Empires in Edinburgh, City of

I ordered a Turkish breakfast plate of eggs, sausage, and salad with halloumi, olives, and cheese for 11 euros, and excellent Turkish tea, but let it be heavy for you, and the food is halal.

menemen was great, hearty portion for a good price in a cute little cafe setting

Delicious food. Very cosy and comfortable restaurant. Great veggie options.

We’ve had breakfast twice and it was delicious, beautiful presentation, and very friendly staff. The Mediterranean Breakfast was so good I had it twice. The second time I asked to substitute the cheese for double the fried cheese from Greece.

Lovely little find, great breakfast!

I had a delicious meze on this lovely small quiet restaurant

The food is very delicious, the taste is amazing, and the service is excellent

Had a sharing platter for 2 for lunch and the food was excellent. Everything was very tasty, fresh and spicy. Even the flatbread was nice and fresh. For dessert I had the semolina cake and a cappuccino and my wife had the baclava and peppermint tea, which were both very good.

Came across this place by chance today. The food was tasty and reasonably priced, service was good. Toilets and kitchen were spotlessly clean. A really pleasant little place and nice atmosphere, not to be overlooked.

We found the restaurant by chance and were impressed by both the food and the people there. Authentic food at fair prices.

This is such a sweet neighbourhood cafe! I had the best scones ever at this cafe. The owners are so kind and welcoming. The decor also pays homage to their roots and the vibrant Turkish culture.

One of the most delicious places in Edinburgh, lamb moussaka and appetizers are recommended 😊😋

Amazing food and a lovely atmosphere!

Although I am a simple scotsman from a wee village, I feel like I am in Istanbul not constantinople. Amazing food.

Very good breakfast with Turkish coffee and the staff was very helpful!

Delicious moussaka and baclava and other sweet treats. Dog friendly, nice friendly atmosphere. They don’t sell alcohol but you can take in with £1.50 corkage, there is an off license 100m or so away.

Food was awesome, and this is the perfect place after a day of sightseeing! This place is a hidden gem ! Thanks !

We got to Edinburgh pretty late and the family was hungry so I googled something open close by. To my luck this incredible Turkish restaurant was open so I went to order food. Now I was born in Turkey so I’m pretty picky but this was some of the best Turkish food my family and I have had. The service, the flavor and the overall portions were amazing and we are definitely going back before we leave. Tesekur

Este restaurante es fabuloso. La comida más sabrosa. Todo hecho fresco, todas las dietas atendidas, TAN amable y servicial. Increíble calidez y servicio. Esperamos volver a visitarlo muy pronto. ¡Muchas gracias por hacer una noche de cumpleaños especial muy especial!

This has become one of my favorite places to dine in Edinburgh. I've been coming here for about ten years (flight crew) and a lovely man brought me to this place for a date a few weeks ago. I was so surprised at how colorful and intimate it was! I brought a friend with me on a layover today. And I plan to be back again later this week! I just love it! Service is top notch! Food is amazing! Chicken Kebab is excellent, but the clear winner for me is the Lamb with aubergine and bechamel sauce! Can't wait to have it again!

Absolutamente fantástica joya oculta! Creo que está bajo nueva propiedad. Estábamos allí como un grupo y la comida era increíble, alergias, etc atendido y el servicio era honestamente en otro nivel! Gran selección de mezze y la red eran grandes. También es BYOB. No dejo comentarios a menudo, pero este restaurante lo merece! Just GO

The food felt very authentic and the service was absolutely amazing. Felt like a small family run restaurant! The portions are big and I literally overate. We had the burek, the kofta as well as the kebab everything was so delicious and authentic. Definitely recommend this place!

Spent 4 days in Edinburgh- 2 couples. We visited Empires twice for dinner. Food was amazing and the staff was warm and welcoming. We were made to feel as if we were having dinner at a friend’s home! Tried mezze- humus, htipiti, cacik with pita, veg. mousakka, ispanakli borek and coban salad- all delicious!

Very authentic flavors. Great service and ambience. The vegetarian mousaka was extremely hearty and delicious! Would highly recommend.

Their food was a belly hug! The veggie moussaka was very tasty and the service was fast and kind.

