Forage & Chatter in Edinburgh, City of

A true gem in the heart of Edinburgh! From the moment we walked in, we were captivated by the warm atmosphere and welcoming staff. This restaurant has it all: incredible, mouth-watering food, exceptionally friendly and attentive service, and fantastic vibes. I would highly recommend this restaurant!

What a hidden gem this is! This beautiful restaurant is located somewhere in the basement. The food is really fan-tas-tic and believe me, I've seen a lot of restaurants! All the food is freshly made and you can taste it! The service also deserves praise! In short, if you are in Edinburgh and looking for a good restaurant, come here! Really great.

Second time here & we just think the food is Devine. Very nice experience with a changing menu for what is in season. The wine list is always on point. Staff lovely as well

Loved dining from the very start to finish. Enjoyed every bite of dishes, great service and the music was just so right volume, where you can enjoy the conversation as well. Like their short menu. Nutritious and delicious meals, lots of flavour. Highly recommended.

The starters were elite. Super high quality stuff done well. The restaurants itself is very cute The staff were very accommodating and the waiter we had was a lovely chap. Outstanding service from him and across the board. I’d recommend the steak tartare and the salmon to start. If they have it on when you visit.

Great place, the food is truly delicious!

Dining experience was fantastic. We had a new server by her own admission, but truly one of the kindest, most friendly servers I’ve ever had. The food was amazing and when it came time for whisky tastings, the staff were very knowledgeable and helpful on recommendations.

Dinner before BridgertonCandlelight: Best of Bridgerton Strings at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, but no dinner reservations. We started out a little late, only allowing us about an hour for a sit down dinner and came across Forage & Chatter. First the atmosphere was eclectic and very welcoming. We did not have reservations, but they were able to accommodate us at a cozy table for two where it felt like we were on a back patio, but tucked warmly inside. We started off with some wine and were served bread with grapeseed oil and a mushroom butter. We had never had either of these with bread and typically don't even eat bread, but it was irresistible. The bread was soft and with the mushroom butter's earthly taste, it all just melded together on the palate and melted in your mouth. For dinner we had Peterhead Cod with crab bisque, peppers and mash. The cod was simply exquisite. I have never tasted anything like it before and hope I will have the opportunity to again. It was better than any dessert I have ever had and if I had been able to extend our stay in Edinburgh, I would have gone back just for that alone. The service was impeccable, not intrusive, but on point.  Everything was done with precision, from the kitchen's preparation, the wait staff and the lady cleaning and resetting the tables.  I cannot speak highly enough of our experience there.  I know my husband will be able to return on business and will definitely be recommending Forage & Chatter to his colleagues and clients there.  I will be at home with food envy!

A real hidden gem! (Quite literally hidden haha, the restaurant is on the lower ground floor so make sure you look for the sign of the restaurant around the corner). Amazing food and attention to detail. Taste, presentation, and creativity are all top tier. Would recommend everything we had, including the lamb main (not pictured). Excellent service, staff were friendly and attentive, and the warm coat room is a very nice touch. We felt cozy and comfortable. Definitely the best meal I’ve had in Edinburgh!

Just excellent. The service was attentive without being intrusive. The music was at the perfect level and the food was exquisite.

A very special evening for our anniversary, they went above and beyond. Highly recommended

Dropped in without reservations and we were promptly seated. Everything was delicious from the heirloom tomato appetizer to my cod dish and my wife’s steak. Service was excellent. Highly recommended.

Really delicious food, cooked and presented beautifully. Confit duck starter outstanding. Bavette steak superb. Service exemplary from our waiter Ollie who could not have been more helpful or friendly, very welcoming and attentive throughout. Highly recommend.

Was very lucky to dine here last Tuesday for our Wedding Anniversary. I don't think I can truly articulate how amazing our experience was! From the welcome, the service, the food and the list of places to go for a night out afterwards. My only negative is that I live way too far to come back tomorrow lol, but the next time we're in Edinburgh we will definitely be dinning here !!! Thank you so much!!

