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Edinburgh Area

Scottish heritage and whisky culture

Edinburgh Area travel destination
Edinburgh Area has seven Michelin-starred restaurants in our guide, with Scottish produce featuring across seafood tasting menus and cooking shaped by classical French technique. Edinburgh accounts for 222 venues in our guide. The Kitchin in Leith Docks and Martin Wishart in Leith combine extensive wine lists with sommelier-led service. Timberyard in Lauriston pours natural and low-intervention wines alongside local and foraged produce. Condita in Newington serves a surprise seasonal menu, with a wine list focused on a small selection of producers. Wine bars include shops, cellar rooms and cafés. Smith and Gertrude in Stockbridge offers over 100 international bottles and wine and cheese flights. Good Brothers in New Town carries classic Bordeaux and Burgundy alongside lesser-known bottles, while Little Rascal in Corstorphine pours natural and lo-fi wines. Number One in Greenside pairs Scottish produce with a 3,000-bottle wine list. Cardinal in New Town serves seasonal Scottish tasting menus with natural and low-intervention wines.

Michelin-starred dining

Seven Michelin-starred restaurants appear in our guide to Edinburgh Area. They include The Kitchin in Leith Docks, Martin Wishart and Heron in Leith, LYLA in Greenside, Timberyard in Lauriston, Condita in Newington and AVERY in Stockbridge.

  • The Kitchin

    Leith Docks modern Scottish fine dining with an exceptional, sommelier-led wine program and a Michelin star. The kitchen offers tasting menu, à la carte, and prix fixe formats, all centred on seasonal Scottish ingredients and classical French technique.

  • Martin Wishart

    Leith fine dining with a sommelier-led wine program and a Michelin star. Scottish seafood and game are shaped with classical French technique in a composed room overlooking the Water of Leith.

  • LYLA

    Greenside seafood tasting-menu dining with a wine list and a Michelin star. LYLA occupies a Georgian townhouse, where chef-patron Stuart Ralston serves 10 courses. LYLA also holds National Restaurant Awards recognition.

Wine bars and cellar rooms

Smith and Gertrude in Stockbridge serves wine and cheese flights, while Good Brothers in New Town carries classic Bordeaux and Burgundy. Le Di-Vin in Dean offers French and New World wines, and Little Rascal in Corstorphine pours natural and lo-fi wines.

  • Smith and Gertrude

    Stockbridge wine bar and shop with a wine list and over 100 international bottles available to drink in. Smith and Gertrude holds Star Wine List recognition and serves wine and cheese flights.

  • Good Brothers

    New Town cellar bar and wine shop with a wine list and a range that runs from classic Bordeaux and Burgundy to lesser-known bottles. It shifts easily between daytime browsing and evening drinking.

  • Le Di-Vin

    Dean French wine bar with an exceptional wine program and over 100 bottles spanning Loire, Burgundy, and Bordeaux. The stone walls and low ceilings keep the focus on the wine.

  • Little Rascal

    Little Rascal is a wine bar and shop in Corstorphine with a natural wine program and Star Wine List recognition. Natural and lo-fi wines accompany cheese and charcuterie boards.

Small plates and neighbourhood bistros

Ardfern in Leith offers an extensive wine selection alongside small plates. Skua in Stockbridge, LeftField in Bruntsfield and tipo in New Town pour natural wine; Skua and tipo also serve craft cocktails.

  • Ardfern

    Leith small-plates restaurant, café, bar, and bottle shop with a wine list and a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Ardfern is a sister venue to The Little Chartroom and serves brunch and evening plates alongside an extensive wine selection.

  • Skua

    Skua is a candlelit basement restaurant in Stockbridge with a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Its small plates use seasonal British ingredients, accompanied by a natural wine list selected by Heron's bar manager and craft cocktails.

  • LeftField

    Bruntsfield seafood bistro with a wine list and natural wine on the drinks list. The menu is concise and regularly changing, with Scottish produce at the centre. LeftField holds a Michelin Plate.

  • tipo

    New Town Italian small-plates restaurant with a wine list, craft cocktails, natural wine, and an extensive wine list. Set in a bright, minimalist townhouse, tipo holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and serves handmade pasta.

Scottish fine dining with sommelier-led wine

Number One in Greenside and 1925 at The Pompadour in West End serve Scottish produce in hotel dining rooms with sommelier-led wine programs. Heron in Leith has a sommelier-led wine program and serves Scottish produce in a waterfront dining room.

  • Number One

    Greenside hotel dining room with an exceptional wine program, sommelier-led service, and a 3,000-bottle list. The menu moves across tasting menu, prix fixe, and à la carte formats in a formal setting.

