Eating Out in Financial District, central Edinburgh, Scotland
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This Edinburgh restaurant guide lists architect-designed restaurants & cafes. These restaurants are mostly 'contemporary', such as the Point Hotel. The key classics, such as the Atrium and Santini, are inserted to give depth. Most restaurants are reviewed for surroundings, food & service.
Lothian Road restaurant recommendations: info@edinburgharchitecture.co.uk
restaurant recommendations: service + interior + food & wine
* fair
** good
*** excellent
^ unreviewed
This page is updated at least monthly
Edinburgh Restaurants - Reviews
Lothian Road Restaurants
| * | Metro
Restaurant Apex Hotel, 31-35 Grassmarket, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 474 3466 Metro Edinburgh is a triple-height modern white-painted timber-floored basement restaurant with street-level bar by Ian Springford Architects: opened 2000. The sense of space at Metro - great views and sensitive use of materials - is impressive, and a big jump up from the mundane restaurant at the top of the building. |
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| * * | agua
restaurant Apex City Hotel, 61 Grassmarket, Edinburgh agua hotel by Ian Springford Architects, as Apex Hotel & Metro above. agua restaurant was created by converting the former Bank of Scotland's Uberior House office building into a four-star hotel. Above the restaurant are 119 bedrooms including 3 suites, meeting facilities and bar. |
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| * * | Point
Hotel Restaurant Bread St, Edinburgh. +44 (0)131 221 5555 An Edinburgh Restaurant with real atmosphere (influenced by Obecni Dom, Prague, and it shows) and competitively-priced food. For details of refurbishment from old Co-op interior. Vibrant planes of colour and wonderfully-clean modern lines let down at-times by ordinary fittings (those brass rails for example), cutlery and service. Architects’ discount on rates: attractive, modern rooms by Andrew Doolan Architects. |
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| * * | Monboddo’s
Bar Bread St, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 221 5555 Architects’ hang-out at the Point Hotel also by Mr Doolan: stong colours lots of flush black linings and cool oval bar. Monboddo's is let down by the fiddly and gaudy artwork at odds with the minimal architecture. Glass spirits shelves easily get dusty and the brushstroked orange bar bookends look dated. Needs a makeover to catch up with the seriously refined Point Conference Centre next-door-but-one. |
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| - | Traverse
Theatre: Café Bar 10 Cambridge St, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 228 5383 The Traverse is reputedly the longest bar in Edinburgh - downstairs, by Nicholas Groves-Raines Architects. More a theatre bar than fine dining. barcafe@traverse.co.uk |
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| ^ | The
Atrium 10 Cambridge St., Edinburgh +44 (0)131 228 8882 The Atrium is an expensive, but excellent restaurant. Owner Andrew Radford won The Macallan Taste of Scotland Award 1994. info@atriumrestaurant.co.uk |
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| ^ | blue 10 Cambridge St, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 221 1222 blue is a sedate, restrained contemporary interior with limited cream-coloured palette set-off with blue. blue is by Andrea Faed Architects. Up the stairs on left of the Traverse entrance; unusual views of internal courtyard by others. blue is one of a number of Andrew Radford restuarants, including The Atrium. |
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| * * * | Roti 73 Morrison St, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 221 9998 Roti Restaurant in former rogues restaurant premises - cool interior concealed behind office block exterior, part of Scottish Widows building |
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| * | Santini 8, Conference Square, off Lothian Road, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 221 7789 This Edinburgh restaurant, by Terry Farrell & Partners, on the ground floor of the Sheraton Health Club is sadly rather pedestrian compared to the spa above. Quite expensive, high-quality Italian food but poor views. Includes a cheaper cafe. |
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| ^ | Edinburgh
City Travel Inn 1 Morrison Link, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 228 9819 Another Doolan product - bar/restaurant. Edinburgh City Travel Inn is a sister hotel of the Point Hotel. |
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| ^ | Hilton
Caledonian Hotel Princes St, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 222 8888 The Pompadour Restaurant Exclusive red-sandstone clad former railway terminus hotel with restaurants and bars. The Caledonian Hotel isn't contemporary, but one half of the Victorian double-act with the Balmoral (formerly North British or NB) Hotel, Edinburgh's class stalwarts. Edinburgh's Hilton has four bar / restaurants. |
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Have you visited one of the above Lothian Road Restaurants? Please mail your review
List of Key Lothian Road Restaurants
restaurant details correct at time of writing, listed alphabetically:
agua restaurant
Apex City Hotel, 61 Grassmarket +44 (0)131 474 3466
The Atrium Restaurant
10 Cambridge St +44 (0)131 228 8882
blue Restaurant
10 Cambridge St +44 (0)131 221 1222
Cargo Bar + Restaurant
Edinburgh Quay +44 (0)131 659 7880
Darios Restaurant
Lothian Rd +44 (0)131 228 4193
Embark restaurant - opened late 2006
2 Fountainbridge Square, Edinburgh Quay +44 (0)131 222 4898
Hilton Caledonian Hotel: The Pompadour Restaurant
Princes St, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 222 8888
Mammas Restaurant
Grassmarket +44 (0)131 225 6464
Marque Central
30b Grindlay St +44 (0)131 229 9859
Metro Restaurant
Apex Hotel, 31-35 Grassmarket +44 (0)131 474 3466
Petit Paris restaurant
38/40 Grassmarket +44 (0)131 226 2442
Point Hotel Restaurant
Bread St +44 (0)131 221 5555
The Sizzling Scot Steakhouse and Grill
103-105 Dalry Road +44 (0)131 337 7744
Scottish Steak restaurant : showcases the freshest local produce, sourced solely from Scottish suppliers by the chef
The Terrace Restaurant at the Sheraton Grand Hotel
Festival Square, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 221 6422
Traverse Theatre Café Bar
10 Cambridge St, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 228 5383
Have you visited one of the above Lothian Road Restaurants? Please mail your review to info@edinburgharchitecture.co.uk
Edinburgh hotel bookings: Edinburgh hotels
East Lothian Restaurants
West Lothian Restaurants
Midlothian Restaurants
Restaurants Edinburgh: Recommendations welcome
Comments on / Reviews of Edinburgh Restaurants: info@edinburgharchitecture.co.uk
Jenners
Old Town Restaurants
Lothian Road Restaurants
New Town Restaurants
Leith Restaurants
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Lothian Road Restaurants : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt