Howies in Edinburgh, City of

Day of the soup is a little bit salty but not bad. However the service was disappointing. As a non-native English speaker, the waitress speak too quickly that I cannot reply immediately. When I checked again with waitress, she answered in an impatient tone of voice.

Our server Rachel gave flawless service and was such a lovely person. The food was delicious too, my first ever time having cullen skink and then also hake for the main. Both properly delicious. Only real drawback for me personally was no beer/lager on draught but that's such a small drop in an otherwise perfect experience.

The guide recommended it to us because it is a Scottish food restaurant and it did not disappoint us. I do recommend reserving a table on their website because it is in high demand.

Great place with affordable and delicious food.

We visited here on recommendation It was very disappointing We had the 2 course early bird and chose the Cullen skink for starters it was hot and ok but not a lot of fish in it more potato Chose pan fried cod for main which was luke warm We mentioned this and it was redone The plate was hot when it came back and the fish, but the potatoes and veg were still luke warm We were offered a free desert but declined, by then we just wanted to leave We also ordered drinks before the meal and never got them When we paid the bill they were surprised we hadn't received our drinks We won't be going again.

Now approaching my 18th year dining at Howies. Brian has a great team working well. I live out of town so only manage about 10 visits per year.

I went for a leaving dinner as part of a group of 9. The service, food and atmosphere was all excellent. Staff were attentive and the food and drinks came quickly and for everyone at once. Would definitely recommend!

Typical Scottish restaurant with good decoration and good service. You can try all their traditional dishes, which vary according to your taste. There is a 2 or 3 course menu option.

Very good food, fresh ingredients, great service

It’s just another overrated spot, the portions are tiny! The waiting time even to make an order is at least 15-20 minutes; we ordered the local dish of haggies and got disappointed; we left hungry. The staff was very friendly

I ordered seasonal vegetables & vegan roasted cauliflower steak for my dinner. Served with tender, flavourful, delicious way to eat cauliflower! Very impressive! I love veggies and it hides some green on the bottom of the cauliflower steak too! Staff was great services, nice and friendly. Having great vibes to enjoy the red wine in the restaurant too.

1 Star Our first visit to Howie’s on Waterloo Place was an absolute disappointment. We arrived a couple of minutes before our booking and explained we had a reservation, but the hostess looked at us like we were aliens. She seemed to think we were walk-ins and couldn’t grasp that we already had a booking. After a few awkward exchanges, it was resolved, and we were seated. I ordered the Cullen Skink to start, while the others didn’t have starters. It took an unreasonably long time for the soup to arrive, and when it did, it was green. I immediately questioned if it was Cullen Skink and was dismissively told, “It’s soup.” After clarifying, it was taken away and replaced with the correct dish. While the flavour of the Cullen Skink was decent, it was lukewarm—no one wants warm soup. For mains, one person ordered the super salad, another the haggis, and two of us had the beef burgers. The salad was overwhelmingly beetroot—easily 90% of the plate. While beetroot is an ingredient, it shouldn’t dominate to the point of being inedible. My partner couldn’t finish it. The haggis portion was shockingly small—I had more haggis on my burger with extra haggis than the haggis main! The beef burgers were okay, the buns were nice, but the fries tasted like the oil hadn’t been changed in ages. When the mains were brought out, the waiter dumped the plates on the table and rushed off without asking if we needed salt, pepper, or sauces—very basic service. We had to ask for sauces separately, which felt unnecessary. It took an hour from being seated to receive our mains, despite the restaurant not being particularly busy. We were so underwhelmed by the food and service that we skipped desserts altogether. When we asked for the bill, the waitress insisted multiple times that we should consider desserts or coffees, even though we had made it very clear we just wanted the bill. When the bill came, it included the £1 charity donation and an optional service charge. We checked it, paid the amount due, including the donation but excluding the service charge because the service was so poor, and that’s when things went from bad to worse. After processing the payment, the waitress pulled a visibly unsatisfied face. As she walked away, she sarcastically shouted, “Happy New Year!” in a rude and dismissive tone. Everyone at the table felt the same—that her behaviour was cheeky, unprofessional, and completely unnecessary. This experience was a catalogue of poor service, subpar food, and unprofessionalism from start to finish. We eat out regularly across Edinburgh and are accustomed to excellent service and quality food. This was, without a doubt, one of the worst dining experiences we’ve had in a long time. We would not recommend Howie’s to anyone who values good service and quality food.

