10 Best Romantic Restaurants in Edinburgh

Pickles is a delightfully laid back subterranean bar in trendy Broughton Street. Decorated in the manner of an eccentric library or drawing room with large clocks, pictures and mirrors adorning the walls, it is above all a very intimate and comfortable place to spend time. Oak furniture and soft cushions continue the rustic feel, and there is even a lovely little beer garden for fair weather. They have a good selection of bottled beers and ciders and a decent wine list. However, the touch of genius is the selection of sharing platters of meat and cheese backed up by pates, chutneys, and pickles.

New Chapter is a chic restaurant in Eyre Place, near to the foot of Dundas Street. The interior is uncluttered with some nice design touches the never become too fussy. The menu follows suit, with local produce and traditional Scottish recipes reimagined and given new life. The ever-changing menu adapts to take advantage of seasonal produce and their desserts are delightfully decadent. The wine list is good, and they also have a wide range of dessert wines and digestives. They have a wonderful private dining room with its own private bar and cater well for larger parties if given advance notice.

David Bann’s restaurant is a wee gem, considered by some to be the best vegetarian restaurant in Scotland. The menu is eclectic and innovative with influences from around the world. Thai fritters sit alongside a selection of tempting pastry dishes and delicately spiced smoked tofu, and the whiskey pannacotta is both decadent and delightful. Patrons can enjoy fine dining at a very reasonable price in relaxed, but stylish surroundings just off the Royal Mile. Bann’s is strictly vegetarian, but as the cuisine is both delicious and chic it attracts rave reviews even from meat eaters. Carnivores should give it a go as well.

The Stockbridge Restaurant has been delighting locals and visitors alike for over a decade. It is a romantic and atmospheric subterranean delight, featuring wonderful, local produce cooked to perfection. The interior is quite beautiful. Grey slate walls form the backdrop for stunning prints featuring the works of the Scottish Colourists, Cadell and Peploe, and ornately framed mirrors. Gold brocade chairs complement the crisp white linen and silver cutlery. In the evening tiny fairy lights twinkle and candles flicker. The menu features a tempting array of tasty dishes and the portions are more generous than is usual in a fine dining establishment. The wine list is good and they also have a good range of decadent desserts.

Aizle (named after the old Scots word meaning “spark”) is a delightfully unconventional restaurant located in the South side of Edinburgh. Rather than a menu patrons are presented with a list of around twenty ingredients, some familiar, many obscure and intriguing. From this list you discard anything that is not to your taste and you place yourself in the capable hands of the chef and wait with baited breath. A four course meal costs around £40, a seven course tasting menu is £70 (but by the time you add in all of the little extras such as the delicious artisan bread it feels more like a luxurious feast) which proves to be very good value for money. The décor is cool, clean and minimalist and the food is immaculately presented and delicious. It is definitely worth stepping outside of your comfort zone to try this experimental approach to Scottish cuisine.

Rhubarb is the decadent and romantic restaurant of the Prestonfield House Hotel. Nestling in the shadow of Arthur’s seat, Prestonfield House is a beautiful seventeenth-century building. The restaurant is formed from two opulent oval rooms in the heart of the house, decorated with plush rich fabrics. Pre-dinner drinks are served in four ornate and beautiful drawing rooms and the dining rooms are flanked by a stylish bar and salon where visitors can enjoy cocktails or afternoon tea. The menu features Scottish produce at its best. The a la carte menu features some wonderfully extravagant delights to feast upon, but there is also a very good table d’hote menu which will not break the bank.

The name “Forage and Chatter” proves fairly self-explanatory, if rather inaccurate. There is definitely an emphasis on foraged food in this wonderfully eccentric restaurant, but the chatter is often curtailed by the quality of the dishes. Decorated in a fairly rustic fashion with reclaimed wood furniture, tweed soft furnishings and dim and twinkling lighting, the interior is very comfortable and welcoming. The menu is interesting and inventive, but not so unfamiliar as to make you worry too much when ordering. Most importantly, the food is wonderful and presented with panache and a little humor. This restaurant is most definitely a pleasure worth seeking out.

An interesting blend of foraged salad leaves and rare herbs is combined with the finest meat and seafood that Scotland has to offer in this fine dining establishment. The restaurant is situated in a prime location on the Royal Mile. The decor is fresh and light, the atmosphere is relaxed, and although this is definitely fine dining there’s a lack of pretensions. You can opt for a two course lunch is you don’t want to spend too much, but for the full experience you should come at night and go for the “Deciding time” which provides you with a glass of champagne and an amuse bouche selection while you peruse the menu.

You’ll find plenty of nooks and crannies in this atmospheric Old Town Edinburgh restaurant and bar. The building itself dates back to the sixteenth century and the name derives from an interesting carving in the Thistle Chapel of the St Giles Cathedral. It’s a great place to drop in for a coffee or a drink, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you miss out on the fabulous menu. You’ll find classic Scottish notes in the menu and the finest ingredients. The seasonal menu is full of delicious options and playful dishes like the Angels with Bagpipes Tunnocks Cake. The presentation is also stunning.

The Witchery has two dining areas, both magical and atmospheric. Whether you choose the darkly romantic sixteenth-century Witchery, with its rich red leather booths, oak paneling and flickering candles, or the wonderful Secret Garden, an open leafy courtyard festooned with vines and intricate wooden carvings, you are guaranteed a memorable evening. The restaurant showcases the best of Scottish produce, locally sourced and cooked with care and attention. Considering the sumptuous decadence of the surroundings, and the high quality of the food, the Witchery is remarkably reasonably priced. It may not have a Michelin star, but it has quickly become one of the most popular Edinburgh restaurants.