Top Best French Restaurants in Water of Leith

"Edinburgh-born Martin Wishart is lauded as one of the most respected Chefs in the UK, and upon a visit to his celebrated restaurant, it’s easy to see why. His Michelin-star restaurant found in the Port of Leith sees a dining experience that’s equally classic French as it is proudly Scottish, with dishes like Emmental Soufflé and Peterhead Mackerel holding equal weight on the menu."

"One of the finest British chefs cooking today, Martin Wishart, opened his eponymous restaurant in 1999. This Michelin starred Leith dining venue offers high quality French cuisine. You'll find elegant surroundings, extremely high quality, attentive service and the freshest Scottish produce."

"Maverick chef Paul Kitching’s 21212 opened in 2009 and has been winning accolades ever since, including one Michelin star. Situated in an elegant Georgian townhouse in Royal Terrace, the restaurant serves up cooking that’s contemporary French in style, but that description doesn’t begin to do justice to Kitching’s Willy Wonka-style ability to coax the most unlikely flavour combinations. In theory these should create merry mayhem – who would have thought that brandy snaps, black pudding and chicken could be transformed into a sublime dish?"

"Paul Kitching’s 21212 – opened 2009, Michelin star by 2010 – is tucked away on Royal Terrace, a distinguished, cobbled boulevard of 19th-century townhouses on the side of Calton Hill. The cooking is among Scotland’s best. Dinner is structured around a choice of two starters, soup, a choice of two mains, a cheese course and two dessert options."

"Since 2009, this unique restaurant has commandeered the stomachs of foodies across Edinburgh. The only Michelin Star restaurant in Edinburgh with rooms, this fine eatery is part of a boutique hotel in a Georgian Townhouse. 21212 has an ever-changing innovative and fresh contemporary menu that never fails to whet the appetite."

"Since opening in the home of a former clockmaker in 2008, L’Escargot Bleu has fitted in nicely among trendy coffee shops, independent booksellers and award-winning butchers. Step through the bright blue door, and you’re met with vintage posters of Edith Piaf and full-sized French liquor ads. Blackboards adorn the walls, scrawled with the day’s specials, which vary from traditional French classics to more surprising dishes from Berkmiller’s childhood."

"A wee neighborhood bistro located on Albert Place, at the top of Edinburgh’s Leith Walk, The Little Chartroom is run by husband-and-wife team Shaun McCarron and Roberta Hall-McCarron (formerly the head chef at Castle Terrace). Small and welcoming, with navy fabrics and handsome art, the restaurant has been garnering rave reviews and buzz since it opened n 2018. The food, French-British cuisine, is highly seasonal."

"It might look like a cosy local, but with an ex-Castle Terrace chef in the kitchen, you can be sure the food here punches well above its location. Short seasonal menus guarantee freshness and thoughtfulness, while staff are friendly."

"A gem within a gem, Bistro du Vin is a cracker of an eatery tucked inside the first-class boutique Hotel du Vin. With a knowledgeable sommelier, smart menu and chic décor, the set-up is seamless. However, the pièce de résistance is the courtyard, which is suited to intimate alfresco dining in summer months with divine seasonal nosh and innovative cocktails."

"This sophisticated restaurant in Edinburgh’s West End is warm and atmospheric. Go at lunchtime for the two-course lunch menu, or order from the à la carte menu at dinner. Start off with a kir royale to sip on as you peruse the menu, which is chock-full of seasonal seafood and fresh ingredients, and then move on to a bottle of Beaujolais."

"Côte Brasserie serve breakfast and brunch from 8am until 12 noon on a Monday to Friday and then 9am to 1pm on a Saturday and Sunday. Highlights include a breakfast set menu that involves any cooked breakfast with fresh orange juice or cloudy apple juice and a hot drink of your choice. Options include a full English breakfast, Crepe Complete (pancakes, bacon and comte cheese), Eggs Florentine, Eggs Royal and Eggs Avocado."

"In 1688 King James VII of Scotland (also King James II of England) ordered the construction of the Kirk of the Canongate and it was completed in 1691. Residents nearby had been using the Abbey Church but the King wanted to us that as a Chapel for the Order of the Thistle. The Kirk is architecturally unusual for Scotland with a Dutch-style end gable and a cruciform layout inside."

"If you’ve already seen St Giles’, you will notice that Canongate is designed in a very different style, much simpler and more austere, tipically Presbyterian."

"The only 5 Star walking tour company in Scotland, Mercat Tours thrill and entertain visitors with their tales of ghastly ghouls, hauntings and mysteries of Edinburgh of old. They offer exclusive access to the renowned Blair Street Underground Vaults, an underground world hidden underneath the streets of the city centre, full of goulish and gory tales of the residents who lived here hundreds of years ago. Since 1985, Mercat Tours have also operated historical tours of the Old Town which are designed to both entertain and educate."

"A quiet suburban sanctuary just off Leith Walk, this elegant four-storey Georgian townhouse is a hidden secret behind Calton Hill. Appealingly simple, its snug doubles and suites are the place to whisper sweet nothings; in particular, the two Georgian Suites, with fit-for-two roll-top baths, feature wallpaper and four-poster beds that cry out for pillow talk. The ground-level Brasserie offers a classic Scottish tasting menu, but another close-at-hand option is Roberta Hall’s the Little Chartroom, where the cooking will have passions running high."

"Also on The Royal Mile, adorned with fairy lights, is Monteith’s Kitchen and Cocktail Bar. This is a cozy basement hide-out that serves incredible cocktails and small plates at the bar and a full seafood and steak menu in the restaurant. Monteith’s has a tucked-away feel to it, and you’ll believe you’ve stumbled upon a secret basement restaurant no one else knows about."

"Tucked away down one of the Royal Mile’s atmospheric closes lies Monteiths – a boutique cocktail bar & restaurant. We’re sure you’ll be drawn in by their intriguing archway of twigs and twinkly lights, which add to the cosy and intimate setting of the restaurant. A favourite of locals and visitors alike, Monteiths is a must for relaxed dining and innovative cocktails."

"Considerit is a must-visit for all the vegan sweet-tooths out there!. This place specialises in decadent chocolate, doughnuts and, in the warmer(?) weather, ice cream. Whether you are vegan or not, you are going to love the baked delights here at Considerit."