Holy Scot... that's an absolute delight in Scottish cuisine! I always thought that the only thing served in the UK was sour, fatty food. But this store proves otherwise! The local Scottish dishes hit me hard. I also went in for the whiskey. Absolutely recommended! And the best thing: it's not quite as crowded here as in the tourist mile in the center. In short: give yourself this!

This is a very good place for traditional Scottish food. Everything tastes very good, and products seem to be of great quality. We had the salmon, the venison casserole, and the banoffee pie. Only the dessert was a little disappointing. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable. The service is professional. We will definitely go back to try more dishes.

The service lacked both friendliness and attentiveness, which was disappointing. My soup was cold, and the main course seemed noticeably smaller than expected. Overall, the food was quite underwhelming and failed to stand out.

Atmosphere is great, love the table light which can change warmth of light. Break is good, could be better if served in warm. The carrots and beetroots in the Casserole is a bit too salty. Chicken breast is yummy, deserves a full enjoyment of tasting with the mash and mushroom.

A restaurant where you eat well. Quantities vary greatly depending on the dish. The staff is welcoming.

Traditional Scottish classics done exceptionally well..book to avoid disappointment...will go back 😀

A lovely meal and great atmosphere this is a great place to come. The food is excellent. I had for starter Black pudding, for main Venison Casserole everything was delicious this place is certainly a gem.

Typical Scottish food, but not for all tastes. An excessive price, especially the service you pay separately, the water is not bottled, I ordered salmon and it was the one that comes smoked in packages.

Staff were lovely and knew their stuff about the dishes on offer. Great value for money as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Victoria street is the nicer of the two

Food was pretty solid, enjoyed what I ordered especially the cullen skink(don’t rate the onion rings, they are really oily). Main gripe was the server sort of lingering about, made us feel a bit uncomfortable. I’m not one to judge someone for taking their time cleaning stuff away, because I for one am not fast, however they were going at snail speed so it had us all sitting awkwardly until they cleared the table.

Great service, really good food

Nice Scottish cuisine, good deals

We started as a group of 7. However, I ended up a group of 4 due to illness. The restaurant was extremely accommodating with the last-minute changes. We had pre ordered the festive menu. The chef was kind enough to alter their dishes according to our dietary requirements. We had prawn cocktail, parsnip soup, and celeriac - all delicious. The mains were turkey and venison casserole. The portions were generous. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. For dessert, it was chocolate mouse, Christmas pudding, and banoffee pie. All extremely moreish. If I were to have any criticism, it would have been the drinks service a little slow, and the coffee mediocre. The building is lovely, the decor modern. We were seated in the main dining room where there was a nice buzz about the place. The entrance could be a little off-putting, but do see beyond this. Overall, we had a very pleasant evening indeed.

Great food and worth the money. Cocktails were amazing and unique

This is a great restaurant. Just off the Grassmarket. Great, great food, brilliant service, Good decor. Highly recommended.

Attracted by the reviews of Scottish food. Had Cullen skink, fillet of hake and sticky toffee pudding. All very yummy 😋 Service was good. Atmosphere cosy.

Absolutely fantastic meal to celebrate a family birthday. Staff were friendly and attentive, and we were seated in a lovely wee alcove. The smoked trout pate starter is the nicest fish pate I’ve had, and the casserole and fish of the day were both exceptional. Lovely to have local and seasonal food on offer, showcasing fabulous Scottish produce. Highly recommended.

Hadn't been here for some time. Really happy to find that it's as good as it always was 🙂 We were a party of 12 for Christmas lunch and all enjoyed what we had. The restaurant was incredibly busy, but the staff still managed to find the time for a friendly chat. Howies on Waterloo Place is such a beautiful setting. I highly recommend.

Decorated beautifully for the holidays. The soup and entree were good, but not exceptional. I was seated without issue, but right after I ordered a larger party (8) was seated for my server. I've waited tables, so I try to be understanding when a server gets a large party. But I don't think I had the same server come to my table twice after that. Then my server finally came by to ask if I wanted dessert. It took so long to receive it, I was about to fall asleep at the table after a long day of walking. The apple lemon crumble was not good - I took one bite, but the server didn't ask why. She was Johnny on the spot with the bill, though. Big tables can take priority because it can be a big tip. I am also a good tipper and usually leave 30% for great service. Don't ignore a table of one just because you have a large party - especially when that party was pretty easy and not constantly needing something.

