Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in Edinburgh

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance in Edinburgh? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

La Casa - Dalry Road

4.8

4.8 (1328)

£25 and under

Spanish

Edinburgh

About the restaurant

La Casa is run by a young family. They have a real passion for good food served in a cosy environment. Hope you’ll enjoy their newest creation! La Casa is a fun and vibrant Tapas & Mezze restaurant in a cosy, bright and airy surroundings. We are situated in a ‘forever growing’ Dalry neighbourhood. Our aim in La Casa is to bring Mediterranean flavours to the streets of Edinburgh. We use only the best ingredients from the top suppliers to make sure that every dish is as authentic to its origin as possible.

Top review

Ros

Dined 3 days ago

Really enjoyed the fpod and the setvice was prompt and friendly. A bit noisy!

Muna's Ethiopian Cuisine

4.8

4.8 (68)

£26 to £40

Ethiopian

Edinburgh

About the restaurant

Welcome to Muna's Ethiopian Cuisine! We look forward to serving you.

Top review

Linda

Dined on Jun 7, 2025

Food was excellent, recommend the vegan sharing. Will definitely be back with friends. Book ahead though as it’s busy to avoid disappointment.

No. 35 at The Bonham

4.7

4.7 (528)

£26 to £40

Scottish

Westend

About the restaurant

Exquisite dining in beautiful surroundings

There are few better places in Edinburgh than No.35 at The Bonham

On an elegant West End Terrace, not far from the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Stockbridge area, No.35 at The Bonham Restaurant is a character rich dining room, which combines classical elegance with the contemporary.

Not your ordinary hotel restaurant

The wood panelled restaurant is an intimate, distinctive and cosy retreat. Following an extensive refurbishment, No.35 blends traditional elements, luxurious fabrics and timely touches that reflect the original Georgian roots of the building. A fabulous place to dine at the end of a busy day’s shopping and sightseeing in Edinburgh.

Choose from our A La Carte Menu, a great choice for all tastes, or why not join us every lunchtime for our famous “Boozy Snoozy” Menu, a 3-course selection including a half bottle of wine per person.

We also offer Afternoon Tea in our

Top review

Helen

Dined on Jun 7, 2025

Delicious food and wine. Really good value. Excellent service.

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Experience

Boozy Snoozy Lunch

Experience

Edinburgh Gin Afternoon Tea

Experience

The Bonham Afternoon Tea

La Garrigue

4.8

4.8 (2704)

£26 to £40

French

Edinburgh

About the restaurant

Opened in 2001 La Garrigue is a 2 AA Rosettes French restaurant located just a stones throw away from Edinburgh's famous Royal Mile and minutes away from Waverley train station with stunning views of Calton Hill.
The restaurant is themed around the culinary specialities of the southern regions of France offering hearty dishes such as Roquefort Cheese Soufflé, Fish Soup, Traditional Cassoulet and using the best of local produces as well as French ones. The wine list is extensive and is suitably representative of Languedoc, the largest of France's wine producing regions and has been awarded AA Notable Wine List for years.
Be ready to be transported to France as you come in, friendly and relaxed atmosphere mixed with chic yet casual surroundings.

Top review

Mandy

Dined 5 days ago

Lovely meal, food fantastic and ambience great. Service was excellent. Asked regularly if everything was ok and whether we needed anything. Highly recommend.

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4.7

4.7 (594)

£25 and under

Scottish

Morningside

About the restaurant

"The Canny Man's in Morningside is an Edinburgh institution established in 1871 and passed down through 5 generations of the Kerr family. As famous chef Rick Stein said 'The Canny Man's is the best pub in the world.'
The establishment is well known far and wide for it’s quirky nature and ‘never’ changing décor. The interior sees every nook and cranny filled with everything from moose heads to muskets, sheet music to stuffed animals. A genuinely one of a kind bar and restaurant. The restaurant specialises in the best Scottish produce with a strong focus on local suppliers. Alongside this they have a well stocked gantry of over a 200 malt whiskies and a large wine list. The Canny Man's is very much a unique experience in Edinburgh and not to be missed."

Top review

Hoop

Dined 7 days ago

Great food, staff and venue. We had a fantastic night.

Badger & Co

4.7

4.7 (1818)

£25 and under

Scottish

Edinburgh

About the restaurant

Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh, our Wind in the Willows-inspired restaurant offers a delightful blend of classic, crafty, and culinary adventures. Enjoy hearty dishes paired with creative cocktails and a carefully curated selection of local beers, wines, and spirits.

