This guide is for the big night out: a birthday, an anniversary, a proposal or simply the dinner you have been saving for. We compare 20 restaurants built around a long menu, a seat facing the chefs or a grand room, including all seven that hold one Michelin star in the current Michelin Guide. Most are in Leith, Stockbridge and the New Town, on the north side of the city, so you can plan a drink at a local bar before or after.
For each one we give the format, the length of the evening, the published rate per person and the drinks pairing, plus the rules on dietary needs, children and cancellations. Every figure comes from each restaurant’s own site or booking page; where a figure is not published, we say so, and you should confirm it when you reserve. If you want a set lunch or three plates for under £35 instead, our guide to affordable fine dining covers that side of the city.
Updated 4 November 2026. Prices, opening days and booking rules come from each restaurant’s own website, its official reservation page or the Michelin Guide on that date. Menus change with the season, so confirm everything when you reserve.
Compare All 20 Restaurants at a Glance
| Restaurant | Area | Michelin | Courses | From (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timberyard | Lady Lawson Street | One star | 4 or longer | £135 |
| LYLA | Royal Terrace | One star | 10 | £185 |
| Condita | Newington | One star | Surprise | £170 |
| AVERY | Stockbridge | One star | Fixed | £169 |
| The Kitchin | Leith | One star | Fixed or à la carte | Not published |
| Restaurant Martin Wishart | Leith | One star | Market or fixed | £130 |
| Heron | Leith | One star | Fixed or à la carte | Not published |
| eòrna | Stockbridge | Selected | 6 plus canapés | Not published |
| Argile | Marchmont | Selected | Fixed | £100 |
| The Table | New Town | Not listed | One table, 10 seats | Not published |
| Number One | Princes Street | Selected | 3 or 5 | £110 |
| 1925 at The Pompadour | Lothian Road | Selected | À la carte | Not published |
| The Witchery | Castlehill | Not listed | À la carte | Dishes for two £115 |
| Dùthchas | Leith | Selected | 6, or 3 | £95 |
| Moss | Stockbridge | Selected | Fixed | Not published |
| Cardinal | Eyre Place | Selected | Fixed | Not published |
| Purslane | Stockbridge | Selected | 5 or 7 | £75 |
| The Little Chartroom | Leith | Selected | 3 or 5 | £73 |
| Wedgwood | Canongate | Not listed | 8, or à la carte | £85 |
| Dogstar | Leith | Selected | Sharing plates | Not published |
Lowest published evening rate per person on official sites or official reservation pages on 4 November 2026, before drinks and service. “Selected” means listed in the Michelin Guide without a star. Where the table says “Not published”, confirm the rate when you reserve.
How Michelin Stars Work in Edinburgh
For a special night out, the Michelin Guide is the reference most diners use, and its Edinburgh page lists seven restaurants with one star: Timberyard, LYLA, Condita, AVERY, The Kitchin, Restaurant Martin Wishart and Heron. Below the stars, the Bib Gourmand flags good cooking at moderate prices, and a much longer list of restaurants is simply selected by the inspectors, which is still a strong recommendation of the dining experience. Eleven places on this page are in that selected group.
The guide also prints a price band from £ to ££££. All seven starred kitchens sit in the top band, as do Number One, eòrna, Argile, Dùthchas, Moss and Dogstar; Cardinal, Purslane, 1925 and the Little Chartroom are one band below. Three picks are not in the guide at all, the Witchery, Wedgwood and The Table, and we include them for their room or their format rather than any award.
The Seven Michelin-Starred Restaurants
Each of the city’s seven holds one star, and together they show the best of Scottish cooking at the top of the local dining scene. Most centre a special night on a long, fixed format, so allow two and a half to three and a half hours, and reserve as early as you can for a Friday or Saturday.
Timberyard
A converted warehouse behind a big red door on Lady Lawson Street. Inspectors praise a kitchen that takes a few pieces of outstanding produce and lets them speak for themselves, with dishes such as turbot with girolles and smoked roe. In the evening you choose between two set menus: the Four Course at £135 or the longer Tasting at £165.
Drinks pairings run alongside both: soft pairings at £65 or £80, paired drinks at £105 or £130, and an Old and Rare pairing at £195 or £240. A 12.5% service charge is added. It is open on Thursday from 4pm to 11pm and from Friday to Sunday, 12pm to 11pm.
Key details: From £135 · 10 Lady Lawson Street, EH3 9DS · timberyard.co
LYLA
A seafood restaurant and dining experience in a Georgian townhouse on Royal Terrace. The 10-course tasting menu costs £185 per person and is served from Wednesday to Sunday, from 6:30pm; set aside most of the evening. It starts upstairs with views of the Firth of Forth, aperitifs and Champagnes, and snacks plated in front of you at a central island, then moves down to the main dining room and its open kitchen.