100% food, don't hesitate to order any fish on the menu, they are spectacular. As well as the postgres, it is definitely worth going on your way through Edinburgh.

Beautiful restaurant, gorgeous christmas decorations. Meal was amazing, presented so lovely. Sticky toffee pudding was delicious with lovely hot toffee sauce. Staff were so nice, cant wait to go back.

THE BEST HAGGIS IN EDINBURGH. I came here for the traditional haggis, after Howes was often recommended for it, and it exceeded my expectations; giant-sized dollop of creamy haggis - nothing fancy/complex - perfect for a winter lunch. 23.95 for a 3 course lunch was affordable - the sticky toffee pudding was so delicious as well. Agne, the lovely hostess who took my reservation, was extremely quick to book me a table via phone (suggested as you don't need a card as you would if booking from their website), and also remembered my name the next day when I visited!

Using a voucher before it expired. Easy to book via online system. Food delicious. Gluten free catered for well - GF meals brought first to table ✔️ Very attentive but not intrusive waiting staff.

Very tasty, even with the common beef stew dish it was cooked perfectly.

Nice decoration of the restaurant. It is good. We had it during my gf’s bd and she is quite happy for the food. The attitude of one of the waitress isn’t so good. We had just done the food and the waitress directly came with the bills. It is kinda awkward as we thought we could at least had a short talk after food let alone that we still got some time remaining even strictly following the timeframe of the booking. However, other than that, I was quite happy and i double tipped both the food and also at the reception

Just a very pleasant surprise! The unique Edinburgh atmosphere feels here in a delicious food, attention to details, and returning guests

What a fantastic little gem for great local cuisine! From start to finish what an amazing place! Warm welcome on arrival, we were seated straight away and as we were visiting for my birthday, we were immediately brought two complimentary glasses of fizz while we browsed the menu. We were asked if we needed any help with the menu so we asked about a couple of the dishes to which we were brought a substantial plate of Haggis to try, which was lovely. My husband had the Cullen Skink to start, then for mains he had the Venison and I had the Chicken. For Dessert, I had the Sundae. All the food was outstanding from the delivery, to the presentation, to the taste. Amazing! We ordered from the set menu so made it such a reasonably priced meal for the quality of the food. The service was really good, very friendly and attentive. Highly recommend!

A buzzing atmosphere, prompt service, courteous staff and delicious Scottish delicacies. We tried Cullens Skink, Smoked Salmon and Banoffee pie. All were lip smacking good and a pleasant introduction to Scottish cuisine. If I would come back to Edinburgh, would definitely pay a second visit as its other regular clientele.

I really enjoyed my visit as a solo diner. The service was great and the atmosphere really nice. Most importantly the food was fantastic, I had the haggis for starter and beef casserole for main and both were among the best food I had in my visit to Edinburgh. If I visit Edinburgh again I'd definitely come back here!

Sunday lunch visit and despite being extremely busy the staff were friendly, polite and helpful. Not a huge menu but varied enough. Great value for Edinburgh, two courses for £18.95 and the food was delicious. Very well presented and appetising. Already looking forward to our next visit.

Decided to visit today as it was recommended by someone that lives here. It was busy, but the situation was awkward because first I was told they were fully booked when I could literally see empty spots. I enquired to sit there and the lady with glasses was quick to brush off she didn’t offer those as they were not good sits. That’s on the customer to tell but you should offer them. I was accommodated there and then I spotted they kept letting people in and out - or to wait for other tables to go inside, it truly felt like a discriminatory situation which has been pointed out by other reviewers. Your staff needs specific training to remove certain biases perhaps. Food was ok but the price range felt above the quality and I didn’t request to remove service charge as is not my way of moving in life.

Excellent food, service, ambience and value for money. Highly recommend and we will definitely return on our next trip to Edinburgh. Casserole of the day was pure comfort food. Banoffee Pie and Apple crumble did not disappoint. Our waiter (if I recall correctly it was Kris) was really friendly and good humoured. Thanks for a lovely meal everyone at Howies.

I've been here many times. A safe choice in terms of Scottish food selection and taste. Reasonable price & nice ambience is a plus.

