Edinburgh’s New Town and Stockbridge offer remarkable variety within a compact part of the city. You can eat oysters beneath a Victorian ceiling, share inventive small plates on Thistle Street, settle into a grand former banking hall or head downhill for some of Stockbridge’s best neighbourhood cooking.

Getting There

From Ben Cruachan Guest House and Ben Cruachan Rooms & Studios: The eastern edge of the New Town is within walking distance. For restaurants around St Andrew Square and Thistle Street, take a westbound tram from McDonald Road to Picardy Place or St Andrew Square. Stockbridge lies downhill to the north-west and can be reached on foot through the New Town or by a short taxi ride.

From Caledonian Apartments: Walk to Haymarket and take an eastbound tram to Princes Street or St Andrew Square for the central New Town. Stockbridge is accessible on foot via Queensferry Street, or by a short taxi ride.

Our New Town Restaurant Picks

Café Royal: A historic oyster bar and restaurant with an ornate Victorian interior, serving oysters, fresh fish and polished pub classics.

Fishers in the City: A seafood restaurant in a converted Thistle Street warehouse, with a relaxed setting for shellfish, fish dishes and Scottish produce.

Noto: An independent Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant known for inventive sharing plates, small-production wines and flavours influenced by New York and Asia.

Tipo: A relaxed Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant specialising in house-made pasta, cured meats and plates designed for sharing.

Café St Honoré: Hidden in a lane off Thistle Street, this much-loved restaurant combines the feel of a French bistro with a seasonal Scottish menu that changes daily.

Dishoom: A bustling St Andrew Square restaurant inspired by the old Irani cafes of Bombay, serving breakfast, comfort food, cocktails and richly spiced dishes throughout the day.

The Spence: The grand all-day restaurant inside Gleneagles Townhouse, set beneath the soaring ceiling of a former banking hall and serving a modern Scottish menu.

Hawksmoor Edinburgh: Another handsome former bank, now home to celebrated steaks, sustainably sourced seafood, thoughtful cocktails and an excellent Sunday roast.

Lyla: A Michelin-starred restaurant on Royal Terrace where seafood and Scottish produce shape an elegant tasting menu.

The Scran & Scallie: A Michelin Bib Gourmand gastropub in Stockbridge, pairing first-rate Scottish produce with generous interpretations of pub classics.

Purslane: An intimate, relaxed fine-dining restaurant from chef-owner Paul Gunning, with seasonal ingredients and flavours drawn from Scotland and farther afield.

Image credits: The Edinburgh Grand and Hawksmoor, M J Richardson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Interior of the first-floor bar at Café Royal, Stephencdickson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Both images have been cropped or resized.