Five places to dine with your four-legged friend

The summer months are now here and the warmer weather means we can get out and about more with our four-legged friends. But it’s not always easy to find somewhere we can take them if we’re looking to stop, when we want a bite to eat and a drink. Since the introduction of the first…

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Get yourself along here – and not at a snail’s pace

If I have a go-to French place when I eat out in Edinburgh, it is L’Escargot Bleue, a fantastic little Broughton Street restaurant. Fred Berkmiller’s refreshingly traditional take on French cuisine means that if you want snails, foie gras, horse steaks and tarte tatin, this is where to come. But then the same is true…

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Restaurant evokes that feeling of Paris

Neil Forbes is one of Scotland’s best-known chefs, and runs Cafe St Honoré in Edinburgh. This beautifully evocative little city centre restaurant is hidden away down a cobbled lane you feel like you’re back in Paris. Lauded for his emphasis on sustainability and provenance, Forbes is also a mean chef but don’t expect classic French…

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Exceptional value is at the heart of Chez Jules

There are many places in Edinburgh offering exquisite French food with a matching price, but Chez Jules offers exceptional value. This city centre basement eaterie is owned by Pierre Levicky (of Pierre Victoire fame), and provides good bistro favourites at sensible prices. Noisy and invariably packed, it features checked tablecloths and candles in bottles but…

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Enjoy French food? Then Bleue is for you

Maison Bleue is one of the grandees of the Edinburgh dining scene. After 20 years on picturesque Victoria Street, this Old Town favourite mixes French cuisine with North African influences to produce memorable dishes. Whether you’re after classic French dishes, tagines, or a fusion of the two, all the food here is wonderful (there are…

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What an honour for chef’s creative thinking

A chef at a hotel in Inverness-shire has been named Creative Chef of the Year at Scottish Food Awards 2018. Links House head chef Javi Dominguez Santos was crowned with the title at the recent Scottish Food Awards held in the beautiful King’s Hall in Edinburgh. Many of Scotland’s food stars were been recognised at…

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From touring festivals to an established fun feast

This Persian-inspired street food restaurant evolved from a mobile kitchen touring festivals and markets. Ransacked Black Oven’s new home seems to be attracting a good mix of diners, from students to tourists. The food is tasty and in the main healthy, with good vegan, veggie and gluten-free options. The filling chicken shawarma salad came with tasty…

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Bring a little taste of Spain closer to your doorstep

There are plenty of Spanish restaurants in Edinburgh but if you want an authentic Catalan meal, Casa de Mara is the place to go. To start, we enjoyed melt-in-your-mouth croquettes and gooey-centred truita de patates (potato tortilla), while the calamars farcits (squid fi lled with prawns, squid, egg and almonds) was a personal favourite. The comforting…

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A diverse menu with something for everyone

Papillon is the newest addition to the Commercial Quay area of Leith. With plush décor, relaxed atmosphere and a diverse menu, there is lots to love, such as the satay prawns, with a delicate and fresh peanut flavour. The goat’s cheese bonbons, served with beetroot and treacly balsamic glaze, were just as tasty, but it…

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Glasgow dining sensation arrives in Edinburgh

Six by Nico has long been a phenomenon in Glasgow, where it went from being a small neighbourhood restaurant to something of a culinary sensation after moving to the foodie hotspot of Finnieston. That runaway success has been replicated in Edinburgh, where Scots-Italian chef Nico Simeone’s cosy 70-cover restaurant on the site of Passorn Thai…

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