Choose from dining in our cozy indoor space, relaxing in the hidden Sunken Garden, or taking in stunning views of Edinburgh Castle from our outdoor terrace.

🧒 Under 18s welcome until 10pm
🐶 Dog-friendly in the Lounge area
🍽️ Last food orders at 8:45pm
🏃 Walk-ins welcome
👰 Private dining room available for bookings

For groups of 9 or more, please contact us directly to arrange your booking.

Top review

Aileen

Dined 2 days ago

The food was absolutely amazing, I had beetroot & mushroom Wellington, it was beautifully presented and delicious, I then had the toad escape which was to die for ,would throughly recommend dining here ,staff were lovely the decor was stunning will definitely be back soon

Edinburgh - Bucks Bar Grindlay Street

4.8

4.8 (566)

£25 and under

American

Old Town

About the restaurant

Welcome to Bucks Bar Edinburgh Grindlay St. We look forward to welcoming you!

The best free range buttermilk fried chicken you've ever tasted! New to Edinburgh, Buck's is a rock’n’roll bar specialising in authentic buttermilk fried chicken, seriously addictive Nashville hot chicken, cocktails, beers and Bourbon.

Live music every Saturday night!

40% Off Selected Cocktails Monday - Wednesday weekly offers
www.bucksbar.co.uk

Top review

Katherine

Dined 4 days ago

Can't say enough good things about this place. We found it on TikTok so decided to give it a whirl. Easily the biggest chicken burger I've ever seen, and really tender, juicy and tasty. Highly recommend

Novapizza Vegan Kitchen

4.8

4.8 (737)

£26 to £40

Vegan

Edinburgh

About the restaurant

Welcome to Novapizza Vegan Kitchen, the unique 100% vegan Italian place in Edinburgh.

We are a lgbtq+ family business, operating since 2015.
We are known for our delicious pizzas and pasta, some of the awards won are:
- Best Pizza Scottish Italian awards 2017
- Best Vegan Restaurant Scottish food awards 2020

Our philosophy is to recreate the most popular Italian dishes in a vegan key.
Our restaurant has a small capacity with a very cosy and romantic atmosphere.

Top review

Catherine

Dined 3 days ago

A really, really nice experience. Very comfortable atmosphere to be in, a bit of background noise as you'd expect in a restaurant but we were perfectly able to hear each other. Service was great and the food was wonderful. Most of us had pizzas, I had the lasagna and it was all so good, so impressed with the vegan "cheese"!

Tolbooth Tavern

4.6

4.6 (273)

£25 and under

Scottish

Old Town

About the restaurant

Built in 1591, the Tolbooth Tavern in Edinburgh was formerly part of the original Canongate Tolbooth. This medieval building was used to divide the Royal Burgh of Edinburgh and Canongate.

The Tolbooth Tavern is a cosy traditional Scottish pub full of character and charm. The small exterior gives way to a spacious bar and mezzanine dining area. It boasts a fantastic spot along the Royal Mile.

Serving hearty home-cooked Scottish fayre using locally sourced produce, we are sure to keep you full before a full day on the tourist trail or join us for an evening exploring our fine whisky collection.

Our house favourites include Cullen skink, Tolbooth burgers, freshly landed Scottish fish n chips and our Tolbooth steak and sausage pie.

If you want to embrace dark history and immerse yourself in a spooky atmosphere, The Tolbooth Tavern is a must visit whilst in Edinburgh.

We are open from 11am daily for drinks. Our food menus are available from 12pm.

Top review

Leanne

Dined on May 27, 2025

Traditional pub decor and menu situated in an incredible building with an interesting history. The food was simple but delicious. We had the cullen skink smoked fish chowder and steak pie. Recommend both! The service was very friendly and efficient. We really enjoyed our evening at this pub!

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4.8

4.8 (368)

£26 to £40

Pizzeria

Old Town

About the restaurant

Experience Pizza like never before! At 3 Blind Mice, we provide exceptional pizzas, sides and salads alongside the perfect frosted pint, the finest wines, or fabulous cocktails, all served by our amazing team. So, if you're looking for pizza excellence in a spectacular setting, we think you'll enjoy it here.

Top review

Charissa

Dined 3 days ago

Wonderful dining, great atmosphere! Super fun to sit at counter and watch pizzas being made and cooked. Food and Staff were awesome. Highly recommend!

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