The kitchen cannot cater for diets without fish or meat, but offers gluten-free and pescatarian alternatives and can accommodate nut allergies. Cancellations need three days’ notice. It closes from 21 to 28 December and from 1 to 20 January, and bedrooms are available if you want to stay the night.
Key details: £185 · 3 Royal Terrace, EH7 5AB · lyla.co.uk
Condita
A smart, understated shop conversion on the south side with seasonally changing décor and just six large tables for twelve guests. The evening is a surprise tasting menu at £170 per person, about two and a half hours long; the only hint of what is coming is a hand-drawn bookmark picturing some of the ingredients. Drink the paired wines or order from the list.
Pescatarian or meat-free versions must be requested when you book. The kitchen cannot make a dairy-free, egg-free, allium-free, soy-free or gluten-free version, and it is not suitable for children. It serves Tuesday to Saturday evenings.
Key details: £170 · 15 Salisbury Place, EH9 1SL · condita.co.uk
AVERY
American chef Rodney Wages worked at The French Laundry, then won a Michelin star for Avery in San Francisco. He fell for the city on holiday and moved the restaurant to a Georgian townhouse in Stockbridge, where it opened in 2024. The menu treats Scottish ingredients with a Californian lightness, such as Orkney scallop with pineapple jus.
The guide singles out the drinks flight, which mixes wine, sake, sherry and a single malt. Its Tock reservation page lists dinner from £169 per person, and private events can be requested there too.
Key details: From £169 · 54 St Stephen Street, EH3 5AL · exploretock.com
The Kitchin
On Commercial Quay in Leith, Tom Kitchin’s restaurant has been at the front of the city’s restaurant scene for years, cooking seasonal Scottish produce; come in grouse season if you can. In the evening there is a Chef’s Tasting Menu and a Prestige Tasting Menu, which the guide calls the most complete experience, as well as à la carte. Both menus are also served at lunch if you arrive before 2pm. Ask for a table by the large window into the kitchen.
It is open Tuesday to Saturday. A card secures every reservation, you are asked to reconfirm a day ahead, and late cancellations or no-shows may be charged. Smart casual dress is encouraged, with no sports jerseys. Rates are not published online, so confirm them when you reserve.
Key details: 78 Commercial Quay, EH6 6LX · thekitchin.com
Restaurant Martin Wishart
For over 20 years Martin Wishart has run his restaurant on The Shore, marrying top Scottish produce such as grouse and Orkney scallops with classic French technique. The tasting, served at lunch and dinner, is £155, with the Discovery pairing at £100 or the Prestige pairing at £175, and a meat-free version costs the same.
The shorter Market Menu is £130, or £65 more with three matched glasses. Coffee and petit fours are £6.50, cheese adds £18.50, and a discretionary 10% is added to the bill.
Key details: From £130 · 54 The Shore, EH6 6RA · restaurantmartinwishart.co.uk
Heron
A bright neighbourhood restaurant on Henderson Street, near the Port of Leith, with warm and unstuffy service and cooking founded on fine Scottish ingredients. Inspectors recommend the tasting to see the chefs at their best; ask for a seat by the window. Sample pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan menus are on its website.
Dinner runs Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30pm to 9pm, with lunch on Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 2pm. It closes from 21 to 27 December and reopens on the evening of 28 December. Rates are not published online, and gift cards are sold.
Key details: 87–91A Henderson Street, EH6 6ED · heron.scot
Chef’s Tables and Counter Seats
Best for a date night where you want to talk to the people cooking, these rooms serve one menu to every guest, and the chefs often bring the plates to you themselves.
eòrna
A smart chef’s-table restaurant in Stockbridge with a plush feel, run by two people: Brian in the kitchen and Glen front of house and on wines. One omnivorous set menu with a strong Scottish heart is served to a maximum of twelve guests: canapés from about 7pm until 7:45pm, then six plates served to everyone at once.
Arrive between 6:50pm and 7pm. It is open Tuesday to Saturday, and 12.5% is added to the bill. The rate is not published online.
Key details: 68 Hamilton Place, EH3 5AZ · eornarestaurant.com
Argile
Named after the French word for the clay used in pottery, this independent chef’s table in Marchmont opened in 2022 and serves its dishes on a fine collection of china and earthenware. Jack Montgomery, who owns and cooks, serves many plates himself, with modern, sometimes technically complex cooking that draws on global influences.
The set menu costs £100, rising to £110 from 18 January 2027. Dinner is a single 7pm seating, and the seats are yours for the night.
Key details: £100 · 21 Argyle Place, EH9 1JJ · argilerestaurant.co.uk
The Table
Ten seats, two chefs, one table: that is the whole set-up on Dundas Street in the New Town, from 7pm. Guests under 12 cannot be seated, and the more relaxed Under The Table runs downstairs. The rate is not published online, so ask when you reserve.