We had such a lovely meal here last night. They were a staff member down but went out of their way to make sure were looked after. The food was incredible! Will definitely be returning.

We ate here at the start of August for dinner. The staff were great, really lovely service. The atmosphere wasn't great, we were the last people in the restaurant by 8.30 on a Wednesday. Our whole table found the food was just OK, not bad, but definitely not great. I love the idea of a small concise menu, but it just didn't deliver, and in a city with so many good restaurants in this price range, it felt miles off.

Very pleasant evening, with tasty and well presented food, great service and atmosphere. I highly recommend a visit!

If you want a nice romantic spot for dinner on the West End you can't do much better. The food is creative, local, and fantastic. Service was top notch. We felt welcomed from beginning to end

Absolutely delightful and delicious dinner. Matthew was our server and did the most spectacular job helping us choose our wine, dishes and making sure we had an unforgettable experience. Couldn’t recommend this restaurant more highly. They were also very accommodating of our party’s gluten allergy and had GF bread/crackers to enjoy.

Awesome place! Extremely cozy and big thanks t Arthur for the amazing service. Inspiring guy!

What a wonderful restaurant! Can’t rate the food, service and atmosphere highly enough! We were there with a 1 year old, which isn’t easy to accommodate, and they took such good care of us. And everything we ate was incredible.

We had a fantastic time at the Forage & Chatter. Leo and the team were overwhelmingly welcoming to us and, most importantly, our 3 yr old child. They engaged in conversation with our child, and even played her favourite songs. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. We’d highly recommend this place! Thank you for a great experience.

Delicious food, friendly service and a very lovely space. Highly recommend

Excellent cuisine, welcoming and very friendly staff, great discovery.

The store clerk is kind. The food is delicious. No complaints

Visited for my husbands 40th, both the food and the staff were faultless, made for a really special evening. Would highly recommend, definitely visit

Family dinner for 3... impeccable and friendly service, interesting and well-cooked dishes. Very good address, not to be missed, but reservation essential.

I'd read reviews of the haughty attitudes held by the staff here, but we thought we'd give it a go anyway since we're primarily concerned with the food. I'm not sure what chip was on the gentleman's shoulder tonight but it was enough to spoil any desire of returning.

Had a great evening with fantastic food. Would definitely go again.

There was confusion/misunderstanding concerning our reservation. They were extremely accommodating to my family, extremely nice, helpful throughout…oh, and the food was wonderful.

Previous ratings are absolutely incorrect. Do not waste your money! This restaurant is terrible. Horrible atmosphere, folk music & food. Misleading website.

Whole staff is amazing, food is five stars. Can’t recommend this restaurant more.

A dream of a lamb! Best lamb we ever had in a restaurant! The service and the wine service was excellent as well.

Stunning food and service! The cod with gnocchi and celeriac purée was amazing

A wonderful evening at Forage & Chatter. The food was truly delicious - melted in the mouth, full of flavour, and clearly cooked with love and care. The menu is small naturally, so there was only one vegetarian option for starter and main; nonetheless, that vegetarian option was delightful (pumpkin croquette, then broccoli pappardelle). The service was excellent, attentive and friendly staff, and made my birthday celebration very special. Would 100% go again!

A place for a gourmet dinner of the best local dishes in Scotland!!! Delicious starters, main courses and desserts!! I'll be back

Visiting the city for the Rugby and chose this place from TA as it was close to our hotel. As usual, not let down by the previous reviews, this place met all our expectations. Food was superb with just the right level of attentive service.

Very nice welcoming restaurant. Warm atmosphere and delicious food.

The standard of food and service here is impeccable. The dishes are so thoughtfully put together and the space is unique and charming. Matthew was amazing and is a real asset to this restaurant.

Absolutely superb place to eat. Beautiful food and fresh ingredients. Visited many times and will continue.

