Element in Edinburgh, City of

Arrived at 20.40 the kitchen was due to close but they still accommodated us We had the best steak pie ever compliments to the chef Would highly recommend Thank you

Good location in the heart of Edinburgh. Well presented and quirky interior. A varied menu and good range of drinks. Service was sort of attentive and friendly. The two issues for us were 1. There was a significant delay for the starters to arrive and then they came at the same time as the main courses!? 2. It was cold in the restaurant where we were sitting. When challenged why the waiter was serving the main courses before the starter he said ‘Don’t worry, I have the starters here as well’ and started to put both on the table at the same time. When challenged again ….he said ‘I should have asked you if you wanted the starters first’. I’ve never been in a restaurant where the main course is served before or at the same time as the starter?? If it wasn’t for this faux pas, Element would have been between a 4 and 5 star. The food is excellent and the wines / beers were good.

Served the best Bloody Mary ever!

I have to write this to let you know of a great place in Thistle street in Edinburgh. It is called the Element. We were met with the most friendliest of bar staff,and to top this the ambience of the place is warm and appealing in every sense. And May I add with live music thrown in. The food is excellent if you have had a long day at the shops and want to come in to some warm friendly place,this Bar is the one for you. We came in for food and drinks and left with the feeling we were part of there family. The staff we have met Niomi ,Cammy, Harry,Camile ,pep,and more and not forgetting the wonderful manageress Eilish who makes sure everything runs with proficiency ,this establishment is commended for there hard work,and enthusiasm to which they go beyond to make sure you are welcome in there pub. My hat goes of to you guy’s,great job we shall return. Mag’s & Ronnie

We booked here as a family of four and we were looking for somewhere relaxed and cosy. The atmosphere was very relaxed, very attentive staff and all round really positive experience. Alexander was our waiter and was excellent, nothing too much bother and extremely helpful. A nice whiskey menu too at reasonable prices. Food was excellent with great choice too. Would definitely recommend and we will be back.

Simply put - the best fish and chips I’ve ever eaten. Absolutely amazing, I highly recommend.

It was so good atmosphere and staff is very friendly. There are several local beers. I really recommend.

Perfect Everything fits and tastes great 😍

We were in town for tue day and found this incredible place by chance. It was one of the hilights if the day. Welcomed by enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff, the service was impeccable, the food was amazing and options well catered for. Vegan food was well catered for and beautifully presented. To tip it off Naomi was busy designing her new cocktails creation and trialled it with us, it was an incredibly good new take on a Margarita.

Had dinner here a year ago, it was cozy and delicious. This time too (a reservation had coincidentally been cancelled) we were warmly welcomed and despite the crowds we were able to get a table. Delicious food and drinks and enjoyed good and friendly service! Highly recommended. Keep it up. Greetings from the Netherlands

Amazing atmosphere, lovely service and great food. This is a must go if you're in Edinburgh. We absolutely loved it!

Excellent place to eat and have a drink.

Good food and exceptionally friendly staff. A very warm Scottish welcome to Aussie tourists.

We have dined at Element twice recently. On both occasions the food and the service have been outstanding, no hesitation in recommending, easy to rate as 5 star.

Amazing find. Staff were lovely. Every one of them! Food and drinks fantastic and great portion sizes too!

Lovely local beer and oh god the pie is so good. Love that they add veg in the pie and on the side. Lots of locals there and all the staff are super friendly.

Very nice place with live music and friendly staff. Delicious Christmas roast.

Beutiful Friendy staff in a nice atmosphere Great food well presented Lovely House wine Lovely cosy Bar / restaurant Would definitely return

Visited with a friend for some drinks and a chat, was super busy as it was a Friday afternoon but we managed to find some seats at the bar. The atmosphere was so relaxed yet buzzing, and to top it all off the service was just incredible. I don’t usually leave reviews but the bartenders were all so brilliant and friendly, really made me fall in love with the place! Thanks for making our afternoon so fun! Will definitely be back🙌🏼