Everything was good but nothing was great. Solid 4/5.

Had an anniversary meal with friends, great quality food, very much worth going again

I'm so sick of these 2 hour booking slots. I understood when we were just coming out of Covid restrictions and they were limited to how many people they could have in the place at one time, but not anymore. It's just become greed for more money and I can also say, in my opinion, that the standard of the food has dropped too. Rushed through your courses, rushed to pay the bill and rushed out the door. Ridiculous, won't be back

A classy looking restaurant serving reasonably priced set lunch and dinner. Very friendly service staff. Had the fortune of sitting at the window table, to enjoy people watching and the wonderful food at the same time.

Good food and nice atmosphere. Very friendly staff and quick service. Advised!

Wonderful service, we had an advanced booking so got in without issue. It’s certainly Scottish fine dinning. We got Calamari, Haggis, the catch of the day that was Hake and in season venison. With iron bru and ginger beer. Unfortunately didn’t try the fine range of alcohols they had on display. Might be a bit out of some peoples price range as we paid £80 for 2 people but if you get the lunch or week dinner deal the price is closer to half that. I’ll say the portions are not as big as the highland cities but that’s to be expected in Edinburgh. Wonderful meal 5/5.

Food and service was very good. 2nd time back and so far have had no complaints.

It was and amazing experience.Food has a good quality and presentation, full of flavour. Also, the service is excellent.

Nice decor, friendly staff and my first Haggis (stuffed sheep belly).

Difficult for me to accept the taste of Scottish cuisine. Catch of the day and desserts are delicious, and it's hard for starters to describe.

The food was great and the shop is much nicer than the pictures suggest. We had the salmon and the catch of the day, both dishes were very tasty. The service was also good. Definitely 5/5 stars.

Food is quite expensive for the portion size, and very expensive for the taste. I had the sirloin steak which was completely plain, cooked well, but the meat was quite tasteless. The peppercorn sauce was however nice, and the chips were cooked well. My partner had the casserole who described it as "Just okay, a little bit plain", and the calamari was tasteless, only accompanied by a nice sauce. It's a shame as there are many good reviews and the member of staff who served us was attentive even on a busy night.

Excellent dinner. The haggis is out of this world, definitely the best I have ever had. The drinks are really good, we especially enjoyed the Sunflower Martini. Only negative was the fillet steak - both orders on medium rare were completely overcooked. The chicken and fish were delightful.

Very unusual but lovely building. Staff were very friendly and helpful, food was very tasty with local scottish food on the menu

Fantastic service! Friendly but not overbearing. Good Scottish food. Generous portions. Loved the smoked trout pate!

Picturesque place, typical Scottish food. I went with my daughter who lives in Scotland, when I visit her again, we will definitely return. We have eaten a very good fish soup, cauliflower steak, and vegan haggins. All very good. One hundred percent recommended.

Locale tipico di Edimburgo, molto bello e scenografico. Il menù è vario ma ogni cosa che ho mangiato non era particolarmente buona. il dolce alla fine mi ha stramazzato...sono stato male per due giorni. Sarò stato sfortunato ma non mi sento di consigliare questo ristorante che è pure caro..

Everything was as expected for this old favourite of ours ! My wife having booked our Wedding Anniversary celebration here with friends it was excellent ! The service, menu , private room, wine all first class ! Thank you to all the Howies staff !

Excellent meal. Good value and as always a BYOB bonus, so we shared a bottle of fizz. Fantastic service. Great atmosphere and attentive staff.

Having struggled to book somewhere for a large party of 16 howies fitted us in for early dinner. The haggis neeps and tatties and venison stew were amazing, amazing service too.

Great fine dining spot, good for dates. Book in advance though. Their Cullen Skink comes recommended, enjoyed that - solid choice. We had the risotto (with salmon add on) and the beef casserole of the day as mains, both were good.

We tried to have dinner at Howies in Calton Hill at 7:30 pm and despite it being empty they told us that everything was booked rather impertinently. We went to Howies on Victoria Street and the woman at the entrance told us that we would have a table in 45 minutes, nothing like the man from Calton Hill. We had salmon and risotto for dinner, it was all good, but it is expensive. They serve very young kids and are not very attentive and of course they include the price with a service that is not adequate.

