Paul Wedgwood’s innovative Scottish cooking at a great price. Open seven days per week in August, diners can tuck into seasonal Scottish larder like game, salmon and goat, served with locally foraged ingredients as well as a selection of delicious desserts created by the Wedgwood pastry chef.
267 Canongate, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH8 8BQ

4. The go-to Bib Gourmand

Noto
Noto launched August 2019 and is the second restaurant of Great British Menu chef, Stuart Ralston. It is one of the city’s top dining spots for locals and visitors alike. It was awarded a coveted Bib Gourmand at the Michelin Awards in 2021, the only restaurant in Scotland to do so that year.
The city centre restaurant is open seven days per week and pays homage to the New York culinary scene from when Stuart helped to open Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in the Big Apple. The menu, which features small and large dishes, has an international repertoire, with strong Asian influence. Stand out dishes include North sea crab, warm butter, sourdough and Aubergine tonkatsu, kimchi, pickled ginger. Not only has it received rave reviews from The Times critic Marina O’Loughlin, it has also been named one of Scotland’s most beautiful restaurants by Condé Nast Traveller. Noto is extremely popular and often booked for months in advance. If you can get a table, they accept walk-ins to sit at the bar for both food and drinks.
Open seven days per week and located in Edinburgh city centre.

5. Best for cocktails and the best Espresso Martinis in town

The Cocktail Mafia
The Cocktail Mafia is a new one-of-a-kind drinking experience that opened in December 2021 on Charlotte Lane in Edinburgh’s vibrant West End. The chic bar infuses edgy glamour and elegance with theatrical flair. The experimental cocktail menu has brought a new innovative concept to the Edinburgh bar scene. The Cocktail Mafia is a must visit for a pre or post show cocktail. Cocktails include: ‘Citizen Cane’ made with Glenfiddich that will be served in a port sipper glass with a smoked bubble on top and the Roku Gin infused with basil, ‘Millieu Vert’ that will be presented in a vintage 1924 coupe, with a sugared basil rim.

The Raging Bull
Looking for a pick me up after a full day of festival activities? Look no further than The Raging Bull on Lothian Road. It is fun, quirky, stylish, and whacky all rolled into one and is renowned for serving up the best Espresso Martinis in the city, with a full menu dedicated to them. If Espresso Martinis aren’t your thing, the cool cocktail bar has a delicious seasonal cocktail menu featuring an array of refreshing drinks for the summer.

6. Best outdoor dining (pizza and harbour views)

Matto
One of Edinburgh’s most popular pizza joints, Matto Pizza opened its first restaurant in Morningside just last year and has since launched a 30-cover outdoor terrace - perfect for late night summer dining.
MATTO has become a firm favourite amongst city centre residents for its unique take on the classic Neapolitan pizza. MATTO uses a state-of-the-art wood-fired oven that cooks the pizzas in 60 seconds and uses a long, slow rise dough made with premium 00 Italian flour. Their pizzaiolos create all pizzas from scratch using only the best ingredients including San Marzano tomatoes DOP and Fior di Latte Mozzarella as standard. They are also renowned for their creativity and the new Morningside menu will feature firm favourites including their Truffle base pizza with smoked cheese, mushrooms and rocket and Pumpkin base pizza with ‘Nduja, gorgonzola, pumpkin seeds and fresh basil; and new additions such as Pea purée base pizza with smoked speck, gorgonzola, mozzarella, figs, rocket and balsamic glaze drizzle. They also offer alfresco dining on their new terrace.
Have a look at their menu here.
Walk-ins only.

Pier Brasserie
Pier Brasserie is situated on the scenic Newhaven Harbour, home to the old fishmarket which dates back to the 1890’s. Boasting stunning views and a dedicated terrace area, it is the perfect place to unwind from the buzz of the city with a spritz in hand. Whether you’re looking for a romantic post-show dinner, or a get together whilst the family are in town, this is the perfect setting for any occasion. The modern and recently renovated restaurant showcases fresh, locally sourced ingredients on the menu with offerings to suit everyone.
Enjoy a glass of their specially brewed IPierA in their vibrant bar area or share their sizzling Chateubriand whilst watching the sun set over the Firth of Forth.
They’re closed Monday & Tuesday, open Wednesday-Friday 12pm-9pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am-9pm.

