The choice of restaurants in Edinburgh is vast, but when you try to think of a luxury restaurant that’s intimate and romantic it’s actually quite tricky, so here are our favourite romantic restaurants in Edinburgh.
Tattu
Restaurants don’t get much prettier than Tattu and their cosy booths are ideal for a romantic meal for two. The atmosphere is warm and cosy, the food is delicious and the cocktail list is impressive.
Add to this the dramatic effects of dry ice with some of the dishes and cocktails and the artificial cherry blossom adorned ceiling and you have the recipe for a wonderfully romantic evening.
Address: 18 W Register Street, Edinburgh EH2 2AA|
Phone: 0131 558 1922
Website: Tattu Edinburgh
Cafe St Honore
It may be nestled on a cobbled lane just off Edinburgh’s George Street, but having lived there for five years I feel qualified to say that Cafe St Honore feels like you’ve been whisked away to Paris for the evening, which is why when creating a list of romantic restaurants in Edinburgh, this one sprang straight to mind. The tables in the restaurant are set with crisp white linen, the glasses and flatware sparkle and the atmosphere is warm and intimate.
Although the atmosphere is very much parisian, Chef Neil Forbes believes in using fresh local produce, which and his team enhance to let the flavour shine.
Address: 34 Northwest Thistle Street Lane, Edinburgh EH2 1EA
Tel: 0131 226 2211
Website: Cafe St Honore
The Secret Garden
Stepping into The Secret Garden is probably as close as you’ll get to stepping into a restaurant where fairies came down in the night and elegantly dressed the room. The decor is extravagantly sumptuous, creating a truly romantic atmosphere.
The food at The Secret Garden is very much fine dining, with a wine list long enough to rival War and Peace. To turn up the romance, the rooms at The Witchery (adjoining) are as glamorous as we’ve seen.
Address: Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 2NF
Tel: 0131 225 5613
Website: The Secret Garden
The Lighthouse Bar aboard Fingal Edinburgh
Pushing the boat out for a romantic date takes a turn for the literal when you step aboard HMS Fingal, permanently moored sister ship to the Royal Yacht Britannia.
The Lighthouse Bar is an informal restaurant, serving a simple but delicious menu, but don’t let this fact fool you into thinking the experience is anything but five-star. A former lighthouse tending ship, Fingal has been wholly reimagined as a luxurious ‘boatique’ hotel, and already earned itself an enviable reputation.
Address: Fingal, Alexandra Dock, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 7DX
Tel: 0131 357 5000
Website: Fingal
Rhubarb at Prestonfield House
Everything about Prestonfield House screams opulence. The building is set in its own grounds where lights illuminate the surrounding trees casting a magical spell before you’ve even entered the building. The restaurant itself is housed in a fine Regency room and a dining experience offers the opportunity to explore other rooms in the hotel for pre and post-dinner drinks.
Food at Prestonfield’s restaurant is fine dining, with fresh Scottish produce featuring strongly.
Address: Prestonfield House Hotel, Priestfield Road, Edinburgh, EH16 5UT
Tel: 0131 225 1333
Website: Rhubarb
20 Princes Street
A relative new-comer to the Edinburgh dining scene having opened in 2013, 20 Princes Street has gained a deservedly good reputation. For a romantic evening a booth in the restaurant is cosy and secluded from the main buzz. If, however, you’re looking for a bit of buzz after dinner Juniper, with fabulous views across the city, is a lively way to end the evening. This is an ideal early date restaurant – superb setting but not awkwardly romantic if you’re just getting to know each other.
The chef uses fresh Scottish ingredients and for true carnivores, we’d highly recommend the steak with a beautifully charcoaled flavour.
Address: 20 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2AN
Tel: 0131 652 7370
Website: Twenty Princes
Contini Cannonball
Romantic restaurants in Edinburgh don’t come much more charming than Cannonball, part of the Contini group of restaurants. Named after the cannon ball reputedly embedded in the building from the days of Bonnie Prince Charlie, Cannonball’s menu offers Scottish ingredients served with an Italian flair.
The restaurant is upstairs, allowing it to make the most of the views from its Castlehill location. We loved the food, service and atmosphere when we dined there recently. The overall feel is a stylishly romantic choice with tantalizing glimpses of the Castle ramparts.
Address: 356 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NF
Telephone: 0131 225 1550
Website: Cannonball Restaurant Edinburgh
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