Edinburgh Guide
Edinburgh in August is an experience you are unlikely to forget. Here are some useful website links to help you make the most of your time there.
Visit Scotland
For detailed information about Edinburgh and extending your stay in Scotland. www.conventionscotland.com/discover
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival
www.edfringe.com
The Edinburgh International Festival
www.eif.co.uk
The Edinburgh Internationl Book Festival
www.edbookfest.co.uk
Edinburgh Military Tattoo
www.edintattoo.co.uk
Edinburgh Tourist Board
www.edinburgh.org
Edinburgh Festivals
www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk
Visit Scotland
www.visitscotland.com
Restaurant & Bar Guide
Edinburgh Restaurants are very busy during Festival time, so you are advised to book in advance.
The Witchery by the Castle
Castlehill, The Royal Mile
T: 0131 225 5613
Mon - Sun 12.00 - 16.00
17.30 - 23.30
Discreetly located in a 16th century merchants house at the foot of Edinburgh Castle, The Witchery is a restaurant worth discovering. Quality seasonal Scottish ingredients, over 100 wines in the cellar and a considerate service make this an enchanting dining experience ideal for charming clients.
Blue Bar Café
Cambridge Street
T: 0131 221 1222
Mon - Tue 12.00 - 14.30, 17.30 - 22.30
Weds - Sun 12.00 - 14.30, 12.30 - 23.00
Being nestled in the heart of Lothian Roads theatre district, Blue Bar Café has a lot going for it. Popular for after work drinks and pre-theatre dining the contemporary menu, a fusion of Asian, French and Scottish flavours, cater for light bites and leisurely eating. If you're after cool chic it's here.
Martin Wishart
The Shore, Leith
T: 0131 553 3557
Tue - Sat 12.00 - 14.00, 19.00 - 22.00
Martin Wishart was awarded a Michelin Star for his restaurant, which lies in the Old Port of Leith. A design overhaul and a rethought menu offering, has invoked murmurs that he is set for another star in 2007. The inspired and polished French menu makes this a foodies dream.
The Dining Room at The Society
Queen Street
T: 0131 220 2044
Bistro: Mon - Sat 12.00 - 18.00
Dinner: Weds - Sat 19.00 - 22.00
A fantastic opportunity for non-members to experience the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's fabulous restaurant. With a creative menu, personal service and elegant Georgian setting, this is an above-average operation at a reasonable price. Of course an evening at The Dining Room wouldn't be complete without a malt digestif...or two.
Roti
Rose Street Lane North
T: 0131 225 1233
Tue - Fri 12.00 - 14.30
Tue - Sat 18.30 - 22.00
Modern Indian food delicately spiced and beautifully presented - it won't long before accolades follow this refreshing new venture. Brought to Edinburgh by the people behind Oloroso this dining experience exudes confidence and sophistication, drawing the great & the good of Edinburgh.
Tempus
19-21 George Street
T 0131 240 7197
Mon - Sat 11.00 - 13.00
Sun 12.00 - 24.00
Heralded as the Bond Street of the North George Street is one of the city's most famous streets and the newly opened Tempus bar-restaurant does everything to confirm this accolade. Retaining original features and installing ornate antique chandeliers, Tempus is all that a modern eclectic dining experience should be. A superior selection of comfort nosh from beef wellington to vegetable cassoulet rounds off what is a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience.
Rhubarb
Priestfield Road, Southside
T: 0131 225 1333
Mon - Sat 12.00 - 14.00, 18.30 - 22.00
Sun 12.00 - 16.00, 18.30 - 22.00
A grandiose fashionable fusion of Lacroix meets Scottish-Stewart; Rhubarb creates a dining environment quite unlike any other. James Thomson's ambitious standards are not only reflected in the stylish space but also on the plate. An entire sensory experience definitely worth having.
The Vintners Rooms
Giles Street
T: 0131 554 6767
Tue - Sat 12.00 - 14.00, 19.00 - 22.00
On the city's restaurant circuit since 1985 this fabulous French restaurant is welcoming with a diligent, friendly service. A wine list to pour over and a selection of well executed classic main courses, pave the way for the luxurious pudding menu, which leaves you spoilt for choice.
The Stockbridge Restaurant
St Stephens Street
T: 0131 226 6766
Lunch: Weds - Sun 12.30 - 14.30
Dinner: Tue - Sun 19.00 - 21.30
Up and coming chef Jason Gallagher brings you fresh and seasonal ingredients at The Stockbridge Restaurant. The frontage deters the tourists, while the well-heeled of Stockbridge delight in the decadent interior of this lovely little restaurant. Very much off the beaten track.
Valvona and Crolla
Elm Row
T: 0131 556 6066
Mon - Sat 08.00 - 18.30
Sun 10.30am - 5pm
Scotland's oldest delicatessen and Italian wine merchant is found on Elm Row. Exemplary, high-quality food in a buzzing café ambience, this Edinburgh institution serves the best Italian food between here and the country itself.
VinCaffè
Multrees Walk
T: 0131 557 0088
Mon - Sat 08.00-late
Sun 11.00-17.30
Launched in 2004 to celebrate Valvona & Crolla's 70th Anniversary, VinCaffè is a new concept wine bar, caffè and retail shop in Multrees Walk. The shop is packed with Italian food and wine, with takeaway hot drinks and snacks on the ground floor and a fully featured restaurant and wine bar on the 1st floor.