Tired of smoothies? Fed up with calorie counting? Get back to real life and make the most of the 5pm £12 Dining Sale with these top Edinburgh restaurants.
A good lunch or a fine dinner is a wonderful antidote to winter. Especially at the wallet-friendly price of £12.
At the time of writing, all these offers were available on Tuesday 24th January. Offers and exact menus change. However, you can find a meal that suits you, at a restaurant you like, on a day that suits by searching our £12 Dining Offers.
First Coast
Neighbourhood bistro in Dalry
Opening in the early part of the Noughties, First Coast helped raise the culinary stakes in West Edinburgh. Now in its teens, this cosy, neighbourhood bistro is still among the district’s leaders when it comes to Scottish ingredients cooked with pride and imagination.
First Coast is casual rather than bling but very comfortable with it. Stripped stone walls, an open fire and dramatic seascapes make it an easy going place to relax.
Although First Coast may sound like one of Edinburgh’s seafood restaurants, its menu has evolved over the years and fish now accounts for around a quarter of the dishes on offer. The chefs take inspiration from around the world for the flavours they use.
£12 will buy you two courses on the lunch and early evening menu. Sample main courses might be the beef and fenugreek curry with jasmine rice and raita or the southern spiced chickpeas with okra and grits.
You can book in via 5pm Dining.
Café St Honoré
Stylish Scottish restaurant in the New Town
Tucked away on a cobbled lane in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town, Café St Honoré is a happy marriage between classic French decor and carefully sourced Scottish ingredients. Café St Honoré may sound as if it is a French restaurant but, despite the elegant Gallic interior, the cooking is modern Scottish.
Each day, the talented chefs create a new menu to bring out the best in the ingredients delivered that morning.
You can book in for the 5pm £12 Dining Sale menu here. £12 buys one course from the café classics menu.
Think along the lines of East Coast monkfish cheeks in an Innis & Gunn beer batter or the Scotch beef and shallot pie.
Chop Chop
Authentic Chinese in Edinburgh’s West End
Run by the irrepressible Jian Wang, Chop Chop on Morrison Street is unique among Edinburgh’s Chinese restaurants. Not only has it been awarded an AA Rosette but it also featured on Gordon Ramsay’s F-Word. The decor is comfortable, clean and basic while the welcome is always friendly. The main draw is the fantastic food, especially the dumplings.
Chop Chop specialises in dishes from northern China. The steamed or pan-fried dumplings, available with several fillings, are deservedly popular. Other recommendations include the melting, more-ish aubergine which is pan-fried with garlic and spring onions.
Their sales offer is £12 per person for the unlimited banquet lunch. Includes a tea, coffee or soft drink. Book in to Chop Chop with 5pm Dining.
Bistro Provence
Leith French restaurant inspired by Provence
Housed in an appealing mix of stripped, old stone and contemporary glass, Bistro Provence is an award-winning French restaurant on Commercial Quay. Along with the local press, the Michelin Guide and the AA Rosette scheme have all noted the growing reputation which the kitchen is earning for its thoughtful sourcing and cooking.
The £12 sale at Bistro Provence bags each diner two courses from the daily specials menu or £15 for three courses.
Typical starters might be the pear and blue cheese salad or the Provence terrine followed by the confit pork belly or catch of the day.
The Caley Sample Room
Inviting Dalry bar and kitchen
Located on Angle Park Terrace in Edinburgh’s Dalry, The Caley Sample Room is a pleasingly down-to-earth, neighbourhood bar that does great food. Along with long, tall wooden tables, beamed ceilings and white-washed walls, there are sunny booth window seats.
Nine real ale lines showcase the good work of local breweries and there is a huge range of canned and bottled beers from around the world as well as wines and spirits. A Monday pub quiz, sport on the big screen, occasional live music and the highly competitive dog of the week photo comp keep it all lively.
For £12 per person, each diner can enjoy two courses from the set menu. We would go for the avocado and seafood salad followed by the confit duck leg.
You can book into The Caley Sample Room via 5pm Dining.
Taisteal
Contemporary Scottish restaurant in Stockbridge
Meaning travel or journey in Gaelic, Taisteal is a contemporary Scottish restaurant on Raeburn Place in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge neighbourhood.
As well as extensive stints in numerous Michelin-starred restaurants, the Chef Proprietor has travelled widely. He brings all of these experiences to bear on the menu at Taisteal. The restaurant launched at the start of 2017 with the aim of delivering elements of fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere. The best Scottish produce, prepared using techniques, recipes and flavours from around the world are at the heart of Taisteal.
Taisteal’s £12 Sale offer is for one person to have two courses from the market menu. Includes a complimentary tea or coffee.
We’re looking fondly at the goat’s cheese pannacotta. Probably followed by the sesame-crusted pork belly with butternut squash gnocchi.
Malmaison Edinburgh
Modern British brasserie in Leith
Housed in the eye-catching Malmaison hotel on Tower Place, the Chez Mal restaurant enjoys spectacular views over the Port of Leith. Given a smart refurbishment in 2016, the dining room has a sleek, contemporary feel. The new look bar is a hip hangout with craft beers and innovative cocktails while the waterfront terrace is always popular when the sun makes an appearance.
The menus at Chez Mal change with the seasons and are neatly balanced between classic brasserie dishes and contemporary international choices.
Book in via 5pm Dining and the £12 Dining Sale means you can tuck into a mighty Mal burger plus a schooner of beer, a 175ml glass of house wine, or a soft drink. This offer is available in the bar only.
The Mal Burger is a thing of beauty and comes with Ayrshire bacon, Gruyère cheese, pommes frites & burger relish
Britannia Spice
Award-winning Indian restaurant in Leith
Named after the nearby Royal Yacht Britannia, Britannia Spice is located in a former whisky warehouse on Commercial Street. The restaurant itself is in ship-shape condition. Rope ladders, rigging and ships’ wheels all accentuate the maritime theme. An AA Rosette for culinary excellence is the latest in a long line of awards.
Book in for a 5pm Dining Sale offer at Britannia Spice and £12 will buy one person a starter (up to value of £4.95) and a main course (up to value of £12.95).
Look forward to multi-ethnic cuisine with dishes from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Thailand. We’re ordering the chicken pakora and then the Thai sesame chicken.
Zucca
Popular Italian restaurant in theatre district
In between the Royal Lyceum and the Usher hall, just a two minute stroll from The Traverse, Zucca is in the heart of Edinburgh’s theatre district. It’s a relaxed Italian restaurant that prides itself on offering friendly service, a good selection of wine and, of course, creative but simple dishes.
Naturally, it is very popular with pre-theatre customers but also attracts plenty of diners who prefer to arrive a little later and linger over their affogato.
Book into Zucca via 5pm Dining and you can enjoy their £12 Sale offer: two courses from the dinner menu. Surcharges will apply to some dishes.
We’re thinking of having the smoked mackerel, beetroot and potato salad with saffron mayonnaise and then the wild mushroom risotto with truffle oil and aged Parmesan.
Get more offers for top Edinburgh restaurants in 5pm’s £12 Sale.