Key details: 3a Dundas Street, EH3 6GQ · thetableedinburgh.com
Grand Dining Rooms with Castle Views and History
Best when the room matters as much as the plate, for an anniversary or a first visit to the city, these three sit in landmark buildings at either end of Princes Street and at the castle gates.
Number One
The flagship restaurant of the Balmoral, a city landmark at the east end of Princes Street, with red lacquered walls, upholstered banquettes and a cocktail bar for an aperitif. Head Chef John Munro’s 3-course menu is £110 and the 5-course menu £125, for a classic hotel dining experience, with Tasting Wines at £85, Prestige Wines at £135 or Iconic Wines at £300. A meat-free menu is available.
It serves Thursday to Monday from 6pm to 9:30pm. There is no dress code, but guests are asked to avoid sportswear, shorts and beach shoes. A private room seats up to 10, and Head Sommelier Matthew hosts private tastings in the cellar.
Key details: From £110 · The Balmoral, 1 Princes Street, EH2 2EQ · roccofortehotels.com
1925 at The Pompadour
In the Caledonian hotel, at the west end of Princes Street, in a room that first opened in 1925. Chef Dean Banks, known from MasterChef: The Professionals, has moved to à la carte cooking that showcases prime Scottish produce, such as smoked lobster with mirin butter sauce.
Window tables look up to the castle and over Princes Street Gardens, and there is a private dining room that looks out to the castle. It serves evenings from Wednesday to Sunday; rates are not published online.
Key details: The Caledonian, 4 Lothian Road, EH1 2AB · restaurant1925.com
The Witchery
At the castle gates on Castlehill, the Original Dining Room is all oak panelling, tapestries and painted ceilings, and the Secret Garden is a second, more intimate room. The à la carte keeps to classics such as Lobster Thermidor, Scotch beef ribeye with Béarnaise and Omelette Arnold Bennett, with dishes for two such as Glenfeshie red deer Wellington or côte de boeuf at £115.
It is open from noon, with the last reservation at 10:30pm. Children under 10 and groups larger than six cannot be seated. It is not in the Michelin Guide; choose it for a special setting rather than for awards.
Key details: 352 Castlehill, EH1 2NF · thewitchery.com
Smaller Tasting Menus in the Neighbourhoods
Smaller restaurants around the city where a long menu costs less than at the starred addresses. Most are in Leith and Stockbridge, so they are best for a celebration that starts or ends in a local bar.
Dùthchas
A cosy six-table restaurant in a parade of shops on Great Junction Street. The 6-course tasting is £95 per person, and a shorter “Wee” Taster Menu of three plates is also offered; both menus come with a wine pairing, and the guide recommends it for its lesser-known bottles. Cancellations need two days’ notice, and private hire has a minimum spend of £2,500.
Key details: £95 · 187 Great Junction Street, EH6 5LQ · duthchas-restaurant.co.uk
Moss
A Stockbridge restaurant with only Scottish produce on the plate and only British drinks on the list, with many ingredients from the owner’s family farm in Angus, turned into pure, natural dishes in a pared-back room. The guide mentions the free Irn Bru candyfloss at the end. A 12.5% service charge applies; the rate is not published online.
Key details: 112 St Stephen Street, EH3 5AD · mossedn.co.uk
Cardinal
Dark, intimate and moody, in the inspectors’ words, with seasonal menus by chef patron Tomás Gormley built more and more on local produce from the restaurant’s own kitchen garden at Pathhead, and an international wine list that leans to natural bottles. It opens on Wednesday evening, and from Thursday to Saturday at midday and in the evening.
The private dining room seats up to 10, and the whole restaurant up to 24. Hogmanay is a ticketed tasting night with wine pairings. Rates are not published online.
Key details: 14 Eyre Place, EH3 5EP · cardinal.scot
Purslane
A basement in Stockbridge with just eight tables, where chef Paul Gunning cooks confidently restrained dishes with classical technique, such as hogget loin with a lamb sauce. There are two menus: five plates for £75 or seven for £95. The whole room can be hired for birthdays and anniversaries.
Key details: From £75 · 33a St Stephen Street, EH3 5AH · purslanerestaurant.co.uk
The Little Chartroom
A small Leith restaurant on Bonnington Road with a fixed-price dinner: three plates for £73 with matched wines at £52, or five for £95 with a £78 pairing. 12.5% is added to the bill, and it is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Gift vouchers are sold online.
Key details: From £73 · 14 Bonnington Road, EH6 5JD · thelittlechartroom.com
Wedgwood
On the Canongate, at the lower end of the Royal Mile. The Wee Tour of Scotland is an 8-course tasting served every evening alongside à la carte, at £85, or £75 for the meat-free version, with a wine match at £60. It can be made gluten-free and dairy-free, there is a plant-based option, and a discretionary 10% service charge applies to the tour.