Great food and friendly service! Everything was fresh and flavorful. The space is really cute. Prices are reasonable

Delicious food, lovely staff, great portions at very reasonable prices. We had a selection of menu items and they were all delicious. Would highly recommend!

Desserts are delicious. Food and desserts menu is quite rich.

This is such an absolute jewel of a place to eat in the old town. The food is very good, but what really makes it special is the warmth and kindness of the staff. My wife likes the mezze, but I always go for the moussaka, but everything is home-cooked and tasty.

Great food, excellent service, friendly staff! We were a large group and they were very accommodating!

This restaurant transported me back to my home country. The warm atmosphere, coupled with the spectacular service, made us having an unforgettable experience. Every dish we had was a masterpiece, the staff and the owners went above and beyond to satisfy us. And at the end, we had a fresh homemade Baklava that brought back so many memories. I cannot recommend it enough!! Best restaurant in Edinburgh!!

best Turkish food I ever ate! You have to go here if you are in Edinburgh - it is a special special place!

Had a great meal with group of friends. Food was absolutely delicious. We shared mezes to start and had mains too. Loved it all. Staff were so friendly, and relaxed atmosphere was great for catching up. Great to have byob too. Will definitely be back

After 2 days of "pub food", we discovered Empires! What a joy to finally be able to eat vegetables and good cooked dishes in a warm and cozy atmosphere!!! The service was perfect, the Turkish dishes varied, balanced, generous and delicious. We recommend. Small budget for the quality of the ingredients: less than £50 for 2 adults and 2 children.

Amazing food and service. This place has a nice authentic atmosphere, good Turkish traditional food. Edinburgh needed this kind of place. Me and my husband have a new favorite restaurant in Edinburgh.

Lovely restaurant staff very friendly. Food well presented and tasted excellent.Will definitely be back very soon with friends

Staff very pleasant and helpful. Food very well presented and taste was great Will definitely be looking to go back again.

Solid offering with lovely genuine staff welcome and service. Eating on my own during a quieter weekday, place was intimate, cosy and wholesome. Just what I was looking for after a long day. Had main course rather than meze but all looked good Does BYOB.

Just had a delicious meal with my partner good service Very pleasant owner . Thank you All will be back next visit to Edinburgh.

Visited Empires with friends and we all very much enjoyed it. It is BYOB and there is an off-license a few doors up. A warm welcome with excellent food (recommend the kebabs) and setting. Reasonable prices too. Will be back.

We spent two nights in Edinburgh and found this lovely place to eat. The food was so fresh, excellent and tasty. The serving was lovely too. Would definitely go back. It was very warm and cozy. Lovely atmosphere.

The place is amazing, the staff are so lovely and the food was one of the best Turkish food I have tried ever 😍 I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for relaxing and quality time with friends and family.

Amazing food and super friendly stuff. They prepare the food daily with fresh ingredients and you can really taste the difference.

Amazing food and friendly staff! Dog friendly as well, they have a cookie to our little one.

Food okay but very expensive for what it is, definitely not worth the money. Also ended up making us ill

What a wonderful night at the empires bistro! The cooking what very good (especially the desert 🤩) and the service very kind and lovely. Thank you so much!

Yani şu ülkeye gelip Türk restoranı açıyorsunuz ama saat kaçla kaç arasında açık olduğunuzu doğru düzgün yazamıyorsunuz. 20 Dakika yürüyüp geldik 11’e kadar açık denen yer kapalı. Rezilsiniz.

Amazing find. Food was good an healthy and very nice and relaxing atmosphere.

This is a really special place, I often choose to come here on my birthday or when there is something big to celebrate! It's a small middle eastern/Turkish restaurant with a cosy and intimate atmosphere. They have a huge menu with all the dishes served tapas style, and designed to share. Absolutely everything on the menu is incredibly delicious, my own personal favourites are the lamb moussaka and the baklava. It's BYOB so make sure to bring a bottle of wine or two with you - and also bring cash because very often they're not able to accept payment by card. The staff are super friendly and very helpful with food recommendations. I can't wait to return!

Food was okay. Slight room for improvement in service though

Really nice food and a lovely atmosphere!

Loved it! We were going to go to another restaurant but it was already closing so we decided to give it a try. It’s got a great location, it’s very cozy and the staff is super friendly. Food was really delicious, we went for a 5 mezzr platter but it was so tasty we got another one. We totally recommend it!

