Best Restaurants, Must Try Places in Merchiston

"Proudly known as Edinburgh’s very first Michelin star restaurant – awarded in 2001 – Restaurant Martin Wishart is now one of the UK’s most highly acclaimed dining venues located in Edinburgh’s historic Port of Leith. The interior offers the perfect setting for any celebration with a charming contemporary design featuring rich wooden panelling on the walls, fresh-cut flowers and sleek furnishings. Choose from a selection of innovative and appetizing French style dishes ranging from Orkney scallops to ravioli of snails."

"Edinburgh native Martin Wishart has been cooking up a storm at his eponymous restaurant in Leith for the past 20 years and was awarded a Michelin star in 2001 – retaining it ever since. The classic French cuisine, served in a contemporary dining room, is mouth-watering perfection. Go the whole hog and plump for the eight-course tasting menu, which perfectly showcases Wishart’s skills, including exquisite dishes such as Black Angus beef, sliced pig’s trotter, squab pigeon and Calvados ganache."

"In 2001 this restaurant became the first in Edinburgh to win a Michelin star, and it's retained it ever since. The eponymous chef has worked with Albert Roux, Marco Pierre White and Nick Nairn, and brings a... Scottish in Old Town"

"Tom and Michaela Kitchin opened their namesake Kitchin in 2006 on Edinburgh’s Leith waterfront. It was awarded a Michelin Star in 2007 which it has retained for the past decade. Focussing on modern British seasonal cuisine, Kitchin has won a bevy of awards and is a mainstay on the Scottish fine dining scene."

"Fresh, seasonal, locally sourced Scottish produce is the philosophy that has won a Michelin star for this elegant but unpretentious restaurant. The menu moves with the seasons, of course, so expect fresh salads... Top ChoiceFrench in Leith"

"After a morning spent meandering around the vintage shops of Grassmarket, pop into this charming café for a juice, a veggie snack and a dose of green goodness. Find your perch by a pastel-hued table amid jungle-esque decor and sip on a smoothie (the Ass-Aye-Eee with berries, açai, apple and coconut milk is delightfully sweet) and nibble on a slice of toasted sourdough or a warm bowl of veggie curry."

"Not many food options are more Instagrammable than a tropical açaí bowl or a multicoloured poké bowl. At Hula Juice Bar you’ll have all the most photogenic options on the menu including an epic healthy drinks menu - fresh juices and smoothies, milkshakes, turmeric lattes, matcha lattes and more. Smoothie bowls, poke bowls and lunch bowls take up most of the menu because they’re that good!"

"A post shared by This Must Be The Place (@hulajuicebar) on Dec 15, 2018 at 1:44pm PST. If you're looking for something healthy, Hula Juice Bar & Café may be just the place. Their menus offer all the healthiest options including tropical açaí or a colourful poké bowl."

"Purslane eschews the stuffiness often associated with fine dining|Courtesy of Purslane Restaurant. Situated in a bijou basement in ever-fashionable Stockbridge, Purslane is that apparent oxymoron: a casual fine-dining restaurant. But Purslane, headed up by chef-patron Paul Gunning has successfully pulled it off, serving up ambitious modern cuisine without the stuffy formality often associated with fine dining."

"At first glance Purslane appears to be a contradiction, offering casual and rustic fine dining. Yet scores of happy customers and a rapidly growing reputation confirm that this commitment to excellent cuisine without the stuffy formality sometimes associated with fine dining is very popular. This delightful Stockbridge restaurant has a laid back and welcoming ambience and no dress code."

"The pakoras at The Pakora Bar are a far cry from the greasy late-night takeaway options many of us are used to. Instead, the Indian street food here is fresh and interesting, with unusual flavours of pakora such as black pudding, aubergine and asparagus, as well as dhals, curries and wraps. Visit: 96 Hanover Street, EH2 1DR - facebook.com/thepakorabar"

"Run by the Singh family, The Pakora Bar started out as a hobby at food festivals. Now they serve their mother's recipes for pakora and Punjabi street food at their restaurant in Hanover Street. They have earned an impressive 4.7 (out of 5) from 759 Google reviews, with one customer just saying: "WOW"."

"If you need somewhere to get out of the rain, or perhaps your kids need some new shoes after running theirs ragged all over Edinburgh, Ocean Terminal Shopping Center is the place to go. In addition to have regular stores, it has plenty of restaurants so you can grab a family bite to eat, and you can treat the toddlers and younger kids to a stop at a specialty shop like Build – a – Bear while you’re there."

"At the heart of Edinburgh's flagship waterfront regeneration, Ocean Terminal is a state-of-the-art leisure and retail complex designed by Sir Terence Conran. It boasts 45,000 sq m of shopping and leisure accommodation on three floors and 1600 car parking spaces. The mix includes more than 50 stores, bars and restaurants, a gym and a 12-screen cinema, not to mention stunning views over the Firth of Forth."

"We are going to explore Leith today, so we’ll hop on the bus towards Ocean Terminal and get off near Roseleaf Bar and Cafe. The dish to order here is the Yin or full Scottish breakfast with sausage, black pudding, bacon, and haggis."

"Vegans don’t have to miss out on dessert, especially in Edinburgh!. Considerit is a chocolate, doughnut and ice cream cafe that’s entirely vegan. They sell the most amazing and indulgent doughnuts, like this amazing chocolate hobnob creation, which is glazed with Biscoff spread, topped with crumbled oaty Hobnobs and finished with a chocolate drizzle."

"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."

"Last but certainly not least we have Artisan Gelato Edinburgh in the Old Town, with their authentic Italian-looking store that is the perfect backdrop for a shot of your Instagrammable ice cream. Their hand crafted ice cream is to die for and some of their most popular flavours include pistachio bronte Sicily, chocolate orange and cheescake...we will take ten scoops please. One reviewer said it is the "best gelato outside of Italy" and, like their neighbours Over Langshaw Farm, they offer vegan, gluten free and dairy free options."

"Many years may have passed since Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code and the subsequent film came out, but floods of visitors still descend on Scotland's most beautiful and enigmatic church – Rosslyn Chapel. Built in the mid-15th century for Sir William St Clair, third prince of Orkney, its ornately carved interior – at odds with the architectural fashion of its time – is a monument to the mason's art, rich in symbolic imagery. Hourly talks by qualified guides are included with admission."

"Roslin: Best known for being the home of Rosslyn Chapel, the church featured in Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ Roslin is a pretty village with plenty to see. Of course, there’s the ancient and ornate Chapel to visit, but there’s also castle ruins and a delightful tea room to enjoy a hot brew in."

"Address: East London Street, Edinburgh, EH7 4BL, Scotland, UK Mansfield Place Church is to be found within the New Town area, standing close to the bus depot and the King George V Park. Built in 1872 by Robert Rowand Anderson, this old church has had many uses over the years and once even functioned as a nightclub. Today, it is owned by the Mansfield Traquair Trust, a conservation group who have actively restored the building over a number of years."