  • 1925 at The Pompadour

    1925 at The Pompadour is a West End dining room inside The Caledonian hotel, with a sommelier-led wine program and Michelin Plate recognition. Scottish seafood and prime Scottish produce feature across tasting menu and à la carte formats.

  • Heron

    Heron in Leith serves modern Scottish cooking with a sommelier-led wine program and an extensive wine list. The Michelin-starred restaurant offers tasting menus and à la carte dining, with Scottish produce including wild sea bass and Fife berries.

Planning FAQ

Which neighbourhoods in Edinburgh Area have the strongest wine scene?

The featured wine bars are in Stockbridge, New Town, Dean and Corstorphine. Smith and Gertrude in Stockbridge serves wine and cheese flights; Good Brothers in New Town carries Bordeaux and Burgundy. Le Di-Vin in Dean offers French and New World wines, while Little Rascal in Corstorphine pours natural and lo-fi wines.

How many Michelin-starred restaurants are in Edinburgh Area?

There are seven Michelin-starred restaurants in our guide to Edinburgh Area, with seven Michelin stars in total. The starred restaurants are The Kitchin, Martin Wishart, Timberyard, LYLA, Heron, Condita and AVERY.

Where should I look for tasting menus in Edinburgh Area?

The Kitchin in Leith Docks, Martin Wishart in Leith, LYLA in Greenside, Timberyard in Lauriston, Condita in Newington and AVERY in Stockbridge serve tasting menus. LYLA's format is seafood-led, Condita serves a surprise seasonal menu, and AVERY combines Californian influences with Scottish produce.

Which places on this guide hold Wine Spectator awards?

Number One holds the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence and is the only featured venue with a Wine Spectator award. Its dining room in Greenside occupies the basement of The Balmoral hotel, with a sommelier-led wine program and a 3,000-bottle list.

By Emmett Haley · Updated October 8, 2026 · Editorial standards

Awards in Edinburgh Area

Top 25 accolades

Hover any badge for the full award name. Counts reflect venues holding each accolade in Edinburgh Area.

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Edinburgh Area

Where to eat in Edinburgh Area

Selected entries from the current guide for Edinburgh Area.

Number One restaurant in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Number One

Occupying the basement of the Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street, Number One is Edinburgh's most formally appointed fine dining room, where red lacquered walls, well-spaced banquettes, and a menu anchored in Scottish produce sit alongside a 3,000-bottle wine list selected by Wine Director Callum McCann. Chef Matthew Sherry holds a Michelin Plate and a 2026 La Liste ranking of 77 points, placing the restaurant firmly in the city's top tier of classical dining.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The Little Chartroom restaurant in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The Little Chartroom

A Michelin Plate-recognised Modern British restaurant on Bonnington Road in Leith, The Little Chartroom has grown from compact neighbourhood upstart into a more assured, polished proposition without losing the warmth that defined its original run. The open kitchen anchors a Scandinavian-toned dining room, and the tasting menu draws on quality Scottish produce with a nose-to-tail ambition and a well-considered wine list to match.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
AVERY restaurant in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

AVERY

A San Francisco transplant that earned a Michelin star within Edinburgh's Georgian quarter, AVERY operates from a Stockbridge townhouse on St Stephen Street, running Tuesday through Saturday evenings. The kitchen applies Californian lightness to Scottish produce, Orkney scallops paired with pineapple jus, while a drinks flight spanning wine, sake, sherry, and single malt whisky sets the pace of a meal designed to be followed rather than rushed.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Cardinal restaurant in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Cardinal

Cardinal occupies a moody, black-walled room in Stockbridge, Edinburgh's most food-focused neighbourhood, delivering a seasonal tasting menu that draws on Scottish produce and preservation techniques. Michelin Plate-recognised in both 2024 and 2025, it sits at the serious end of the city's modern dining tier, with a short menu priced at £95 and a full tasting menu at £120. The wine list leans toward natural and low-intervention producers.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Skua restaurant in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Skua

A candlelit basement on St Stephen Street in Stockbridge, Skua has earned back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmands (2024 and 2025) for its pared-back small plates built around seasonal British ingredients. Chef Alejandro Aguirre's menu is tightly edited and flavour-focused, paired with a natural wine list selected by Heron's bar manager. Prices sit at the ££ tier, making it one of Edinburgh's more compelling value propositions at this cooking level.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Hendersons restaurant in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Hendersons

Open since 1962, Hendersons holds a documented place as Edinburgh's first vegan restaurant, now earning consecutive Michelin Plates (2024, 2025) from its Bruntsfield Links address. The menu moves between Scottish tradition and global technique, vegetarian haggis alongside jackfruit coconut stew and teriyaki tofu, at a price point (££) that places it well below the city's fine-dining tier. Three generations of the Henderson family have kept the kitchen running.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Montrose restaurant in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Montrose

A Radford family follow-up to Timberyard, Montrose occupies a converted 19th-century inn close to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, offering two distinct experiences under one roof: a wine bar drawing an all-day crowd with light plates and an inventive drinks list, and a 15-seat upstairs restaurant serving a four-course set menu for around £80. Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 signals where it sits in Edinburgh's modern dining tier.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Edinburgh Area

Where to stay in Edinburgh Area

Selected entries from the current guide for Edinburgh Area.