I'm sure my friend will also write a review after our experience tonight. We have both visited this restaurant many times and I have also taken my wife for a meal here. The food is fantastic. Service is very quick. However, tonight we arrived at 750pm and were served quickly. We had 2 bottles of wine with us expecting a relaxing evening of food and chat. The waitress immediately noticed I worked for a local University and asked about opportunities for funded research. I was quite taken aback especially when my friend pointed out that she was asking the same question to the the table next to us. That table left at 8pm leaving us the only table left. When we were eating our meal, the waitress constantly paced back and forth over a 3m distance of wooden flooring asking if we needed anything further. Eventually I asked if there was an issue...did she want us to leave? She replied "no she was paid until 11pm but we were the last customers". So obviously we felt under pressure to leave...especially when she asked if we wanted a dessert as we were eating our meze. Our plates were cleared before the last bite reached my esophagus. We wanted to have our second bottle of wine but my friend felt it wasn't worth the discomfort and I agree. Probably due to the fact that we were asked at 840 if we would mind if the doors were locked. Look on Google.. It's advertised as closing at 11pm. Love the food but will wait on further reviews before returning.

I have visited Empires on two previous occasions and liked the food and laid back atmosphere. However on this occasion my friend and I were extremely disappointed, not to say annoyed, by the waitress, who seemed to be more interested in asking every customer if they could help her with her future studies, than making them feel comfortable. More annoying was the continuous walking up and down past our table, staring at us, making us both feel we were overstaying our welcome. My friend asked if the restaurant was closing soon, only to be told no, we were the last customers and she was being paid to stay til 11pm. This was around 8.30pm! She obviously couldn't wait to get rid of us so they could shut up shop and go home. That's how it felt, at least. I have never experienced anything like this abysmal level of customer service, we both felt very uncomfortable and decided to leave sooner rather than later. Needless to say a tip was not forthcoming but I could suggest the following as a tip to the owners: employ staff who actually care about your customers, regardless if they are the first or the last customers in your restaurant. I will not be back any time soon.

Rather disappointing food. Falafel incredibly dry and a couple of my köfte meatballs were microwaved to death. In itself no problem for me, but just so you know: no alcohol served, but you can bring your own. You’ll be charged 3 pound for bottle of wine and 50p per bottle of bear you bring.

Nice cozy little place with really good vegan options. A hidden gem just off the tourist route. Makes a refreshing change to the usual options. Cash only when I went. Would definitely go back if I am ever in the area again.

Extortionately expensive for very little food. Authentic classics such as hummus are bland and most infuriatingly rationed... 5 pittas and a quarter plate of hummus between 7 people and when we asked for more we were told they would have to check other bookings and charge us more!? Then to top it off could only pay with a single debit card. Overall really disappointing compared to any other mezze experience.

非常好吃的土耳其餐館， 素食套餐Vegetarian Meze platter 特別好吃！

The staff are very laid back. The food is ok. The portions are very small. I know the whole point of Meze is lots of small dishes, but it's hard to fill up on bread, dips, and olives, and at £15 per plate, you need more than one. When there are more substantial things on the plate, such as falafel, there are only two minuscule offerings. Not worth the money.

At a bit of a loss as to where to have dinner and my girlfriend suggested Turkish, seen as we've never had it before...So glad she did. The staff, I'm assuming the tall guy was the boss, were very attentive. Before I'd even had 2 sips of my Turkish beer (which was nice and light) our food was here?! I thought the platters that they offer would be too much, but it was just right. It wasn't scolding hot either so you could tuck right in. Between us we had the veggie and non veggie platter and loved every part of it. Great interior too to marvel at whilst you wait the whole 2 seconds for your food. £40 for two platters and 2 beers, slightly more than expected but well worth it, highly recommend this place.

Atmosphere lovely. Staff pleasant. But if a Turkish restaurant can't make a decent hummus there's a problem. Food very overpriced and bland. Wouldn't recommend.

Had dinner here with a friend. Very nice mezze but definitely too expensive! Ordered a platter of 5 Mezze (as we thought the other options of 3 and 12 would be too little or too much, respectively). What we got for £16 was essentially an appetizer as we were both still hungry after. Nice ambience but a couple of songs were played on constant repeat.