Had dinner on my birthday recently and was overwhelmed by the food and the service. Loved our waitress/waiter Charlotte and Matthew. They helped make my birthday extra memorable. My partner and I were truly greatful for the little touches (Prosecco, macarons, desert wine). You really made our evening. The food, of course, was exceptional. We shall come again when we are in Edinburg next

This is one of my favourite restaurants. Excellent food, well prepared. Superb wine list. Friendly and relaxed staff. Great atmosphere and various different areas in the restaurant, so even at capacity, it never feels crowded. Love it.

I went here solo, and early in the evening to boot, which I'm sure is unusual, but wasn't seated next to the toilets or anything. I'm also truly not into posh food, but I let this place's reviews entice me, and was pleasantly surprised! It is rare for me to be in the "clean plate club," but I swear to God I even ate the pea shoots garnish, because I needed something to mop up the, I don't know, whatever sauce-like thing that was drizzled around the plate to make it have "presentation?" Because it was that good. I think the food at this restaurant actually made my palette more refined. Seriously, I literally grow my own peas now, because I'm trying to emulate the quality of that meal. I hate those people who post on social media pictures of their dinners, but for ONCE in my life, I wish I had taken a picture of my dinner.

Excellent food and very attentive service. Nice cozy atmosphere. Steak tartare and monkfish in particular was delicious.

Been coming here for years and always found it to be a great experience. Last night’s experience didn’t disappoint. Food seems to have gone up a notch and was absolutely spot on. Staff are top class. Really, really nice restaurant which ticks all the boxes.

Comida, lugar, ambiente, atención, ubicación, todo un 100. Recomendado sin duda, la comida es deliciosa, la conbinacion de sabores de los platos y postres son increíbles. El precio si es algo elevado para las porciones pero vale la pena.

I’d forgotten how much I loved this restaurant! We’ve eaten here several times in the past but not for years. When we arrived our table wasn’t quite ready so a very charming waiter popped us to the bar and put 2 glasses of cava in front of us! What a lovely start!! Our waitresses were equally charming and very friendly. Our starters were fabulous. My husband had beef tartare which he loves and he said it was the best he’d ever had! Mains were also great though the rump steak portion was on the modest side! Ambience is great in this lovely restaurant. To be thoroughly recommended! Thanks for looking after us so well ❤️

Cozy, casual venue with a nice atmosphere. The cuisine is interesting and creative. Moreover, especially compared to the UK standard, we found a fine balance in the dishes made possible by a very respectful use of quality the raw materials. The menu is short, 10 dishes with starters and mains. We tasted Smoked Haddock, Baked Beetroot, Tagliatelle and Beef Rump, all tasty, well cared and presented, especially the haddock and the beef rump.

Great atmosphere, fantastic food prepared with creativity and presented with passion. Excellent staff that contributed with personality to an already great dinner. They were always present and cared for us. They exchanged a few comments and stories, approaching us with friendliness without ever becoming too much. Quite impressed considering how young they all were. I wish them the best in the careers. The restaurant has a small menu of 4 starters & 4 mains + one large shared platter. Very inviting. I could have easily ordered every single item on the menu! I loved the initial taster of bread and Marmite butter (unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it). The bread was one of the best I have had outside of Mediterranean countries, with a crunchy crust. The Marmite in the butter was a surprising addition that added that unexpected kick and made this opening snack super interesting. Food all tasted great, with a great balance of flavors. The warm and gently refined atmosphere of the place made it even more enjoyable. If I were to identify 1 improvement point: I didn't particularly enjoy the selection of desserts. As it often happens the chocolate option was not impressive (even if quite more interesting than the norm). The other 2 options available didn't capture my imagination but I was told at least one of them was very good.

Cibo interessante con un ambiente e un servizio non del tutto soddisfacente. E se il tavolo è privo di tovaglia o tovagliette che sia almeno pulito e non appiccicaticcio.

Me and my partner went here for dinner and the restaurant, was stunning. The entire surroundings had such a lovely aesthetic. The staff was so lovely, so helpful, and very smiley which was amazing. The food was incredible and everything was just right. Highly recommend it for partners as we had a really nice time.