Prestonfield House Edinburgh hotel in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Prestonfield House Edinburgh

A seventeenth-century manor house set within twenty acres of Edinburgh parkland, Prestonfield House operates at the far end of the city's luxury hotel spectrum: all brocade, antique furniture, and Venetian glass bathrooms, with peacocks on the grounds and a welcome bottle of champagne waiting in the room. Scored 95.5 points on the La Liste Top Hotels 2026 ranking, it sits firmly in the capital's small cohort of genuinely historic properties.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
InterContinental Edinburgh The George hotel in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

InterContinental Edinburgh The George

Five Georgian townhouses on George Street form the physical spine of InterContinental Edinburgh The George, a property that underwent a multimillion-dollar refurbishment to restore its 18th-century fabric while adding contemporary comfort across 240 rooms. The Printing Press restaurant and bar anchor the ground floor, drawing both guests and Edinburgh residents for aged Scottish beef and whisky-led cocktails. Book well ahead for August festival season and Hogmanay.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Kimpton Charlotte Square hotel in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Kimpton Charlotte Square

Kimpton Charlotte Square occupies one of Edinburgh's most architecturally significant addresses, earning MICHELIN Selected recognition in 2025. The hotel sits on the north side of the Georgian New Town's centrepiece square, placing it among a small tier of Edinburgh properties where location and design credibility carry as much weight as service. For visitors oriented around the city's cultural and civic quarter, it represents a considered base.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Market Street hotel in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Market Street

Market Street holds Michelin Selected status in the 2025 Michelin Hotels guide, placing it among Edinburgh's more carefully vetted addresses for accommodation. Positioned at 6 Market Street in the Old Town, the property sits within immediate reach of the Royal Mile and the city's principal cultural corridor. For travellers who prefer staying inside the historic fabric rather than circling it, the location is a functional and atmospheric anchor.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The Edinburgh Grand, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Edinburgh hotel in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The Edinburgh Grand, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Edinburgh

A former National Bank of Scotland building on St Andrew Square, The Edinburgh Grand delivers 50 serviced apartments across the New Town, each preserving original dark wood panelling, fireplaces, and decorative cornicing alongside contemporary interiors. Part of Marriott's Luxury Collection, the property suits stays from a single night to a year or more, with direct walking access to Waverley station and the city's main shopping streets.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The Scotsman hotel in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The Scotsman

A former newspaper headquarters on North Bridge, The Scotsman is one of Edinburgh's most architecturally distinctive hotels, recognised in the Michelin Selected Hotels 2025 guide. Its position between the Old and New Towns makes it a practical base for the city's central attractions, while its heritage interiors, marble, oak panelling, and the original press hall, give it a character that purpose-built hotels in Edinburgh rarely match.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Edinburgh Area

Where to go for a drink in Edinburgh Area

Selected entries from the current guide for Edinburgh Area.

The Little Chartroom restaurant in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The Little Chartroom

A Michelin Plate-recognised Modern British restaurant on Bonnington Road in Leith, The Little Chartroom has grown from compact neighbourhood upstart into a more assured, polished proposition without losing the warmth that defined its original run. The open kitchen anchors a Scandinavian-toned dining room, and the tasting menu draws on quality Scottish produce with a nose-to-tail ambition and a well-considered wine list to match.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Good Brothers bar in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Good Brothers

A wine shop and cellar bar operating below Kweilin Cantonese restaurant in Edinburgh's New Town, Good Brothers covers the range from classic Bordeaux and Burgundy to lesser-known bottles worth seeking out. The subterranean format shifts mood noticeably between daytime browsing and evening drinking, making it one of the more versatile wine-focused stops in the city. Its Northumberland Street address puts it squarely in the Georgian grid, a short walk from the main New Town thoroughfares.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Café St Honoré restaurant in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Café St Honoré

A heritage French bistro tucked into one of Edinburgh New Town's quieter lanes, Café St Honoré delivers classic cooking that draws on Scottish produce without announcing the fact. Bentwood chairs, tiled floors, and properly clothed tables set the tone; the kitchen responds with ham hough terrine, roast lamb rump, and raspberry frangipane tart. The fixed-price café classics menu makes it one of the city's more credible weekday lunch options.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Edinburgh Area

Which wineries to visit in Edinburgh Area

Selected entries from the current guide for Edinburgh Area.

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