10 Best Restaurants in Edinburgh and the Lothians, Scotland

For a quick, cheap bite while wandering the Royal Mile, you can't beat Oink—possibly the best hog roast (pulled pork) in Edinburgh. Located on Canongate (there are two other outlets, but this one is the best), it was founded by two farmers in 2008, and their high-quality, hand-reared pork has proved a huge hit ever since. The idea is simple: choose your bread, choose your stuffing (try the haggis), and choose your sauce, then watch it all being combined with delicious pulled pork and—on request—salty crackling. There are three sizes available: piglet (80 grams, about 3 ounces), oink (160 grams), and grunter (250 grams).

A charming concoction of sandstone walls, raftered roofs, and roaring fireplaces, as well as a lovely garden area, this upmarket inn is the ideal spot for a pub lunch. Owned by star Edinburgh chef Tom Kitchin, the menu at first appears to be fairly by-the-numbers British pub fare—think fish-and-chips, steak pie, and sausage and mash—but with superior local produce and a dash of culinary imagination, classic dishes are transformed into something special. If you're feeling energized after your meal, there's a free pool table in a side room, as well as Gullane golf course just down the road; if you're feeling lazy, there are beautifully appointed bedrooms upstairs.

For fine dining with a touch of theater, it's hard to beat this superb open-kitchen restaurant, where you can sit at the bar and watch the skilled chefs prepare and assemble each course. The à la carte menu is small—there's a choice of just three starters, three mains, and three desserts—but it's filled with innovative and exciting dishes, such as dressed crab with curry and smoked almonds or spatchcock partridge with haggis and celeriac. A three-course meal with set you back around £50 without drinks.

There are few restaurants that feel so wonderfully, well, Edinburgh as this one. The freshest seasonal ingredients, mostly sourced from small local producers, go into creating delicious, inventive fare. The menu is constantly changing, but with pairings like scallop with unripe gooseberry and fig leaf ice cream, you can be sure of some surprises. The dining room, a former Victorian warehouse that's enjoyed a stripped-back, hipster refurbishment, is hugely atmospheric, and the young professional crowds are always lively.

Owner and chef Scott Smith, who previously ran the award-winning Norn, serves seasonal, Scandinavian-inspired fare here with rare Scottish ingredients, from beremeal (an ancient form of barley) bread to sea buckthorn. Choose from seven to 10 courses for dinner (£65 to £90), with menus arriving sealed in envelopes; you're encouraged to trust the chef and leave them unopened until after dessert. There's no à la carte here, but the lunch option is a four-course menu—and something of a steal at £35 a head. The decor is similarly Scandi-minimalist (almost austere), with plenty of plain white walls and wood veneer. 

Despite the name and the smattering of shared plates on offer, Grazing is mostly about traditional, hearty bistro fare done brilliantly. Set within a lavish yet unstuffy dining room, the restaurant's menu of seasonal dishes with inventive twists adds a real sense of fun to this consistently excellent dining experience. The menu is always changing, but a typical three-course meal might consist of barbecued shitake mushrooms on toast, hake with black-and-white-striped cannelloni, and sticky toffee pudding soufflé.

Clublike but unstuffy, this outstanding basement restaurant, set within the Edwardian splendor of The Balmoral hotel, is made for intimate dining. The food is extraordinary, with a menu that highlights the best of Scottish seafood and meat in inventive fashion—from scallops and sturgeon to lamb and beef. However, the prices make this a place for serious special occasions; the seven-course menu is £110 per person, without wine. Service is impeccable and friendly, as you would expect for these prices.

This gastro-pub at The Shore in Leith combines a beautiful historic setting with great quality food and a wide selection of Scottish gins. At lunchtime, the dark-wood bar does a roaring trade in simple fare such as gourmet burgers, fish cakes, and haggis (traditional or vegetarian), but in the evening, the kitchen ups the ante with a chalkboard menu of locally caught seafood specialties, from hake to monkfish. Exposed stone walls attest to the building's 15th-century origins. Come on Sunday and choose from the legendary brunch and roast dinner menus.

This atmospheric inn, on the crossroads in the center of Roslin village, serves tasty and hearty pub grub, from fish-and-chips and burgers to good veggie options. The inn, which also has rooms, is very close to Rosslyn Chapel; walk past the car park for a few minutes and you'll see it on the other side of the main road.

This pleasant pub, set within a converted farm building on the roadside of the A702, serves traditional, freshly prepared pub food, along with hearty snacks like sandwiches and baked potatoes. It is right by the parking lot for the Snowsports Centre, from which several Pentlands walking trails begin.