Howies in Edinburgh, City of

Great service and reasonably priced.

Howies is a real gem. It is a busy restaurant with a great atmosphere and very attentive staff. We had an excellent meal here and would be very happy to come back again.

My friends and I had yet another enjoyable lunch in Howies yesterday. We had all commented that the main course was delicious but could have been warmer. We mentioned this to the waitress in the passing and she dealt with the comment quietly and efficiently. Liza looked as if she really enjoyed what she was doing. She was both professional and friendly, engaging well with all diners.

My first true Scottish eating experience visiting from the US. Great atmosphere, delicious food and a top notch staff.

good restaurant. The interior was nice, the food was delicious, and I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. When you think of Scotland, you think of haggis, whiskey, salmon, and sticky toffee pudding.

We reserved a table in advance and were treated by a friendly staff. Everything is perfect. Will come again!

I loved it. I recommend it on your visit to Edinburgh and try local food.

Had the most amazing lunch at Howies. The staff were super friendly and really attentive to my 9 month old. The food was delicious and it was really nice atmosphere. Will definitely try and stop by again whilst I’m in Edinburgh.

Excellent food, friendly informed service, lovely atmosphere

Sublime evening we loved this journey of the taste buds. See you soon

I had a very good time, the food was excellent and the attention was very good.

My new favourite resteraunt! The food was amazing, the Cullen skink and Sticky Toffee Pudding were my favourite. Some of the best food I've ever had. My girlfriend loved this for our 5th anniversary and the staff just made it even better. Great service all round. 100% would recommend to all looking for a delicious meal and a good night!

Outstanding food and service! Atmosphere is good, but it's a bit loud when busy.

This place is 5-star in every sense. The service provided by Jason, always attentive to us and super friendly. The food is spectacular, very well-seasoned, I like that a lot, and the location is privileged. I would not only return, but I will also recommend it to all my friends visiting Edinburgh.

We came from Cambridge with our family to visit Edinburgh. And we love to add dining experiences at nice local restaurants to our trips. I'm glad we came to your family restaurant for our Edinburgh trip. The atmosphere, food, service were all great, but what made me happy the most was the crayons prepared on the table for my daughter (7 years old) before we arrived.It is available in many places but no one prepares it in advance, you have to ask for it. This was a very kind gesture, thank you ☺️ I hope to ee will come again.

Excellent value for money with the lunch set. We had three courses, all of which were fantastic. The building is beautiful, yet the atmosphere is relaxed. No rush to finish our meal. We’ll definitely visit again next time we’re in town.

first formal scottish restaurant in Edinburgh, enjoyed the slow-cooked meat with potatoes with cider

Overrated. New Scottish cuisine, light but very pure - there is a bit of a lack of flavor beyond that of the ingredients. It all sounds very mouth-watering on the menu, but a bit disappointing on the plate. The main course we ordered came to the table only lukewarm, the salad tried to be more potent, the sticky toffee pudding was too firm/old. Focaccia with dip but fresh and delicious.

Reliable and great service. A good solid restaurant with a great menu and unexpensive set menu early evening.

Had a big family of customers attending after a long day. Was fairly happy that they were able to manage a big crowd at once. But the server however seemed judgemental and a bit hard to understand our needs with a family member that has restricted appetite due to allergens. Food was slightly slow the starter came after about 15-20 minutes which is understandable from the amount of people attending, however the main course took 45 minutes to arrive which is slightly unreasonable. The starters were average ,nothing special but the sauces had a small selection and were genuinely quite awful. The menu could/should have more pictures and descriptions about the dish itself just for the customer to know what they’re ordering as some of the dishes were very surprising and unexpected. The main courses were genuinely awful and pretty bad and we’re either too bland or over-seasoned. Personally my dish was over seasoned and charred. My family member whom had a very restricted diets came last and very late when compared to everyone else’s meal and ended up not touched. The server did get our orders mixed but was resolved but took a while. However the server wrote something wrong when writing desserts down and ended up blaming us for her mistake which she ended up realising and changing it without a single apology. Genuinely not the ideal place to take a family meal when your just trying to have a day without conflict or arguments, we expected a lot more Howies. Don’t recommend.

Reserved a semi private dining room for 12 people. Waitress was very nice and chefs tried to accommodate our dietary needs as best as possible. We ordered two steaks but they were likely accidentally switched. The well done steak was too bitter and they offered to remake us one free of charge (for both steaks). However we turned it down and then they offered another dish hat that was pre-prepared (likely a spare or accident). Sea food is extremely fresh but all dishes weren’t much flavour. Personally I didn’t like any of the sauces as they were quite sour. One of us ordered a deer dish that tasted like beef. Most of us couldn’t stomach our main meals. The salmon was big and the potatoes crispy. The fries with the steak was soft or soggy. Deserts were beautifully presented.

