4 places to eat on a date in Edinburgh, hand-picked from our A-to-Z guide — from Fishers in the City to Yarn over seafood at Newhaven Harbour. Every spot below was verified by an editor on the ground, with the address, the best time to go, and a one-line reason it earns the trip.
4 hand-picked spots
F
Thistle Street, New Town
A marble counter, a tower of ice and shellfish, and the New Town clinking glasses around you.
Tip The city outpost of the much-loved Leith original, doing impeccable Scottish shellfish without the harbour trek — the seafood platter is the move for two. Sit at the marble counter if the tables are full; it's livelier and you can watch the kitchen. Book ahead on weekends, Festival season especially.
N
Leith
An 1896 mahogany-and-glass room that makes a pint feel like an occasion.
Tip Grab the curved corner booth under the stained-glass window for the prettiest light. The Bellfield beers are brewed locally and gluten-free, and Sunday afternoons often have live jazz with no cover. Book ahead on Fringe weekends — Leith fills up fast.
T
Old Town
Candlelight, tapestries and the castle at the door — pure gothic romance.
Tip Ask for the Secret Garden room rather than the darker original Witchery — it's lighter and just as opulent. The two-course theatre/pre-show menu is the value play if you're not splurging. Book weeks ahead; this is Edinburgh's go-to proposal restaurant for a reason.
Y
Leith
A breezy harbour-side bolthole where the tram and the sea both end.
Tip We couldn't find a 'Yardarm' here — the Newhaven Harbour seafood spot is The Fishmarket at 23A Pier Place (Pier House is the other). Sit by the window for views across to the old lighthouse, order the fish, and time it for sunset over the Firth of Forth. The tram now ends right here, so it's an easy car-free afternoon.