First things first! Total need to book in advance. People being turned away from 7.30 when we arrived to 9pm when we left. Also... Not at all tranquil on a Friday night! Not only did we have to push ourselves in through the door to start our journey through the crowds to the restaurant, but then a guitarist started up at the front of the bar who could clearly be heard at the back of the restaurant. Then there's the other guests which included a party of 8 who were very noisy. Next..... Wonderful food and wonderful service! We had to wait for our pre booked table in the bar and the barman served my wife first. Excellent! We are of a certain age and he treated her like royalty. He made a cocktail with theater. Thank you! Then through to the restaurant section. Service impeccable. The menu is simple, and limited, but so well done. Haggis lollypops and scotch egg followed by fish and chips and Balmoral chicken. A 10% service charge automatically added so we didn't tip. Total for 2 was under £60. Strongly recommended.

Had a lovely meal in this bar on our trip to Edinburgh but I must say the girl with long red hair. behind the bar from Wales (sorry didn’t catch her name) was particularly friendly and had great customer service, food was great and the cocktails we had were perfect , great place for a relaxing afternoon

Great meal, great staff, will go back again when we next come up to edinburgh. The experience was faultless.

Lovely menu, brilliant and enthusiastic staff, food was great hoping our son has booked this as his choice for our next meal in edinburgh as the whole menu sounded great and if the rest of the food is as good as we had then we won't be disappointed all in a great meal in a lively venue.

We wanted a quick last minute meal before the train and was pushed for time. Camile got us seated and served in double quick time so we could catch our train. He kept checking up on us to make sure we had enough time. Excellent food and service. Will be back again when in Edinburgh when we have more time to enjoy the food and atmosphere. Thank you again camile

Ate an early evening meal here Good food and good ales on tap Lively ambience and often crowded as on Rose Street Has bar seating at the front and a restaurant at the rear - if you want restaurant seating book in advance

We popped in on Sunday afternoon and were lucky to get in, as all the tables were reserved. So it's good to book a table in advance. This place is so beautifully decorated and staff are very polite and friendly, that I wish I could always visit here on Sundays. I had fish, I can't remember what it was, but it was delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant!

Amazing place! The food very nice! The stuff very friendly and polite! They help us to choose our drinks and food! Thank you from Greece

Very nice to sit and talk, engaged staff. Recommendation.

Don't let the façade fool you, this is a fabulous spot for drinks and dinner. I had the Cullen Skink risotto it was AMAZING ! Husband had the venison sausages, equally happy. Started with Bloody Marys. Exceedingly good. Staff great and decor/ambience just right

Absolutely loved this place? Super friendly staff, great food and good selection of drink. Will defo come back. Recommend booking to eat as it gets super busy!

We dropped in for drinks and decided on cocktails. The staff were welcoming from the moment we stepped in, ensuring we had a good experience. We sat at the bar and ordered cocktails. The bar staff were very knowledgeable and good at creating great cocktail mixes. A great experience in a great atmosphere. We will be sure to come again on our next visit to Edinburgh.

Great freindly service. Cocktails where fabulous, served in a great way and explained … top draw we will visit again. If you wNt a drink ir something to eat cannot recommend this enough.

Beautiful pub with excellent food. I loved it. We ate delicious and the place is very nice. I hope to return soon

Was here recently for a graduation dinner. The team decorated the table which was a really nice touch. The service was really friendly and engaging. The food was amazing. All 5 meals were delicious and everyone left happy. Would definitely recommend and I will definitely be back. The risotto dish was superb.

Really outstanding food. I had the Venison Bangers & Mash and my wife had the Steak Pie. Both were excellent and the mashed potatoes were perfect.

Absolutely loved it! The service was phenomenal, and their recommendations were spot on. Cannot wait to come back!

What more is there to say about the Element with its exceptional atmosphere, great food fancy cocktails ,and a very friendly staff. What more could you ask for. Love being there Ron & Mags S

Echt een top restaurant voor jong en oud. Ligt in een prachtig steegje met nog meer ook gezellige pub’s. Het eten is super lekker en de prijskwaliteit is super echt een aanrader als je op een citytrip naar Edinburgh bent of gaat. Het eten smaakt nog lekkerder na een stevige wandeling door de gezellige straten van Edinburgh. Super aardig personeel en dacht ook echt aan de kinderen. Super mooi geserveerd ik geef dit restaurant dus ook 5 dikke sterren echt een aanrader ga hier zeker naartoe. Mats Rademakers.

