Top Best American Restaurants in Westquarter

"There isn’t a single vacation that we have been on that we haven’t stopped at a Hard Rock Cafe if it was available. Sometimes more than once if we are feeling extra lazy with decision making and just want to grab American style food. Each restaurant has a different local burger on their menu."

"Step into your dream, cheesy, American teen drama (*cough* Riverdale *cough*) in Edinburgh’s very own traditional late night diner just along from your Cowgate favourites such as Subway and Sneaky Pete’s. A blissful combination. Truly the platonic ideal for a stack of pancakes, sometimes simple really is the best."

"A kitschy American diner by day, the City Café becomes a pre-club party joint by night. Cocktail and beer pitchers are the main event, and on the weekends guest and resident DJs spin funk, hip hop and house tracks to get you in the mood for nearby dancefloors."

"At Union Canal every Friday, Fountainbridge is home to some of the country’s best street food retailers offering the prefect location for lunch. Elevenses or an afternoon treat. Each week hosts different suppliers but regular favourites include Babu Bombay Street Kitchen, Barnacles & Bones, Bonnie Burrito, French Connection Creperie, Union of Genius Soup and Steampunk Coffee."

"Around a 15-minute drive from our luxury student accommodation buildings in Edinburgh is Bread Meets Bread, a super popular eatery perfect for a takeaway. They have four delicious vegan burger options, as well as plenty of vegan sides if you’re wanting that little bit extra. If you like a bit of spice, the vegan Caribbean burger is definitely worth a try!"

"This Grassmarket stalwart seems to exert a gravitational pull on small to medium sized groups of both locals and tourists looking for an impromptu food stop. Starters like sweet potato fries and macho nachos are decent enough, but their function is to…"

"Dine outside at Frankie & Benny’s and enjoy the best of America and Italy in both style and cuisine. Frankie & Benny’s specialises in home-style cooking with an extensive menu offering a wide range of dishes – from spectacular starters to stunning specials and delicious desserts. Its customer favourites include the F&Bulous burgers, freshly cooked pasta, succulent steaks and BBQ ribs, light and crispy pizzas and much more."

"We happened across The Boozy Cow with some friends a few years ago, but I decided to rediscover it for this collab. From starting off this list with a vegetarian place, I now give you the extremely anti-vegan Boozy Cow, which is essentially set up to look like an abbatoir. While it’s not for the faint-hearted, it is a really cool bar set right off Princes Street (there’s also an entrance on Rose Street) so it’s about as central as you can get in the New Town of Edinburgh."

"The Princess Street Gardens sit at the feet of Edinburgh Castle in the valley between the old city and the new city. Nor Loch once occupied the space, but the city began draining it in the 1770s, finishing in 1820. Wide paved paths lead throughout the park for full accessibility, roaming across fields of wildflowers, through wooded areas, and over streams and the railroad that divides the east and west sections of the park."

"If you don’t want to venture too far out of the city, kids can also play in Prince’s Street Gardens in the shadow of the Scott monument – which you can climb, although at 287 often narrow and twisty steps, you might want to stick to the views from the Camera Obscura instead. At Christmas, the gardens turn into a Winter Wonderland including Christmas market, ice rink and ferris wheel, dubbed the Edinburgh Eye."

"The dark and cold Edinburgh winter nights light up every year when the Christmas market comes to town. At the European Market below the Mound and in East Princes Street Garden you can sample bratwurst, waffles, crepes, sweets, roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and more. The Scottish Market in St Andrew Square showcases some of the best craft, food and drink Scotland has to offer."

"I suggest a late lunch after you explore the charming, cobbled streets of this historic area and experience some street performers, Canongate Kirkyard (Adam Smith is buried here), Dunbar Close, St. Giles Cathedral, and eventually Edinburgh Castle itself, all the way at the top of the Royal Mile (Be sure to book your Edinburgh Castle skip the line tickets in advance). The charm and beauty of Edinburgh, Scotland never cease to amaze me."

"Why: Turning out authentic Chinese cuisine to the punters of Edinburgh since 1956, Rendezvous is one of the city’s original Chinese restaurants. We would go for the Peking-style banquet, which features all your favourite Chinese specialities, such as crispy aromatic duck, lemon chicken, special fried rice and toffee apple for pud. The extensive a la carte menu showcases all you would ever want from a Chinese restaurant, though, so you’re guaranteed to find your favourite knocking about if you don't fancy a full set menu."

"A unique Chinese restaurant serving Cantonese specialty dishes to a very high standard, Xanadu is well worth seeking out. The menu is extensive and packed with favorites and seasonal delicacies. The décor has a real flavor of minimalist Far Eastern style and you'll find the service is always warm and friendly."

"The kind of place you turn into a weekly ritual, Rendezvous is no stranger to Cantonese and Pekingese eats. This place really is an unstoppable entity that has been going strong since 1956. The extensive menu features all you could want from a Chinese place."

"If you're a big fan of really authentic dim sum dishes you'll find great quality food on offer here at great value prices. This small and unassuming restaurant is to be found just off Leith Walk and you're unlikely to think much of it looking at the outside, but don't be fooled, an irresistible range of Chinese cuisine awaits you within. There are only eight tables and it could be described as cozy, but the food is fresh and impossible to pass up."

"But it’s the food that matters and Stack serves the best Dim Sum in Edinburgh. Though Dim Sum is traditionally a late morning meal in China, having a multitude of baskets of delicious steamed parcels of joy is an ideal lunch or dinner choice. It can get very busy as they only have a few tables, so make sure to book in advance."

"At Union Canal every Friday, Fountainbridge is home to some of the country’s best street food retailers offering the prefect location for lunch. Elevenses or an afternoon treat. Each week hosts different suppliers but regular favourites include Babu Bombay Street Kitchen, Barnacles & Bones, Bonnie Burrito, French Connection Creperie, Union of Genius Soup and Steampunk Coffee."

"This newcomer on the Edinburgh foodie scene is a collaboration with some of the Edinburgh restaurants: Cold Town House for pizza, Copper Blossom for cocktails and craft beer, Cold Town Beer, Kyloe for Sunday roasts and The Huxley (scran including burgers, loaded fries and dogs, served from a silver trailer). While they recommend you order online first, you can also show up at either collection point – one for drinks and the other for pizza – or the “Scranavan” for your choice of takeaways. Wooden benches are spaced out in the courtyard in anticipation of the beer gardens reopening and are ideal for a casual lunch one summer day."

"What: We’re a fan of any restaurant which thinks of an innovative way to make their outdoor area weather proof and that’s exactly what McLaren’s on the Corner has done. In 2020 McLaren’s installed a number of ski gondolas in the garden allowing you to sit inside them to enjoy the all-day food menu, while imagining you’re skiing in Courchevel.Where: 8 Morningside Road, EH10 4DD"