7. The coffee spot

Modern Standard
For the best coffee in the city, head along to the Modern Standard Cafe on 49 Barclay Place overlooking Bruntsfield Links. The café serves its own roasted and ground coffee sourced directly from farmer partners in origin countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala. These are ethically sourced speciality coffees made from the highest-grade beans in the world selected for their flavour, complexity, and aroma. With more than 12 years’ experience in the speciality coffee industry, Lynsey Harley founded Modern Standard in 2015 to create great coffee for absolutely everyone and opened the cafe in 2020. All the coffee comes from their roastery in Lynsey’s hometown of Glenrothes, Fife. Open daily from 8am - 3pm, with a selection of speciality coffee, tea and baking.

8. Elevated vegan

Aurora
Located in Leith, one of Time Out’s “Coolest neighbourhoods in the world” is Aurora, a hidden gem in the jewel of Edinburgh’s dining scene. Having flown under the radar for all but the most dedicated of foodies, in 2022 it celebrated its first entry into the Michelin Guide. The bijou 18-cover fine dining experience has always been one-step ahead of the food trends, from potato peel butter, experimenting with vegan-friendly plankton to umami laden porcini milk bread and non-alcoholic drinks pairing menu including iced teas, kombuchas and cold brews. Aurora is vegan fine dining at its best.

9. Escape the festival madness for the day

The Lawn
Led by MasterChef: The Professionals’ and National Chef of the Year 2021 finalist, Executive Chef Chris Niven, The Lawn is a restaurant with stunning coastal views located in one of Scotland’s most picturesque waterside towns, North Berwick. They offer a seasonal menu designed around flavour and simplicity featuring the very best from East Lothian and the surrounding area, served in a relaxed setting.

The Bridge Inn
The Bridge Inn’s outdoor dining makes it a must visit destination in the summer. The garden bar serves up Frosé and frozen Edinburgh Gin passion fruit martinis as well as an impressive range of local beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks, whilst the garden food shack offers a freshly prepared range of gourmet toasties, burgers and snacks.

Bridge Fifteen
Bridge Fifteen is the fine dining restaurant attached to The Bridge Inn on the banks of the Union Canal in Ratho. The award-winning inn with rooms combines a picturesque rural setting with a vibrant dynamic food-led philosophy and is a popular destination for foodies from Edinburgh, Scotland and beyond. The menu at Bridge Fifteen is influenced by the techniques and flavours michelin-trained chef, Tyler King, has experienced during his career and international travels. Sample dishes include wild mushroom ravioli, egg yolk puree, black garlic, puffed rice, mushroom broth; venison tartare, juniper, spring onion, buckwheat cracker, blackcurrant; monkfish, mussel xo, burnt leek, pine nut, vermouth sauce; chocolate cremeux, passion fruit curd, coconut candied pistachio.

10. Best for fun seekers

Ballie Ballerson
Ballie Ballerson, the iconic London ball pit for grown-ups, will open in Edinburgh this summer. The waist-deep, wall-to-wall, mirrored, LED disco bottomed ball pit will be filled to the brim with clear balls to roll around in. It’s the place to be for fun-seekers of any age. Award-winning bartenders create retro sweet-inspired cocktails including signature serves such as Dibbie Dabberson and Skittle Sour alongside a selection of spirits and beers.
Ballie Ballerson is due to open mid-summer from 6pm – 1am, Wednesday – Sunday. Bar entry is free and ball pit entry will be ticketed with managed time slots.

NQ64
NQ64 is Lothian Road’s neon graffiti splattered drinking and gaming den. The bar has an impressive collection of more than 30 lovingly restored retro arcade game machines, operated using distinctive NQ64 tokens which can be purchased at the bar. Alongside MarioKart, Time Crisis 2 and Dance Stage, there’s a secret Guitar Hero sound-proofed studio, PlayStation 1 and NQ64 featuring the classic Golden Eye alongside a bunch of classic consoles.
Order from the VHS tape style menu with a collection of creative game-themed cocktails such as the prosecco-based Princess Peach, the Blanka with Tequila and melon and Mad Max with rum, absinthe and fire. For full nostalgia, order a packet of space raiders and a local beer from the likes of Campervan Brewery and Pilot Brewing to refuel during gaming sessions.
Monday - Friday: 4pm-3am, Saturday & Sunday: 12pm-3am

Image: Aizle

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