It is eaten wonderfully. Typical Scottish dishes very well prepared. The staff is super nice and the price is more than reasonable.

Food was very good. Highly recommended if you want to try local tastes

Overall, we had a wonderful experience. Had the Cullen skink and haggis for starters, and catch of the day (hake) and beet salad for mains. Food was excellent. Drinks were great. The decor was charming. But the service was below expectation. Our server was not attentive but we don't think it's personal. He was busy the entire time so maybe they're just short on staff. He actually had to come back to us and confirm our order after twenty minutes. I guess he lost it? We noticed other patrons that came after us got their order earlier than us. But the atmosphere was good enough and we're not in a rush, so we didn't mind the issue too much. Next time we're in town, we will give it another try. Note: service charge was automatically added to our bill. It was ten percent, which is what I would have given anyway.

Excellent food and attentive service. I have been twice this year. One downside, that I am only mentioning as a it’s important. On leaving as I was going to use the accessibility toilet, it was pointed out to me that ‘my toilet was upstairs, this is for old people’. I shouldn’t have to point out my hidden disability to access the service I need. It’s not about age. Anyway, it didn’t spoil an otherwise great experience

Great restaurant, we only booked 15 minutes before we arrived and the staff were very accommodating, sorted us a table with space for a pram. They have a really good menu, everything we had was amazing, highly recommend the Cullen Skink and the haggis!

Might just be the best food I've ever ate. Really friendly staff and good prices. The Hake was incredible. Will be back!

Quite presentable Scottish restaurant, with relatively reasonable prices (with Edinburgh being very expensive in general for lunch and dinner). At the 'must', they don't have tap or bottle beer, only "crafted".

Everything was good and pleasant staff

Great drinks and even better dinner menu!

We received great service at Howies. Everyone who helped us was fantastic. Pros: great service, braised casserole, calamari, sticky toffee pudding Cons: cod and gnocchi & ribeye Our table ordered the slow braised casserole, which was great, the cod and gnocchi, which was ok, the calamari, which was fantastic, the ribeye which was below average - very dry and no flavor. For dessert we had the sticky toffee pudding, which was the best we’ve had on our trip so far.

We reserved a table online so as not to be left without a place, since we read that it is usually a fairly busy restaurant. We ordered a starter each (soup of the day and haggis), a main to share (Catch of the day) and a dessert (the one with banana and toffee) I have to say that we have tried several Haggis throughout our trip through Scotland, in very different cities, and this one was undoubtedly the best for me. Whiskey sauce 10/10 The staff were attentive and helpful. Always asking us if everything was okay. I definitely recommend it if you pass through Edinburgh.

Fantastic food, couldn't fault a thing! the venison was especially mouthwatering, very attentive service with great attention to detail. We spoke with Ryan and he was engaging, chatty and the perfect host. Can't wait to return on our next visit to Edinburgh

Fantastic even though very busy still excellent!

Excellent food in an interesting location, very good service.

The food was terrific. Lovely venison and was blown away with my first ever experience of haggis. Service was excellent and all other tables seemed to be having as good a time as we did.

Great first visit and excellent attention given by our table service, Sue. 🙂

One of the best haggis I tried in Edinburgh (and I have tried a lot..!) Fully recommend

Beautiful room, good atmosphere, very good service. Lovely food.

Great food, but too noisy place, cos the ceiling is very tall and all voices bounce off all places... The place is beautiful, the waiter a bit slow but very kind. The price of food is good, but drinks are very expensive and not very good...

It's a cemetery!!! Or so I thought from the photo that appeared I haven't been to the place you answered, but because of the kindness I will definitely stop by when I return.

The salmon was really good ! People next to us were very noisy but our waitress (Blonde lady with curly hair, I don't know her name) was so nice and positive, we were happy to be there ! Thank you

Delicious, fresh tasting food, friendly staff and lovely ambience. Myself and my husband had a lovely meal here. I would highly recommend the haggis starter aswell as the sweet potato salad (delightful). The bramble cocktail was a particular favourite of mine that evening!

The best food in all of Edinburgh. The two-course menu option is fantastic in both price, quality and quantity. Very friendly and patient service with tourists.

Had lunch with large party. Exceptional service, great food and lively atmosphere. Very reasonably priced. Couldn't recommend more highly - thanks!

And we enjoyed our lunch. Everything is homemade and everything is really good. Excellent value. The service was very pleasant

Omg great place... Thank you Kryz! Great food..

First time for us at Howies and it will not be the last. Great food brilliant service. Fully recommend going, The sticky toffee pudding is amazing

Came here for the salmon. cravings satisfied!

Very enjoyable lunch at Howies. £21.95 for 3 courses of good quality food. It was soooo busy therefore booking recommended!