Food was so tasty can't wait to go back

A bit disappointing small portions on Fixed priced lunch menu. Expensive wine. Nice staff & service was prompt

Terrible service. Servers did not check in with the customers at all during the meal. Very disappointing. Do not recommend this restaurant

Delicious ! For us the best restaurant we have had in Edinburgh, with top service and unbeatable value for money!

Service very good and food was amazing . Highly recommended

Food was super tasty, great service, cozy atmosphere. Extremely fine espresso 😀

Starter and main course £18, good price. The starter is not very big, but you are fine with the main. They offer you tap water if you wanted. They take food allergies into account.

Wait 10 minutes in the entrance, the waiters pass without saying a word. They probably have a lot of customers so move on.

I went in because the atmosphere looked nice from the outside, but no matter how long I waited, no server came to show me around. They didn't even tell me how long I should wait, or if they were full or if they only had reservations, so I ended up going to a different restaurant. I'm very sorry that I wasted my time.

A nice Scottish restaurant. Very elegantly furnished. The employees are very caring, polite and sincere. The food is high quality and delicious. Soup and Haggis are successful. Scottish salmon is a masterpiece.. There is a rich alcohol menu. Prices are around Edinburgh average. Recommended..

Not my kind of place. The helpings are a bit on the small side and I feel that they think quite highly of themselves.

Good choices . Prompt and friendly service . …surprised to be addressed as guys though … Not rushed -and not rushed out .

Tonic, knights and nuts, blessings are complete plum friends

Main courses delicious but surprised hot food served on cold plates. Attentive waitress for first course but for puddings we were not offered the gluten free menu by a different waiter. As ever, we made do with sorbet/ice cream.

Disappointing from last year . Chicken very tasty but dry and not many potatoes came with it, sticky toffee was just lukewarm and hardly any sauce compared to last visit. 3 service staff walking around chewing gum although when approached a table they stopped . A table of 6 and we wanted to pay separately, the waitress slapped the bill on the table and said sort it out yourselves . It's a shame as I'd taken a group of friends from Austria especially to Howie's....noone was impressed

thank you, thank you for having us. had our wedding meal here and the staff were very accommodating. food was excellent. highly recommend. 10/10

Loved everything about this place

I highly recommend this restaurant. The staff are friendly and the food is delicious, especially the desserts.

Very good food, very friendly and professional service, very pleasant atmosphere

Great Casserole & Haggis. Service is good too. ~30-40£ pp with a glass of alcohol

Best fillet steak and haggis around.

Wonderful place with local specialties! Always full, so book your table in advance.

Lamb and haggis are both delicious~

They are professional, friendly and helpful. We do a lots of corporate event and they make us always happy. Lara, Cosimo and Euse and all team thank you for everything, you are amazing team

Delicious food and a great ambience

Great restaurant for our first introduction to Scottish cuisine during our vacation. We received a warm welcome from the host and were seated quickly. The staff were courteous and helped us accommodate food allergies. The food was very good, cullen skink is a tasty seafood chowder and their casseroles are similar to stews we have in the US. There was also a wide selection of whiskeys to choose from, and they also had a featured whiskey of the week that was a good dram. Definitely a good restaurant and a great first stop for foreign visitors as an intro.

Fantastic food and friendly staff. This is my second time visiting Howie’s. Never disappoints!! Highly recommended

The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere with swift and thorough service. Unfortunately the food is rather a letdown. We orders the Cullen Skink, chicken breast and Venison casserole (special or the night). The Cullen skink had a great flavour and texture and was overall well balanced. The chicken breast however was incredibly bland. A bog standard chicken breast is shamelessly grilled with a distinct lack of flavour or seasoning. The venison casserole was incredibly rich with a deep flavour but the potatoes pairing was inadequate for such a saucy and otherwise great dish. Overall disappointed.

Excellent food and service! I chose the haggis dish and salmon with potatoes and vegetables. At the end one capuccino

Love the casserole and sticky toffee. Never get tired of them.

Lovely meal Only slight annoyance we were seated at the greeting station where staff congregated and were quite loud and bumped our table a few times.

The best meal we had in Edinburgh - we have a toddler so cannot go to fancy restaurants but this was a surprise. The menu was interesting and the food delicious - everything tasted fresh, really well cooked and there was care in the presentation. We were sad we only found Howies on our last day.