Good food with good beer. Sometimes live music of local ability. Very good atmosphere. Felt welcome despite a lot of people in the room.

Loved the atmosphere 💪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💙🤠

Great place, and food was outstanding! Staff were fun and we had some fun banter with one of the bar tenders about if Whiskey should be mixed in drinks or not! (I still say it depends on the Whiskey)! They were booked but found us a table. Great atmosphere. The food was amazing some of the best we had from pubs, and the portions were massive! I'll be back one day!

An incredibly nice and courteous service. The food was also very tasty, although a bit expensive, but definitely worth the money. Deserved 5 out of 5 stars :)

Cannot say enough how wonderful this place was. I made a reservation and told them that I would be celebrating an engagement that took place earlier in the day. Not only did they reserve the table, they set out decorations, gave us a sweet treat and Prosecco. This was not what we were expecting at all. The staff was wonderful and helpful and made the meal so special. We got the Sunday roasts and it was excellent. Highly recommend, would give 6 stars if I could.

We thought it was great. The food seemed homemade and was really tasty, the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. We'd love to come back any time.

I just went there to eat and drink something and came back there again. I am falling in love with this place, unique interior design, great atmosphere, top-class service, good and tasty food. I highly recommend this fantastic place.

The Manager went above and beyond to make our visit a great experience. Staff were attentive and friendly. Food was delicious and value for money. I would highly recommend.

Stopped in for dinner at this cozy and delightful restaurant on Rose Street. The dining environment was so inviting, and our service team made us feel right at home. We ordered the Balmoral Chicken, Smash Burger, Mac and Cheese and the token Scotch Egg. They had well priced house wine and beer and a 0%alcohol gin option for a delicious G&T. There was an allergen list available which made it simple to navigate the menu to accommodate our group’s peanut and treenut recipe.

Lovely pub in the heart of Edinburgh. Great hospitality and one of the best service I ever experienced

So this is an interesting one because Elements is part of a restaurant group of maybe 4 or 5 other pubs in walking distance in downtown Edinburgh. In Sydney, if you're restaurants in a group, each has their own vibe and menu. Within this group, Elements did not. All the ones we went to had the same menu, and that was at least 3 different restaurants. Literally. Food was fine, service was okay, and a local muso was playing was sounded like his first gig. Props to him for putting himself out there, but it made the atmosphere pretty terrible. Would go elsewhere. Meals were expensive too.

Delicious soup of the day. Tasty and hearty fish & ship (Haddock). Succulent “Ale pie”... What's more, there is a smiling waiter and a smiling and charming waitress. Excellent surprise since we had dinner there at random ^^

Had a fantastic meal at Element last night. The service was amazing and fast which was great considering they were fully booked. We managed to get seated by walking in and the food and wine were very tasty. The place is decorated beautifully and the music and light levels are great if you are looking for a place to take elderly people or people who are prone to migraines.

Thanks. Was delicious. All friendly

Incredible food and atmosphere with very opinionated waiters

Excellent place for a beer and food.. Thats the best pie I've eaten in Scotland. Staff really cool and polite.

A very atmospheric place for locals, great fish and chips and a cold Guinness too! !!

On a trip to Edinburgh we went to eat for dinner with 5 people. The food was really good, everyone loved their meal!

Went in for a pint. Managed to get a seat. Lovely decor, good music in the background. Lovely feel to the place. Staff were constantly on the move. Service was good.

Great food, fantastic service! Our dogs was treated like a superstar 😃 Went her for lunch after wandering the city. Highly recommend coming here!

Great for a catch up with friends, lovely food and friendly helpful staff. Would definitely go there again and recommend to friends

Went for an early tea at Element….have only ever been in for drinks but the food was recommended. Absolutely delicious Steak and Ale pie and the Chicken Balmoral were fantastic choices. Staff were friendly and attentive. Can’t wait to try Sunday toast.