The food was really nice. Ordered several mezzes for 2 people sharing, a deal they have, and it was quite filling. The atmosphere is nice and cosy. Not too busy which I normally prefer. Very good customer service.

This little Turkish place has adorable decor and a very sweet server. Portions were NOT large but everything was super tasty and prepared to order - very fresh and delicious. We were happy with the meze platters that featured vegan and vegetarian options and the tea service.

Wonderful warm welcome by the chef. Delish and v reasonable

This is a very quirky restaurant with a unique atmosphere and decor. The food was brilliant, there were many vegetarian options and everything we had was very tasty. Will definitely visit again.

I really don’t know what to make of this restaurant. The atmosphere is cosy though the SE Asian incense is unusual for a Turkish restaurant and the service is very quick. It’s the manner of serving the food that I found odd. The menu really isn’t clear that ordering a range of dishes means they all end up on the same plate intended for one person rather than authentic Turkish style of a range of small dishes for everyone to share. So we ended up with the equivalent of a plate of salad between us and while it was tasty it really wasn’t even close to enough. In fact a plate each would still have left us hungry. I really can’t recommend it as a place for dinner but the food was very tasty

Empires es ciertamente un restaurante inusual, y cada momento te sorprenderá, para bien o para mal. Prepárese para una rara combinación de poca iluminación y el aroma del incienso. El plato de 3 mezze es casi del mismo tamaño que el plato de 5 mezze, y aunque vienen con pan, teníamos hambre después. Pero los maravillosos productos de nogal y avellana nos volvieron a sorprender, una explosión de sabores maravillosos. La camarera era extremadamente tímida aunque era genial. En general, el lugar es un nicho de otro mundo, pero no está claro a qué tipo de mundo pertenece.

What a great spot! You feel like you're in a different country because of the atmosphere. Well decorated and nice music. Food wise this place is a 10 out of 10, we ordered a 5 meze platter each and that was more than enough to feel like we had one of the greatest meals ever.

Beautiful little place, it really makes you feel like you're in Turkey ♥️ Lovely service and atmosphere. The food is awesome!! Definitely a great experience and my husband and I will be back! ☺

My wife and I stopped in here for a meal, and the staff that seated us didn't realize we were a patron until they got off their phone. It seemed and incredibly laid back atmosphere, which was fine. We both ordered the 3 meze platters, and I had moussaka, green beans, and falafel. The moussaka was average, the falafel was very dense and chewy, and the green beans were good. My wife said the bread and hummus was very good. The food is hit or miss. I also had turkish coffee that was very good. The waiter seemed more or less concerned with chatting to a friend that had come in rather than service, and we needed to be going because we had a tour booked for something else. He was very friendly but not as prompt as we prefer. The food was ok but not great.

Excellent food and lovely staff! Great for vegans/vegetarians too :)

Went last night for a family birthday. Was a most agreeable night. Because we were quite a large group, we had a space to ourselves upstairs. Lovely. The menu is not especially big, but plenty of choice. I am not veggie, but ended up 4 out of 5 of my meze were non meat. Delicious. Was so impressed that everyone (14 people) got their food at the same time. Excellent and very friendly service. Decor is authentic and cosy. Also, btw, the best mint tea i have ever had. Recommended.

Love this place. Great service, delicious food, super décor.

Visited over Valentines weekend. Lovely cosy wee setting. Staff were great and food was amazing. It’s BYOB however so come prepared!

We visited Empires on Valentines Night and we're incredibly impressed. The food - two meze platters - was tasty and plentiful and the service was friendly and relaxed. I shall definitely be back next time I'm in Edinburgh.

Un lugar muy acogedor, la atención del camarero fue inmejorable y buena relación calidad-precio. El café y el té de manzana exquisitos, junto con baklava y lokum. ¡Dulces para media tarde!

Fantastic food, good atmosphere.

Hard to fault. Very welcoming owner.The restaurant is very authentic in design with an array of rugs/cushions and traditional lamps. The food was very tasty and there was a wide selection. I would defiantly visit again and would highly recommend especially if you are a vegetarian

Visited Empires after not being there for a very longtime and it never disappoints! Beautiful, fresh food and staff are very friendly and happy. Excellent prices and BYOB in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Will definitely return

Loved this place. Stopped here during the festival. Amazing, great food, top notch perfect coffee (seriously great job). Loved the classic decor, nice atmosphere, very relaxed. Be aware there is limited seating here, in sure at dinner time this place must be jumping.