Highly recommended, you can feel super full for just 20 pounds per person, and the dishes are so large that you can even eat to your heart’s content. After entering, there were many local elderly people, and it seemed to be quite popular with the locals. I particularly like their award-winning Haggis, and the hand-cut fries are also delicious. My dad, who is not a big fries eater, thought the fries were delicious with their black truffle mayonnaise. It's best to make a reservation. If you walk in, you may only be given one hour to eat. We made a reservation, so we had two hours.

It was a delicious lunch and beautiful atmosphere.

The service is poor, the food is served extraordinarily slowly and no waiter will bother you. I don't want to come here anymore! It's terrible!

Server Chris was great, very friendly and knowledgeable of the food and drinks, attentive and good fun

Rewelacyjny stek, pyszna pasta z makreli.

i rlly like the food here, i think this is the best restaurant ive ever tried when i was in uk (im a tourist and an asian). the service was goood. p.s i rlly love the dessert

First time, super food and excellent service. Don't like people standing at the door smoking, puts me off.

Hay que reservar, fuimos antes de subir a la colina y reservamos para la comida. Mucha variedad de platos típicos, buena cocina y muy buen servicio.

Cannot fault anything at Howies the staff are superb as is the food

Très bonne adresse typique, de bons poissons mais aussi une option végétarienne que j'ai adoré! La salle est grande donc bruyante. Nous avons été servis rapidement et le staff est très sympa. Les prix sont raisonnables. Je recommande vivement! Pensez à réserver surtout.

Brilliant located restaurant. Beautiful food with great service. Highly recommend.

Howies Waterloo, Edinburgh. Lunch menu deal Fantastic food, beautiful surroundings, great value, excellent service, book to avoid disappointment.

It is a lovely place to eat with a great atmosphere. The Cullen Skunk, Haggis, and Salmon were flavoured beautifully. Howies has a good range of drinks and specials. I would highly recommend this place to eat for any occasion with very reasonable prices.

Excellent lunch booked with friends in a separate room, everything went to plan, enjoyed the atmosphere.

Lovely, attentive service. Good choice, not too big portions, tasty local food. Good value

A group of us enjoyed a lovely lunch with very helpful and attentive waiter. We took our own wine and alcohol free fizz. So good we booked our next get together there

We had a terrific meal in this lovely restaurant. Highly recommended.

Very special food, the taste is great, but the venison has a strong seasoning flavor, and it is salty if you eat too much

Excelente restaurante de comida típica escocesa. Hay que hacer reserva, se puede hacer online. La comida riquísima, muy bueno el huggies. La sopa cullen muy buena. Y el postre sensacional. Además, el precio está muy bien en comparación con los de la ciudad. Ah, y el local muy bonito. Una experiencia para repetir

Was there to celebrate a birthday, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Excellent food and service. Great Gluten free options.

From what we got the food was lovely, service was very slow servers keep dropping stuff round us as trying to carry to much at once. You only get a two hour time slot so by the time we got to deserts we where told we had 10 min and no chance of coffee after not the way we wanted to spend the end of a 80th birthday meal. Disengagement

The food was decent and the restaurant was nice. Haggis tastes better than I thought.

Amazing restaurant for Scottish fare. Highly recommend the haggis and smoked salmon starters, and venison main - but think you can’t go wrong. Friendly service, great drinks selection (and tasty cocktails) and lovely decor. A must if you want to sample good Scottish food.

Disappointed….booked Howies for my wife’s 60th birthday as we have eaten there on a few occasions and found it to be very good. This time we waited 50 minutes before getting our starters. The soup I had was over seasoned as was my main course which was the chargrilled chicken. A few members of our party ordered some additional drinks which the staff forgot all about.

Good food at an okay price but various members of staff were pretty rude

Restaurant avec un bon rapport qualité prix. Nous y avons très bien mangé. Un tout petit bemol pour la cuisson du saumon, un peu trop cuit. Personnel très aimable, professionnel et efficace. Je conseille ce restaurant.

Great food excellent service will definitely be back

Howies in Edinburgh is a haven for those seeking an authentic taste of Scottish tradition. My visit there was a delightful immersion into Edinburgh's rich heritage, highlighted by their soul-warming Cullen Skink. Each spoonful of this traditional Scottish soup felt like a journey through time, embracing the essence of local cuisine with its hearty flavours and comforting warmth. Exploring further, the Beetroot Salad at Howies was a pleasant surprise—a vibrant celebration of earthy flavours and textures. The medley of fresh produce was beautifully showcased, creating a colourful and delicious plate that perfectly captured the essence of seasonal ingredients. The dedication to showcasing authentic Scottish dishes and the celebration of fresh, locally sourced produce at Howies made for an exceptional dining experience, truly reflecting Edinburgh's culinary heritage.