After months of having this place on my radar I finally got to try it, and it was transcendent. The menu is rather limited. About 4-5 starters and mains but everything is delicious and lovingly made. Service is kind, thoughtful and attentive without being stuffy or overbearing. It will be my pleasure and privilege to return.

My husband & I dined in your restaurant after being recommended by friends. We had an amazing experience with a relaxing ambiance. We were welcomed by Matthew who sat us at our table, he also took our order & recommended a lovely wine to complement our meal. He knows his stuff !!! The food was delicious & well presented. For starters I had Beef Fillet Tartare & my husband had Smoked Mackerel, for mains I had the Beef Rump cooked med/rare & my husband had Monkfish both cooked perfectly. We don’t normally have dessert but we just had to have, Plum tart & a Honey Iced Parfait…..compliments to the Chef. Paige was our waitress who was friendly & attentive. All in All a fantastic dining experience and would definitely recommend. We will be back again soon.

What a beautiful experience! Forage and Chatter is a rare gem in Edinburgh. From start to finish we got excellent and friendly help throughout the dinner, which levelled up our stay at the restaurant. Extremely well-thought-out and tasty dishes. The beef rump was simply perfect: a great mix of flavours given by the intelligent use of sauces. Similarly, the mushroom tagliatelle was a mix of the delicate and subtle taste of tartufo and the stronger presence of cheese. On the same note, the dessert (namalaka chocolate, orange, chocolate ice cream). Thanks again, you made my birthday a very special day!

What a disappointment - last year we had an amazing experience here so decided to book for a birthday celebration. What a let down, table wasn’t ready some of the food wasn’t cooked properly and service was shoddy. We were given service off the bill but that didn’t take away from a mediocre night out.

Amazing food and amazing service! Went for a 21st bday meal and staff were so lovely. Forgot to ask for her name but our waitress was young with short brown hair. She was great - quick and friendly service and even brought out a free little dessert! Made our evening perfect. Thank you very much! Food was some of the best we’ve had too!

Best meal I’ve had in years. Great service and good selection of drinks. Perfect for a date night with the wife. The beetroot starter and the rump steak were fantastic and could have eaten a second plate full.

What a find! We wanted some quality Scottish food without Michelin star prices and this is what we got! Not cheap by any standards but you're paying for quality. My beef rump was just beautiful and the beetroot goats curd starter was amazing! Loved the atmosphere, cosy but sophisticated without being pretentious!

Excellent food. Attentive staff.

Restaurant incroyable avec des saveurs qui sortent du lot de l'entrée au dessert! Dans un endroit cozy avec un très bon accueil. Vaut le détour. Merci à l'établissement!

We arrived having thought we had booked! Matthew greeted us to explain we had no booking but made us feel so welcome and instantly made me feel at ease for my error. The service was tremendous and the food was sublime! Great welcome and we will be back for sure. A hidden gem close to the centre of Edinburgh

Food and service was absolutely fantastic. Being tourist, this is a great authentic Scottish experience. Must try when you come to Edinburgh!

Great place! Service was excellent, thank you Matt for dinner recommendations! Cocktails were lovely & dinner was fabulous. Favourite app: beef tartar Favourite Entre: mushroom tagliatelle (and I’m not a vegetarian)

From start to finish, it was an exceptional experience. The staff are so friendly and welcoming, from the moment we stepped through the door. As it was my partner's birthday, they surprised us with glasses of bubbly, which was a lovely surprise. Every single bite of food was delicious. It's wonderful to see a seasonal menu implemented so well. The squid on the monkfish main was perfection. The plum dessert was out of this world! Just fantastic food. As we left, they had even warmed our coats for us. Safe to say, we will definitely return whenever we next visit Edinburgh - and we'll advise everyone we know to visit, as well! Thank you, Forage & Chatter team ❤

We thoroughly enjoyed a delicious lunch with great service. Although entering at basement level, our table was on the conservatory elevated level which allowed for natural lighting and very pleasant.