Loads of gluten free options and accommodating for coeliacs. Delicious

My wife and I visited Empires Turkish Restaurant last night and were not disappointed. We went for the mixed meze platter choosing 5 differ items each, 4 x meat based and 6 vegetarian, the quality and the presentation was excellent. This was accompanied by a good helping of flat bread and salad. This is a non alcoholic restaurant but you are free to BYOB, they levy a small charge for corkage on wine and beer. Instead I opted for Turkish Apple tea which was very reminiscent of our trips to Turkey and my wife had a very generous glass of pomegranate juice. The meal was topped out with a helping of backlava.... A great night with good service just off the Royal Mile. We will be back!

Such a gorgeous little treasure on St Mary’s Street. Amidst all the bars are a few tourist traps, this is an absolute gem with a great atmosphere, amazing service and delicious food. It’s also BYO wine and beers (£3 corkage for win & 50p for beer). Will definitely go back and would highly recommend.

Been to Empires a few times and it is firmly placed as one of our favourite restaurants. It's a little bit different and the food is just amazing. Brought 4 friends with us this time and they just loved it too. Service is amazing and it's such a social and fun experience. You also can't end the night without having the baklava and Turkish coffee!

this is a cosy hospitable place that offers a range of Meze dishes. You can choose three or five out of a range of 20.They were beautifully presented and quite delicious. They included spicy meatballs, hazelnut and tomato, spicy garlic tomatoes and lamb moussaka.

Great atmosphere. Delicious food

Amazingly authentic and cosy informal setting. Great quality food.

My friend and I stayed at the Travel Lodge opposite this restaurant. My friend is a vegan so when we saw so many vegan options on the menu outside we thought we would see if they had a table free. Luckily they did! We hadn’t tried Turkish food before so didn’t know what to expect. The food came out very quickly and it was all lovely! Definitely recommend this restaurant :-)

Bel locale dall'atmosfera unica. Cibi ottimi e staff veramente molto cordiale. Consigliato!

Recently found myself in Edinburgh on a work trip. Stayed at the Travelodge in St Mary’s street. Popped out to take in the sights when I finished work and spotted Empires

Great place. Amazing food and very cozy place and splendid service. Highly recommended!

Had a great meal here at the weekend. The staff were lovely and the food was great. I would definitely eat here again.

Very basic Turkish food. No alcohol license. Pleasant staff.

Every time we visit Edinburgh from London we stop in here to have a meal with our family. Outstanding food. Love the meze/tapas conviviality of sharing a few platters between us with a BYOB. Having travelled extensively across the Middle East this restaurant evokes so many positive memories

Lovely food, very tasty and generous portions. Staff are very accomodating and the owner being around luckily, he offered us a sweet treat. The place is a temple of relaxation and a beauty to the eye. 5/5

Delizioso localino con cucina turca, con pietanze quasi tutte vegetariane e vegane. Atmosfera suggestiva con arredamento e tappeti in tema, luci soffuse e profumi. Abbiamo mangiato bene e i prezzi sono nella media.

Visitar uno si mis lugares favoritos: Edimburgo para el margen. Después de probar y reprobar (otra vez) para comer en #davidbann, fuimos a Empires, atraídos por sus fuentes veganas y mezze vegetarianas. ¡Tomamos uno de cada uno! ¡No tomé ninguna foto pero fue muy decepcionante y muy cara! Era claramente un menú especial para el margen pero la comida no era buena y los precios eran ridículos. . .

¡Qué sorpresa! ! ! Mis amigos y yo planeamos cenar en otro restaurante en la misma calle, pero una vez que lo encontramos cerrado, hemos decidido probar los imperios. . . Lo que un ambiente agradable, amable y la comida increíble camarera! ! ! Hemos pedido 2 maravillosas plattes y fueron completamente cautivado por todos los sabores. . . Realmente deliciosa a un precio estupendo. Sin duda lo recomiendo! ! !

Just off the High Street(Royal Mile), excellent Turkish/Mediterranean food. Not a large menu, but the mezza plates let you sample a number of dishes and there are good vegetarian and vegan options. Friendly waitstaff.