Restaurants in Edinburgh are amongst the finest. I guess there are two aspects which really set the Edinburgh restaurant scene apart from the competition…
…the intense variety of international cuisine and the selection of Brazilian Restaurant specialising in Scottish cuisine.
Scottish cuisine you say? What on earth is that? Hideous helpings of raw meat and champagne flutes of pig’s blood?
Think again, my dear friend. Our chefs are highly adept at complementing locally sourced meat produce like Aberdeen Angus or seafood such as salmon with a sortiment of the nation’s favourite vegetables.
Scottish cheese is also a regular feature on Scottish menus alongside fruit sorbets, purees and sauces. An evening at a Scottish restaurant will have diners looking beyond the much-discussed stereotypes.
I will be telling you about the internationally admired Scottish restaurants in Edinburgh of which the locals are proud, such as the internationally-renowned James Thomson trio The Witchery by the Castle, Rhubarb in Prestonfield and The Tower above the Museum of Scotland.
I will also tell you about the much-loved Edinburgh ‘chains’ Stac Polly and Howies.
We do, of course, have an impressive range of international restaurants in Edinburgh, most of which offer extremely high culinary and service standards.
From Rome to Paris to Dehli and beyond…
The extremely popular but often one-dimensional Italian cuisine is given a refreshing make-over at Valvona and Crolla, an Italian delicatessen, wine specialist, cafe and restaurant.
The business was started in 1934 by Alfona Crolla, the present owner’s grandfather as a way to provide Italian immigrants with authentic Italian products sourced from the finest local producers in Italy.
Nowadays the delicatessen has been extended to incorporate a highly successful restaurant. The family also have a bakery and a cafe in the city centre. Specialising in the best wine and cheese Italy has to offer with an admirable family-oriented approach to their work, Valvona and Crolla is more a way-of-life than a business.
If you’re into French cuisine, you shouldn’t really miss the ultra-blue Maison Bleue restaurant, if that’s even possible!
This delightful French, North African and Scottish restaurant comes complete with stone arches and a spiral staircase to feast your eyes upon and is without doubt one of the most colourful restaurants in Edinburgh!
The unique selling point of this restaurant is its cosmopolitan staff. Maison Bleue has chefs and members of staff from France, North Africa and Scotland and this is reflected in the menu.
If you like your food particularly French in style, delve into the snails and fois gras. If you want to try out some Scottish cuisine, I would recommend the haggis balls in beer batter….that is, without doubt, my first choice!
Like things hot and spicy? Me too! Let’s check out a Mexican and an Indian restaurant.
Mariachi is generally considered the best Mexican in Edinburgh. In terms of what a Mexican restaurant really should be, relaxed, entertaining and atmospheric, Mariachi really hits the nail on the head.
Mariachi was voted the best Mexican restaurant in Edinburgh in 2009 by the Edinburgh List Food and Drink Guide. If you’re looking for a restaurant that puts a tickle in your tummy and a smile on your face, you can’t go far wrong at Mariachi.
Mother India’s Cafe coined the term ‘twist on tapas’ back in 2008. You might be thinking…tapas?! India?! The restaurant owners have taken the Spanish concept of tapas and applied it to Indian food to finger-licking effect. It is one of the most successful restaurants in Edinburgh.
It’s a frustratingly simple concept. You usually sit in front of a menu pondering what to take and you know you have to choose something. At Mother India’s Cafe, you don’t. Take as many dishes as you want. Try new things out. There ain’t much to lose.
I say frustrating because they’ve been extremely successful with this concept; so much so, they were voted the Best Indian Restaurant in Scotland. Now, why didn’t I come up with that idea?!
In the running for Best Chinese Restaurant of the Year was Loon Fung, a Cantonese restaurant specialising in seafood.
Loon Fung has been a local favourite for over 40 years and if you can see past the dated decor of the restaurant you will soon realise that the food served to you is up there with the best Chinese food you can get.
As is the case with most Chinese restaurants, the service is efficient, friendly and smiley without being overbearing. Loon Fung is well-known for its excellent seafood, especially the monkfish and its large portions, so be warned! Oh, and their crispy shredded chili beef is actually crispy…
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of Fusion Cuisine, I highly recommend trying out the Calistoga restaurant. The restaurant is a Californian grill which combines a number of different cuisines while also making use of quality Scottish produce.
The extremely talented chefs also run a number of deals at certain times of the day enabling you to sample their works of art for a reasonable price. Wine lovers will also be impressed by their selection of over 100 Californian wines.