Food standard was high but the quantities are small given the price. My wife got the pork loin which came with a tiny portion of potato, if the accompaniments could just be increased a bit then it would be much better value and warrant a 5 star. We asked for more bread to fill in the corners and thankfully didn't get charged for it! Or else we'd have left still hungry!

Second visit here, last was nearly 5 years ago. It's great to see the standard of service and food has not deteriorated. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, the staff were excellent. The food all 3 courses were fantastic!!! I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a special meal in a great city!!

This was one of our favourite restaurants in Edinburgh, and we have been several times. We had a lovely lunch, couldn’t fault the food, apart from the fact that there wasn’t a dairy free dessert and they don’t have any milk alternatives for coffee. However, the sting in the tail was paying with a gift voucher which I received for my birthday. We spent just under £125, and the voucher was for £150. The voucher does say that it can only be used once, so I emailed a couple of times to clarify, but didn’t receive any response. I then phoned and was assured that any balance not spent would be put on a new voucher. We paid and when no one brought a voucher back we queried it. Apparently the restaurant had responded to my email, and so the Manager felt unable to honour what I’d been told on the phone. So, I’d strongly advise against buying gift vouchers from this restaurant unless you’re happy to pay a £25 premium.

To put it in a nutshell: - food was good but definitely nothing special and not worth the price - At best mediocre service: for example we ordered a second bottle of wine, after opening they told us in an impolite way, we only have 25min left at our table

Great welcome,very warm and friendly.Loved the feel of the restraunt .The menu is not huge which I like and we were not rushed to give our order.My starter was beetroot and goats cheese , it was fab as was my husbands duck salad. I had lamb for my main and my husband had monkfish and our friends had the rump ,all beautifuly cooked . We all loved it and will be back .

Our booking was based on a Google search for great places to eat in Edinburgh. Booked through open table for a birthday celebration, a 2 o'clock booking was made , we arrived early , and seated early after the hostess checked with the chefs....perfect because we were hungry! Drinks ordered , bread served , with Marmite butter.....delicious and a Rapeseed oil. Meal orders taken .... starters Confit Duck Salad Beef Tartare Amazing Mains.... Rump of Beef Monk fish , with squid Amazing Dessert .... Chocolate mousse Victoria sponge. Amazing Great drinks , Belvedere Mule excellent 👌 We have had many delicious meals all over the world, but this really stood out, the flavours were awesome We were talking about it all the way round our morning walk today. Venue: excellent Staff: excellent Value: excellent Great touch for the birthday boy, some sweet treats and a complimentary dessert wine Top drawer. We will return Stuart and Yvonne Dalgety Bay Fife

Acceuil excellent et plats très travaillés. Une explosion de saveurs!! Coup de cœur pour la carte de Whisky et les conseils dégustation de l'aimable serveur!! Top!!

Brilliant food, top notch service and absolutely banging music. Loved it

Strongly recommend this place! Wife and I were visiting from Boston and were impressed. Food is delicious and creative. Beers were very nice. Atmosphere was very nice. Staff went out of their way to acknowledge our booking details (anniversary) and navigate the OpenTable system quirks.

Excellent food & atmosphere. Definitely book a table before.

We arrived 15 minutes earlier than our reservation. Had to wait about 5 or so minutes for anyone to notice us. But when they did, they promptly checked if our table was ready and led us to it. I personally do not like dimly lit restaurants, so when I was led up to the "patio" kinda area with very low lighting, it put a bit of a damper on my mood. Then we were told that since the "7.15 table was running late, they could take our order (even though we were early)." This felt like unnecessary information, to me. The food is great. It is clearly put together with a lot of love and care, with fresh, local ingredients. The menu is limited, but I think it is due to the time and dedication each dish demands. You won't be disappointed. It's definitely worth a visit.

Cosy restaurant with beautifully presented and tasty dishes with a hint of Scotland.

