The Best Restaurants in EDINBURGH

The Champany Inn outside Edinburgh is one of the most charming restaurants in Scotland. The owners treat you like personal guests in a magical dining room with locally sourced regional specialties focussed on Scotch beef from Speyside farms. The black pudding in ox tail reduction with apples is one of the tastiest dishes I have ever encountered in the British Isles.

BBL (Breakfast, Brunch, and Lunch) is a humble little spot near to one of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's most popular venues, The Pleasance. Their burgers, produced by White of Edinburgh, are meaty and juicy, with added haggis bringing its joyful peppery goodness to proceedings, while the bun maintains good integrity in the face of being overstuffed.

Serving the best fish in the city, Giovanni's is a family run chip shop that oozes charm and warmth. The fish is whale-like in size and beautifully cooked in crisp batter. This is Edinburgh's finest take on this most British of dishes.

Hula is an Edinburgh favourite, with its wonderful blend of stylish design, carefully selected artwork showcasing local artists, and a menu that brings together classics and innovations. Their juices are exceptional, their soup lovely, and their coffee superb, but it's their wonderful breakfast porridge, a Scottish staple, that's the outstanding breakfast item in Edinburgh.

Jones & Son, the folks behind Bespoke BBQ, offer excellent porky street food, each weekend, at Edinburgh's popular weekend markets. Their outstandingly tasty Carolina-style pulled pork is delicious, and with bread from local bakery experts at the Manna House, this is a must for anyone visiting Edinburgh.

A very stylish Japanese restaurant, Kanpai showcases spectacular Scottish seafood. Their sashimi platter is a must, as is their fantastic sweet miso aubergine. See the Blog Post: http://tinyurl.com/ppwqxcz

Edinburgh's flagship seafood restaurant, Ondine matches immaculate service with the finest local produce. A seafood lover's paradise. See the Blog Post: http://tinyurl.com/pgfbwat

Under the stewardship of chef patron Paul Gunning, the Purslane has established itself at the forefront of Edinburgh's relaxed fine dining scene from its compact Stockbridge premises. See the Blog Post: http://tinyurl.com/mas42og

An absolute gem of a place, Rollo is the ideal spot to share an evening of wine and diverse dishes with friends. A place that's alive with jollity and mirth, this is an Edinburgh destination that's not to be missed. See the Blog Post: http://tinyurl.com/kps2w2t

Serving up Scottish street food at markets and events, Scoff was shortlisted for World's Best Sandwich 2015 by ExtremeFoodies for inventing the "tattie scone wrap."  The inventive wrap was cooked up by Scoff owner Laura Ferguson in 2014 when she filled a large tattie scone (a traditional Scottish delicacy rather like a thick pancake) to the brim with Cullen skink stew, a traditional chunky fish soup. Rich, smoky chunks of haddock and cream are then topped with chives and crisped onions. The result is an original dish that says "Scotland" through and through. The stand also does a roaring trade in other Scottish favorites: black pudding rolls with onion and berry gravy, stovies, haggis with neeps and tatties, and beef and beer stew with mash. Vegetarians can opt for portabella mushroom rolls with blue cheese and caramelised onion. Scoff is at Portobello Market on the first Saturday from 9.30 a.m. - 1.30 p.m.; Balerno Farmers Market every second Saturday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Leith every third Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Juniper Green every fourth Saturday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.; and the first Friday of the month in Penicuik from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.