My sister and I have just left following a wonderful birthday lunch celebration. The experience from start to finish was phenomenal. The atmosphere and decor creates a wonderful atmosphere and vibe which resulted in a luxurious and comfortable afternoon enjoying wonderful food and an exceptional drinks! I would like to stay a huge thank you directly to the manager and her team for the beautiful extra touch’s and gestures for my birthday it was greatly appreciated and I felt very touched by their generosity and kindness - the team sure do know how to make you feel special! A final thank you for saving us from a 10month old baby tomato sauce disaster! We can’t wait to return and recommend your establishment to others! Xo

Popped in for a couple of drinks. Great friendly service with a vast choice of gins and a good selection of cocktails and if you don’t see the one you want, ask for it, they will do their best to accommodate, they did for us! Lovely atmosphere & decor inside, defo worth popping in.

Popped in a couple of times for drinks on a recent visit to Edinburgh. Good choice of drinks, friendly service in a good location. Recommend.

Personale gentile e locale molto bello ed accogliente. Abbiamo preso una zuppa del giorno ma non era il massimo (tante cipolle a spicchi e più che una zuppa era un brodo) 7 £. Un haggis vegano (6£) che sarebbero due mini bastoncini poggiati su un letto di rucola. Un Fish e chips invece molto buono (17£), bevanda soft 3.30£, in automatico ti mettono il servizio (10%). È un ní.

Nice little pub just off the beaten track , very nice menu.

Had a lovely meal. Staff really attentive and food was excellent

Best fish & chips ever. Not to mention a really good IPA

We enjoyed great food and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere. The haggis lollipops, fish and chips, and "Stake and Ale Pie" were all very tasty. In addition, thank you to the staff for being so kind to us, even though our English is not very good. I am a little sorry that I ordered a whiskey sour in a Scotch whiskey mecca, but it was very tasty and I enjoyed it. I hope I can enjoy a single malt when I visit again.

This visit was my 2nd visit. Last time me and a couple of friends had cocktails and then food and all was good all night despite it being a very busy evening that night. Today's visit was something else entirely. I wasn't particularly wanting food but in the end I ordered some,wish I hadn't bothered. I found what looked like a black beard hair amongst my salad leaves which to be honest grossed me out somewhat. I promptly pointed the issue out to one of the serving staff,who looked bemused,apologised and replaced it,then came the bar tender to apologise. I said that I'd try and see if I could eat the replacement. The 3 cheese Mac n cheese was delicious but the salad leaves were not fresh and they looked like they'd been left on the plate for some time as they were not crisp and they were a bit warm. My friends side salad leaves were the same and the coleslaw was definitely not fresh as it had that congealed mayo look about it. To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement as I used to like the vibe of the place and the last meals were great but today they well and truly took their eye off the ball this time. I thought I might have at least been given a discount for my experience, but no they still expected paying fully for sub standard and unhygienic food. I always think if I found a hair in my salad what on earth are the basic food hygiene standards across the board in there. Never will I go to this place again for food or drinks and neither will any of my friends. Gave me the ick all night did this experience. No amount of attempted persuasion or manipulation tactics would ever get me to cross the threshold of this door again. Plenty of other decent places to eat and hang out in Edinburgh though.

We couldn’t find a table in the restaurant, but they kindly allowed us to eat at the bar. The service was incredibly friendly, and the food was excellent, especially the meat pie. Highly recommend!

Very good restaurant, perfect for tasting Scottish cuisine without falling into folklore. The service is charming and smiling Good value for money.

Absolutely loved this place. We had some great food after a heavy day shopping; pity we couldn’t have stayed longer it was such a nice place. Will visit again x

Food, service, and atmosphere 5/5. We visited on Jul 27 and all of the staff were very kind.

Nice looking pub, friendly service and food was good. Not sure experience as a whole was value for money. But would pop in again.

In a word: Delicious! Staff: very kind, smiling, what dynamism!!! People on the job, in short, great! Cuisine: killer, we ate extremely well, even me who is vegetarian, everything was very, very good. Drinks: they offer to taste before choosing a beer, the perfect gin: tasteful and decorated! Big plus: local products. Price: reasonable in any case, perfect price quality (2 starters, 2 main courses, 3 x 50cl beers, 1 gin and tonic = 100€)

Great welcome ;) Dogs accepted and even encouraged on the bar side. The meal was good and the prices are great for the area. Don’t hesitate, it’s super nice!

