Mentioned by Culture Trip
The Best Restaurants in Edinburgh
"For a tasty ‘create your own’ lunch, try Red-Box Noodle Bar and have your pick of whichever meat, vegetables, noodles, sauce and garnishes you like. Regardless of what you go for, the price per noodle box is always £5.80, and it’s more than enough to fuel you up for the rest of the day. If you’re more peckish in the evening, you can order a meal deal for one, adding any starter and any soft drink to your customised noodle box for a total price of £8.80."
"This noodle bar invites you to tailor your order based on a selection of ho fun, ramen, udon, egg or rice noodles, then add duck, vegetables, tofu, pork, chicken or beef. Throw in three bits of colour and roughage, customise things with options of chilli, spring onion or coriander, and finally pick from one of ten sauces. One of these paper Chinese takeaway boxes filled to the brim will set you back an overdraft-friendly £5.60."
"Red Box Noodle Bar is a lively diner and takeaway restaurant located a short walk from Edinburgh's historic Royal Mile. Known for its speedy service, consistent high quality and good value for money Red Box is popular with students, tourists, locals and Festival goers alike. They offer a wide range of snack boxes as starters, everything from spicy chicken wings to crispy won ton and succulent pork dumplings."
"It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but Stack Dim Sum Bar serves up some of the best traditional dim sum in Edinburgh. The menu is great value for money, with each dim sum portion costing around £3 and main courses around £8, allowing diners to try out a variety of authentic Chinese dishes on a budget. Visit: 42 Dalmeny Street, EH6 8RG - facebook.com/Stack-Dim-Sum-Bar"
"Why: Don’t be alarmed by the blue and purple neon lighting and heavy black velvet curtains at Karen’s Unicorn – the food is as fun and inviting as its name. The subtle Cantonese cooking is evident in house specialities such as salt and spice squid, and steamed seabass in a black bean sauce. Right in the centre of town, it’s also good for lunch when sightseeing or a hearty meal before painting the town red."
"These guys do both sit-in and takeaway meals, and a quick glance at the reviews reveals that their dim sum is an out-and-out treat. For the restaurant to have had almost 1000 reviews and still sit near the top of the pile with such a fantastic rating tells you how good it is. However some do say it's a touch on the small side, so best to book to make sure you get a table."
"You'll find traditional Cantonese cuisine on offer at the extremely popular Karen's Unicorn Chinese Restaurant in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town. It has been so successful that there are actually two restaurants now within a few streets of each other. They offer a huge menu packed with tempting house specialties and a number of set banquets."
"Why: B&D’s Kitchen has been serving up traditional Cantonese food to the hungry people of Edinburgh since 2012, and has since then climbed to the upper tiers of the best Chinese restaurants in town. Limited seating, phone-booking only and its no-corkage BYOB policy mean this is a popular spot. Turning out all the usual suspects from the Cantonese kitchen, dishes such as the Peking duck and lobster with ginger and spring onion should be on your hit-list."
"This restaurant on Dalry Road is quite simply the best in the business according to TripAdvisor reveiewers. It's had hundreds of positive reviews while it doesn't take long to count up the number who were unimpressed. One reviewer said that the experience of visiting the restaurant was like "sitting in the owner's kitchen as it's so small and intimate"."
"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."
"Why: Operating since 1984, this can almost be considered an old-school Chinese in Edinburgh – we guess the Georgian design details play their part, too. The fare is Scottish Cantonese, using proud local ingredients (largely seafood) with Chinese cooking techniques. The spiced and salted monkfish with chilli is a winner, and so are the scallops with cashew nuts served in a nest."
"Specializing in authentic Cantonese fare, this upscale restaurant is popular among the local business crowd. The soft music playing helps to create a pleasant atmosphere. Evenings provide a wonderful opportunity for adults to enjoy a relaxed meal, as they do not allow children."
"Perhaps one of the most-adored venues of the Fringe, The Pleasance Courtyard can be considered the heart and soul of Edinburgh’s comedy scene. From internationally and critically acclaimed acts during the Festival, to the year round comedic wizards who cast their spell on unassuming audiences, this chilled university drinking hole is a portal for some smashing comedy acts. The Pleasance, Edinburgh, Scotland"
"Typically, The Traverse is thought of for its meaty plays and explorative theatre. Within such performances sit an array of expertly produced acts containing some of the best comedic relief in town. From satire and farce to slapstick and dark, sick, and twisted humour, this theatre is a fail-safe spot for getting your well-deserved laughing fix."
"Canongate, The Royal Mile, EH8 8DX (website) Open daily 9:30am-6pm (26 March to 31 October) and 9:30am-4.30pm (1 November to 25 March)Adult: £6.70, Over 60/Students £6.10, Under 17/Disabled: £3.40, unders 5's go free. If you like art but find conventional art galleries too big and daunting, then the Queen's Gallery is the answer, as it hosts small intimate exhibitions as part of the Royal Collection Trust. The building is a conversion of a former Holyrood Free Church and Duchess of Gordon’s School and features a beautiful teak and sycamore staircase."
"Situated at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, this gallery is one of 15 in the UK that houses the Royal Collection, the largest private art collection in the world. This is a fascinating record of the personal tastes of kings and queens over the past 500 years, comprising decorative arts, drawings, watercolours, paintings and photographs. Those that have made contributions to the collection over the years include Frederick Prince of Wales, George IV, Queen Victoria and Queen Mary."
"The Queen's Gallery, located in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, was opened by Her Majesty The Queen in November 2002 as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Now, it hosts a programme of changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection. A worthwhile stop on a visit to the Royal Mile."
"Split between two buildings on either side of Belford Road, Modern One and Modern Two, the gallery houses the nation's collection of modern and contemporary art. Modern Two, previously the Dean Gallery, was built as an orphanage. An austere structure, it's home to a large collection of Dada and Surrealist art, and a collection of the works of Sir Eduardo Paolozzi."
"75 Belford Rd, Edinburgh EH4 3DR (website) Open daily 10am-6pmAdmission is free (charges may apply to special exhibitions). Discover a world-class collection and cutting edge art at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. The gallery is home to a range of contemporary Scottish arts collection, with more than 5,000 items of 20th-century art."