Delicious food, very attentive waiter without being overly so. Would def recommend.

The food ,atmosphere, and service were all top notch. I highly recommend this excellent restaurant that serves some of the best, freshly chef prepared meals and appetizers from local sources that defy expression in mere words.... it must be experienced.

Wonderful food and fantastic service.

Forge and Chatter is an exceptional restaurant! The menu is truly amazing, and the food quality is top-notch. I can't say enough about the fantastic vibe that adds to the overall dining experience. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a memorable meal – it's a must-visit!

We had Lunch at this place on the way to Dean Village. On my opinion Lunch there was by far the highlight of our trip. Service was the best we had, Menu is limited but the food is phenomenal. Definitely worth a visit. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186525-d11722138-r916791306-Forage_Chatter-Edinburgh_Scotland.html#

Absolutely amazing food and service. Every dish is made perfectly from the appetizers to the desserts.

Delicious food in lovely (hard to find!) spot. (Clue: it’s down the stairs !)

Had the Whisky Cured Salmon along with Beef Bavette, Lamp Rump and ending with Chocolate Mousse. The food was extremely fresh and delicious. Service was great with Anna and Mathew, routinely asking if we had any requests or issues. The atmosphere perfect for an evening dinner. Worth coming back.

Fantastic service and even better food.

We had visited Forage and Chatter in 2017 and greatly enjoyed the food - it was one of the best meals we had ever. We were very much looking forward to our second visit this year. Unfortunately the quality has gone down. We remember having bread and butter that was out of the world in 2017, but this time, it was nothing special. The tomatoes starter was a joke - just a few pieces of cherry tomatoes with some balsamic vinegar. Not sure what the chef was thinking. There was just one vegetarian main course (compared to two in 2017), but it was pretty good. The desserts were decent but not as good as in 2017. They need to go back to what they were doing a few years ago.

Absolutely awesome! Excellent food fantastic service and very helpful and friendly staff........we loved the whole experience, the guys even bought out a little anniversary surprise for us ........ top marks thank you for a fantastic evening

Nice food but not a lot of choices.

Food was incredible! Drinks were tasty. Atmosphere and service were amazing. Would recommend to anyone looking for a special meal.

Was expecting a Michelin level experience, fell way short. Very limited menu. Food okay but more on the lines of pub fare (e.g., bavette steak). The tartar was excellent, though. But, despite several tries the champagnes were pretty much room temperature. Wouldn't go back.

The concept of getting kicked out while you are in the middle of a good discussion is not ok. Food and service were good otherwise

Charming restaurant, friendly knowledgeable staff, delicious food. The bavette was lovely and the South African meerlust (red) was memorable. Unfussy, relaxing, a place to return to!

This was a lovely restaurant with delicious food! it was, in my opinion, reasonably priced as well considering the quality of the food and drink. The portions were a perfect size too which allowed me to order an appetizer, entree and dessert. The server was quite patient with me in helping me choose a wine as well haha.

I think this is a great place to hang out, have some food and a couple of drinks🍹. The atmosphere is cool, and the food is amazing, along with great service. I totally recommend this spot.

Excellent dinner on 29th July. Cocktails Starters: Rabbit terrine & quinoa, pear, Elric log Mains: lamb fillet (outstanding). &beef bavette Cava Complimentary dessert wine Dessert: chocolate mousse We highly recommend this restaurant. Service well paced, staff excellent Thank you

This place has it all - professional and friendly service, exceptional food and great drinks! Matthew - our waiter - gave good recommendations (for the meal as well as for the rest of the day) and I only wish I lived in Edinburgh and could...

Another great night at F&C. Nice relaxed atmosphere and good music in the background. Food was excellent. There were four of us and we each had a different main course. All super happy with the quality and service. Special mention to the young art student...

Just simply amazing food, ambiance, service and surprisingly incredible value for food. Thank you for the amazing dishes that were so fresh, perfectly balanced and divine

Absolutely brilliant experience - highly recommended