Key details: £85 · 267 Canongate, EH8 8BQ · wedgwoodtherestaurant.co.uk
Dogstar
A former pub on Portland Place, now a buzzy room with cheery service and James Murray in the kitchen. The menu can change weekly or even daily, with sharing plates, some cooked over coals, and a well-chosen wine list that does not break the bank. It opens on Thursday from 5:30pm to 9pm, and from Friday to Sunday from midday. Rates are not published online.
Key details: 17 Portland Place, EH6 6LA · dogstarleith.com
Planning a Special Occasion Dinner: Rules to Know
The rules differ a lot from one kitchen to the next, and they matter more when the evening is a surprise. These come from each restaurant’s own page:
- Cancellations: LYLA needs three days’ notice and Dùthchas two. The Kitchin takes a card for every reservation and may charge for cancellations inside a day.
- Service: 12.5% is added at Timberyard, eòrna, Moss and the Little Chartroom, and a discretionary 10% at Martin Wishart and on Wedgwood’s Wee Tour.
- Dietary requirements: tell the restaurant when you reserve. LYLA cannot cook without fish or meat; Condita needs meat-free requests in advance and cannot do gluten-free; Martin Wishart, Number One, Heron and Wedgwood publish meat-free menus.
- Children: the Witchery does not seat under-10s, The Table does not seat under-12s, and Condita is not suitable for children.
- Dress code: none is formal. The Kitchin encourages smart casual, and Number One asks guests to avoid sportswear and shorts.
- Timing: Argile has one seating at 7pm, eòrna asks you to arrive between 6:50pm and 7pm, and LYLA starts from 6:30pm.
Tips for Booking a Tasting Menu
- The best seats go first. Condita and eòrna take twelve guests a night and The Table ten, so reserve these earliest.
- Budget for drinks. Published pairings range from £52 at the Little Chartroom to £300 for Iconic Wines at Number One, on top of the food.
- Tell them it is a special night. Mention a birthday, anniversary or proposal when you reserve, so the team can plan the timing.
- Try lunch. LYLA serves five or seven plates at midday from Friday to Sunday for £79 or £105, and the Kitchin serves its tastings before 2pm too.
- Give it as a gift. The Kitchin, Heron and the Little Chartroom sell gift vouchers online.
- Watch for changes. Argile’s rate rises on 18 January 2027, and LYLA and Heron close for part of December.
Private Dining Rooms for Group Celebrations
For a special birthday, an anniversary or a family celebration with a group, several of these can close a room for you. The Kitchin has a private dining room for up to 20 and can take up to 80 for exclusive hire. Number One’s room seats up to 10, and so does Cardinal’s, which can also take 24 for a full hire. Dùthchas is available for private hire with a minimum spend of £2,500, Purslane hires out its whole room, and AVERY takes private event enquiries through its Tock page.
For a quieter date, see our date night restaurants guide; for a wider choice of Scottish cooking, see the best Scottish restaurants.
Fine Dining in Edinburgh: FAQ
How many Michelin star restaurants are there in Edinburgh?
Seven, each with one star: Timberyard, LYLA, Condita, AVERY, The Kitchin, Restaurant Martin Wishart and Heron. Many more, such as Number One, eòrna and Dùthchas, are selected in the Michelin Guide without a star.
What is the most expensive tasting menu in Edinburgh?
Of the rates published on 4 November 2026, LYLA is the highest at £185 per person, followed by Condita at £170, AVERY from £169 and Timberyard at £165, all before drinks and service. The Kitchin does not publish its rates.
Where can I find a tasting menu under £100?
Purslane (five plates for £75), Wedgwood (£85), Dùthchas (£95) and the Little Chartroom (five plates for £95). Argile is £100 until 18 January 2027.
Which of these restaurants have castle views?
Window tables at 1925 at The Pompadour, in the Caledonian, look up to the castle, and the Witchery sits at the castle gates on Castlehill.
Which restaurants are good for vegetarians?
Martin Wishart has a vegetarian tasting at £155, Wedgwood a meat-free Wee Tour at £75, and Heron and Number One publish meat-free menus. Condita can cook without meat if you ask when booking; LYLA cannot.
Is there a dress code at Edinburgh’s top restaurants?
Not a formal one. The Kitchin encourages smart casual with no sports jerseys, and Number One asks guests to avoid sportswear, shorts and beach shoes.
Which is the best restaurant for a proposal?
It depends on the setting you want. For a quiet, intimate evening, a small room such as Condita, Purslane or eòrna; for a grand setting with a sense of occasion, Number One or the Witchery. Tell the restaurant when you reserve so the team can help with the timing.
Do I need to book?
Yes, especially at weekends. Most take reservations online and ask for card details; LYLA needs three days’ notice to cancel and the Kitchin one day.