Venus en couple déjeuner une 1ère fois sans avoir réservé, nous avons pu avoir une table et nous sommes régalés. Avons donc réservé pour un dîner lors de notre séjour. Accueil toujours parfait avec toute une équipe en salle aux petits soins. Cocktails extra! Très bon vin au verre. Le Haggis est absolument délicieux. Le Brownies Sunday en dessert est un régal. Très belle décoration et lumière tamisée en soirée est fort appréciable. Une adresse que je recommande vivement!

Had a lovely meal here. Restaurant very busy

Crowded room. Lots of noise and hard to hear what was being said.

Super kind staff and welcoming atmosphere. We came in here by chance, and the two course meal was very nice and a good deal. Would recommend!

Niamh and all the other staff were the best, excellent food and wine served in a beautiful setting with a lovely atmosphere, will definitely visit again. Thank you for an amazing evening with superb food xx

My salmon was good, but the venison was a bit tough. The haggis there is indeed very good though!

Réservation indispensable pour cette adresse. Belle proposition de plats à base de produits frais. Carte des vins et cocktails bien fournie. Seul bémol, le niveau sonore de la salle. Je recommande !

Great food and very helpful staff

I really enjoyed our meal here, there were four of us and the service was great. They were a little busy since it was on top of Christmas, but our food arrived piping hot.

NEW - My reply to Emily: Thank you for your prompt reply. Firstly I would like to apologise for making you think I was implying that the management team did not provide a fair pay condition - my reason for describing it as such was out of potential protection for the waitstaff - perhaps she was not entirely to blame for this. Now that you have clarified that management treats their staff fairly, please allow me to express my strongest disappointment that your team or the waitstaff is afraid to admit the fact and try to hide it. I would like to emphasise that whilst I was not originally from the UK, I have lived in Edinburgh for years, and please don't doubt that I was fully able to understand what she meant by her language. I would like to quote here her original words: "Never mind. Go to XXX (the name of the fast food restaurant) next time, they are faster." She said this in a low voice while operating the card machine. I swear that I have added absolutely nothing exaggerated or false. She said nothing as how you described it in your email like "it takes longer than in a fast food restaurant”, in which case I would not never ever wanted to post a negative comment here at all. Unfortunately I have no proof to show what her words really were, so you may well speculate that I'm spending this much time writing all these negative words just because of the so-called misunderstanding, or maybe I'm just being pathetically protective of my ego. What I want to emphasise is that justice is in the eye of the beholder. I hope that you could correct mistakes if you have made any, and guard against them if you have not. How I wish this whole thing was as you said, that I had misunderstood. To be honest, I felt even more upset after reading your response, but since it is the festival season, I don't mind if we just drop it, and I also have no other way to pursue a matter that your team decides didn't happen. After all, I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year. Original review: My friend and I were excited about a festive lunch, but the considerable wait for our order led us to decide against paying the DISCRETIONARY service charge which was also never mentioned on the menu. To our astonishment, when settling the bill, the waitress confronted us and suggested we go to a fast-food restaurant next time because they would be faster! The rude response and attitude really ruined our day, and no customer should face such a humiliation for making their own choice out of any reason, even no reason. For management: If your restaurant does not have enough income to provide fair wages with which staff members can derive joy from their work without the extra service charge, then please clearly state the mandatory service charge policy on the menu, or raise the price of food so that consumers are free to choose whether or not to eat, just like so many honest restaurants in Edinburgh, rather than transferring labour-management conflicts to customers like this time. The food was okay, I actually liked the starter and the dessert. There is a nice view from the window. I'm sorry but I'm just not in the mood for more positive comments.

The main course I picked was fried salmon, but I found the flavor lacking; the salmon still had a fishy taste, and the smashed potatoes on the side appeared to be spiked with lime, which had a sourness to it that I didn't like for. The sticky toffee pudding was quite sweet, but the combination of cold ice cream and heated caramel syrup gave an unexpected twist.

Excellent atmosphere and the service from the staff matched the lovely food 10 out of 10

Had a fabulous night out last night. The food was top off the class. Only one criticism. My blue steak was as tough as old boots. To grissley and not as good as expected. Apart from that excellent as per usual.

Lovely food, great ambience, loved it.

Great food! Amazing drinks and staff too! :)

Hosted a long lunch for a group of 30. Probably the worst “food “ I could have contemplated Onion soup as a starter. A puréed mush very heavily salted. Turkey and a sauce that as a school meal wills have been a failure. So So wrong.

Good service and food. Sat in the middle of the room ans felt like I was with the couple next to me as we were that close to them.

Fantastic food, lovely staff , great atmosphere and value for money. What else can you say.

Just a wonderful gastronomic experience

We had our work Christmas lunch there. I found the food disappointing. It felt cheap and churned out. There was no Christmas atmosphere down in the basement room. Staff were good though.

Love Howies, great menu for an amazing price and also they do byo on Sun - Thurs. Just love going to this Restaurant!