Lothian Road Restaurant Photos, Scottish Capital Eating Out Recommendations, Dining Reviews

Lothian Road Restaurants in Edinburgh

Eating Out in Financial District, central Edinburgh, south east Scotland

post updated 3 July 2023

Restaurants + Cafes + Hotels + Bistros + Brasseries + Inns

This Edinburgh Lothian Road restaurant guide lists architect-designed restaurants & cafes. These restaurants are mostly ‘contemporary’, such as the Point Hotel. The key classics, such as the Atrium and Santini, are inserted to give depth. Most restaurants are reviewed for surroundings, food & service.

Lothian Road restaurant recommendations: info(at)edinburgharchitecture.co.uk

restaurant recommendations: service + interior + food & wine
* fair
** good
*** excellent
^ unreviewed

Lothian Road Restaurant Information

Edinburgh Restaurants Reviews

Lothian Road Restaurants

*
Metro Restaurant
Apex Hotel, 31-35 Grassmarket, Edinburgh
+44 (0)131 474 3466
Metro Edinburgh is a triple-height modern white-painted timber-floored basement restaurant with street-level bar by Ian Springford Architects: opened 2000. The sense of space at Metro – great views and sensitive use of materials – is impressive, and a big jump up from the mundane restaurant at the top of the building.

Metro Apex Edinburgh Lothian Road Restaurants

* *
agua restaurant
Apex City Hotel, 61 Grassmarket, Edinburgh
–
agua hotel by Ian Springford Architects, as Apex Hotel & Metro above. agua restaurant was created by converting the former Bank of Scotland’s Uberior House office building into a four-star hotel. Above the restaurant are 119 bedrooms including 3 suites, meeting facilities and bar.

agua Apex City Edinburgh Lothian Road Restaurants

* *
Point Hotel Restaurant
Bread St, Edinburgh.
+44 (0)131 221 5555
An Edinburgh Restaurant with real atmosphere (influenced by Obecni Dom, Prague, and it shows) and competitively-priced food. For details of refurbishment from old Co-op interior. Vibrant planes of colour and wonderfully-clean modern lines let down at-times by ordinary fittings (those brass rails for example), cutlery and service. Architects’ discount on rates: attractive, modern rooms by Andrew Doolan Architects.

Edinburgh Restaurants

* *
Monboddo’s Bar
Bread St, Edinburgh
+44 (0)131 221 5555
Architects’ hang-out at the Point Hotel Edinburgh also by Andrew Doolan: strong colours lots of flush black linings and cool oval bar. Monboddo’s is let down by the fiddly and gaudy artwork at odds with the minimal architecture. Glass spirits shelves easily get dusty and the brushstroked orange bar bookends look dated. Needs a makeover to catch up with the seriously refined Point Conference Centre next-door-but-one.

Point Hotel Edinburgh Lothian Road Restaurants

–
Traverse Theatre: Café Bar
10 Cambridge St, Edinburgh
+44 (0)131 228 5383
The Traverse is reputedly the longest bar in Edinburgh – downstairs, by Nicholas Groves-Raines Architects. More a theatre bar than fine dining.
[email protected]

^
The Atrium
10 Cambridge St., Edinburgh
+44 (0)131 228 8882
The Atrium is an expensive, but excellent restaurant. Owner Andrew Radford won The Macallan Taste of Scotland Award 1994.
[email protected]

^
blue
10 Cambridge St, Edinburgh
+44 (0)131 221 1222
blue is a sedate, restrained contemporary interior with limited cream-coloured palette set-off with blue. blue is by Andrea Faed Architects. Up the stairs on left of the Traverse entrance; unusual views of internal courtyard by others. blue is one of a number of Andrew Radford restuarants, including The Atrium.

Blue Cambridge Street

* * *
Roti
73 Morrison St, Edinburgh
+44 (0)131 221 9998
Roti Restaurant (since closed) in the former rogues restaurant premises – cool interior concealed behind office block exterior, part of Scottish Widows building

*
Santini
8 Conference Square, off Lothian Road, Edinburgh
+44 (0)131 221 7789
This Edinburgh restaurant, by Terry Farrell & Partners, on the ground floor of the Sheraton Health Club is sadly rather pedestrian compared to the spa above. Quite expensive, high-quality Italian food but poor views. Includes a cheaper cafe.

Santini Edinburgh Lothian Road Restaurants

^
Edinburgh City Travel Inn
1 Morrison Link, Edinburgh
+44 (0)131 228 9819
Another Doolan product – bar/restaurant. Edinburgh City Travel Inn is a sister hotel of the Point Hotel.

Edinburgh City Travel Inn

^
Hilton Caledonian Hotel
Princes St, Edinburgh
+44 (0)131 222 8888
The Pompadour Restaurant
Exclusive red-sandstone clad former railway terminus hotel with restaurants and bars. The Caledonian Hotel isn’t contemporary, but one half of the Victorian double-act with the Balmoral (formerly North British or NB) Hotel, Edinburgh’s class stalwarts. Edinburgh’s Hilton has four bar / restaurants.

The Pompadour Restaurant Princes Street

Have you visited one of the above Lothian Road Restaurants? Please mail your review

Lothian Road Restaurants List

List of Key Restaurants in Lothian Road Area
restaurant details correct at time of writing, listed alphabetically:

agua restaurant
Apex City Hotel, 61 Grassmarket +44 (0)131 474 3466

The Atrium Restaurant
10 Cambridge St +44 (0)131 228 8882

blue Restaurant
10 Cambridge St +44 (0)131 221 1222

Cargo Bar + Restaurant
Edinburgh Quay +44 (0)131 659 7880

Darios Restaurant
Lothian Rd +44 (0)131 228 4193

Embark restaurant – opened late 2006
2 Fountainbridge Square, Edinburgh Quay +44 (0)131 222 4898

Hilton Caledonian Hotel: The Pompadour Restaurant
Princes St, Edinburgh +44 (0)131 222 8888

Mammas Restaurant
Grassmarket +44 (0)131 225 6464

Marque Central
30b Grindlay St +44 (0)131 229 9859

Metro Restaurant
Apex Hotel, 31-35 Grassmarket +44 (0)131 474 3466

Petit Paris restaurant
38/40 Grassmarket +44 (0)131 226 2442

Point Hotel Restaurant
Bread St +44 (0)131 221 5555

The Sizzling Scot Steakhouse and Grill
103-105 Dalry Road +44 (0)131 337 7744

Scottish Steak restaurant : showcases the freshest local produce, sourced solely from Scottish suppliers by the chef