Busy so service was slow, but friendly staff and good food

Absolutely wonderful, the food was amazing, everything was super tasty, the service was very, very nice, the ambience and interior staff were just sweet. A wonderful evening in the Element Bar.

My wife and I had a lovely meal here last night. The staff were welcoming and attentive. I had the fish and chips and the fish was cooked perfectly.

Had dinner here on our first night in Edinburgh. We have eaten in multiple cities across Scotland during our trip, and this is by far one of our favourite restaurants. The steak pie was particularly phenomenal - a lovely take on a traditional meal. Highly recommended

What a lovely wee gem. Food fantastic beer good staff efficient friendly and extremely helpful. Now I know this place is here I will be back. Will also be recommending to friends and family. Could not fault anything about my experience.

Managed to squeeze us in. Good drinks, good food. Best Scotch egg!

An absolute gem of a place. Perfect.

Me and my wife have visited the Element in numerous occasions along with my two daughters This time we came as a couple and met the most amazing member of the element team. Her name is IIlish I hope I have pronounced this correctly as I think it is a Welsh Gaelic name. Well we had been in before and met this lovely lady who was smiling when we came in and greeted us if we were members of her own family. We have always had a soft spot for the element,as it is homely, the food is great and the staff are the best you could meet. I have been in a few places in my lifetime,but the element is one of the favourites that will always be there in our hearts,and as such we will be back. Your place in the bars in Edinburgh will be number one in our eyes.Thankyou for such a lovely meal and great atmosphere. Regards Ron and mags Stark

A very nice place. Tasty food, pleasant staff and comfy room.

A great place to catch up with friends and share a couple of pints.

Thank you for looking after us tonight. The food was tasty and the Guinness was good. We were on a quick stopover after the tiring west highland way. Football & live music very busy but you ran effortlessly with a warm welcome

Lovely service and amazing food for reasonable prices. Portions were generous. Can recommend fish & chips and cullen skink risotto here.

Stopped in randomly---no prior research which is my norm. Ordered the Sunday roast. The highly efficient server originally from Cincinnati (didn't get her name) brought our lunch in quick time. It exceeded expectations. It did not seem to come from a sachet sitting in a pot of hot water---it was like it actually came from a chunk of cow! The Yorkshire pudding and other trimmings were good. We'd have dined here more but moved on from Edinburgh. Sad :(

Very tasty food (we had Balmoral chicken and steak), friendly service and pleasant atmosphere.

Stumbled across your little gem last night. Opted to sit at the bar on the best looking and comfiest bar stools ever. The staff were amazing. Gutted we left just before the musical entertainment started. I will be back with my wife soon to let her experience the perfect ambiance you portray. Dunc

Incredible staff, best experience with kids, amazing Sunday roast

Stopped in for a sunny day happy hour. The most beautiful baked Brie in the land, perfect little appetizer. Bar was great vibes inside and out. Plenty of seating, friendly servers.

What a rip off. $32 for two sausages on top of mashed potatoes that shouldn’t have been more than half of that price. Create your own bloody Mary’s also nickel and dime you for each condiment you add to it. Would not recommend!

We ate at this restaurant for lunch during our stay in Edinburgh. The place is very beautiful with armchairs and tartan. The food is also very good and fairly priced. Four of us with five dishes and drinks spent 89 pounds. Recommended if you are in Rose street

We arrived late enough on a Sunday evening and thankfully the roast was still available. It hit the spot, really nice trimmings. The bar has cosy spaces by the street-facing windows, great for people watching. There was a musician playing later in the evening, which gave the place a lively vibe.

A cozy back area for dining - separate from the front bar area. The food (starter of salmon marinated in gin) was very loving, innovative and tasted good. The game sausages taste very good, although a bit overpriced. Overall, a pleasant evening with live music.

Best experience for any meal in edinburgh! Mel took amazing care of me, the food was great and the whisky is reasonably priced. Live music and good company from another table made it worth dropping a good review.

Stay for the margaritas... don't ask for a cachaca. Holy fork it felt like drinking diluted tequila with a few sachets of sugar to help the medicine go down. The music was good though.

Very good service and excellent Fish and Chips