Le Bistrot in Edinburgh, City of

Delicious! We opted for the menu with two services - impeccable quality, cozy atmosphere and attentive service.

The service and the atmosphere of this cosy little place is excellent however I was very disappointed in the food, the chicken supreme was just plain grilled chicken on a potato froth (which should have been mash) and the menu stated 'with button mushrooms and cherry tomatoes' there was only 2 little slices of a button mushroom and HALF of a cherry tomato! I know French cuisine is supposed to be delicate.....but I was still quite hungry when I left 😔

Very good restaurant. I had a beer stew and it was very good The cocktails are also good, pleasant welcome. I recommend

Quite a quiet lunch. Food was very good but a bit disappointed as the sea bream was what I'd call half a fillet. However the cheese and biscuits was substantial withe only issue being not enough oatcakes for the generous amount of cheese.

Stopped in because it looked like a nice place from walking by, but disappointed with this place. It's advertised as a Cafe, Bar, Restaurant, so I came in with my family to have a cup of coffee, but was told that you have to order dinner, they don't service drinks during dinning hours. Their were only 3 tables being used for dining the restaurants was empty, so why would you turn away customers trying to spend money? DONT advertise as a cafe or learn to make MONEY!

Was walking by and thought French Bistro in the French Institute so worth a try and the reviews here were good. But disappointed with the food. I had the duck but although cooked well it was tasteless and swimming in a very watery although nice tasting orange sauce. Has everything going for it but the food!

Second time in Edinburgh, second time here. Fantastic food at fantastic prices with fantastic service. Ordered the mussels. Don't come with fries, but that was just right for me as I'd overestimated how hungry I was. Good stuff and will be back.

The entrance is unintuitive, it's inside the Consulate General of France. The closed door says "wait here to be seated", which doesn't make much sense. Being met with complementary bread and water was a nice touch. Service was good. The food was enjoyable, well cooked and came out quickly. The salmon fillet was sizeable, had crispy skin and was moist and tender. I didn't love the lemon and butter emulsion which came separately but happy to put that down to personal preference. In conclusion, the food was quite good but not excellent. Price point is as expected.

Take french recipes and Scotish ingredients, especially the meat, and you have perfection. Tasty food in a beautiful building and lively atmosphere.

Our Favourite Restaurant in Edinburgh.

The restaurant charged me 10% service fee but there is absolutely no service. We asked for water and waited for 10 minutes to get the water. When I tried to figure out the ice cream flavor, a young lady told me they only have strawberry. However, I saw other clients ordered mango and lemon. Maybe I got treat differently because I’m an Asian. I had a horrible experience. The food is good though. The tarte and chocolate cake is TOO sweet.

Beautiful food, stunning restaurant and fantastic service - what more could you ask for ❤️

My in-laws favourite restaurant, I now invite them to come and stay. Need i say more!

Fantastic dinner in old town! The food was excellent and the atmosphere was a peaceful retreat from the touristy din of the streets. The staff was first rate and worked well as a team to provide us a wonderful dinner experience. An outstanding place to duck out of the carnival like atmosphere of old town and enjoy a nice meal.

Cant sit in and have coffee and cake? Turning custom away as you want more money out of people. Wheb there was only 1 other table in at 3.30pm on a weekday. Poor!

What a fantastic French restaurant! We visited yesterday for dinner, and had the Beef Stew mains and Lamb Shank, followed by the Millifeuille dessert. The main courses were exquisitely tasty, the meat tender and the Lyonnaise potato and mixed Veg side orders were a great accompaniment. The Millifeuille was a lovely dessert. I must add that the service was so friendly, and the restaurant had a lovely atmosphere. I wish the restaurant was closer to where we live because we would be regulars. A lovely experience.

I had the cod and it was the best meal I have had in a long time, on any continent! Great food, great service, great atmosphere. I highly recommend it.

No entrance found. Looks good though.

Location, in the heart of the center. Service is fine. Personal, friendly. Dogs are welcome 👍

We came in to eat here by chance, and we were right. We ate the menu from which you can choose 2 dishes and dessert, or just two dishes. Well-prepared homemade food with fresh, good quality products. The service is very friendly, helpful and friendly. 100% recommended. They speak French and a little Spanish and English.

Good French restaurant with good food. Excellent service.

A first class find for us in Edinburgh. Even during the busy Fringe it was a lovely atmosphere with great food and first class service. Thanks for a lovely experience- we’ll definitely return.

We had some starters and desserts. The starters were delicious, especially the smoked salmon. The chocolate cake and the fruit tart were rather mediocre and overpriced. Otherwise the atmosphere was pleasant and the staff were helpful, friendly and professional

Took the Family for Dinner last night, elder daughter’s 25th Birthday. Absolutely amazing, staff were helpful and lovely. The meal was fantastic, wine excellent and coupled with a surprise of a ‘ Happy Birthday’ rendition and cake for my daughter. Well worth a visit. Will definitely go again! Thank you so much. Best regards

It wasn’t a good experience, not recommended First of all, the service wasn’t friendly at all, when we asked for simple customization in the dish, the waiter said this is it, just like that in the menu! Secondly, i came home after dinner with very upset stomach, i had food poisoning from this restaurant which was the only thing i ate that day. When it comes to cost, high price, doesn’t worth it. Overall, I wouldn’t go again

Had a superb meal here. Food and service was excellent exemplary - will definitely be back.

Could have been great - interesting menu, decent wine selection and not too expensive. I felt processed. Incorrect appetizer served, no wine refill offered. But, they're very good at bread and water. Chairs not very comfortable. Inside the entrance to the French Consulate/Trade Commission. Might be better when Fringe Festival not on?

Very nice place just off the Royal Mile.

Best food and atmosphere we experienced in Edinborough. A late afternoon delight. Fish perfect, stayed flakey and warm throughout meal. Beef stew ... none better.

A nicely decorated place, nice atmosphere, friendly service... but that's all, the food is very poor 😕 ordered the Pâté de campagne which was actually a mousse, not particularly tasty, then a coq au vin, which was served in a bowl of ready made sauce, with some mash potato which tasted like the instant mashed potatoes... far from a French coq au vin! nothing better to say about the fish or the nicoise salad. Won't be back unfortunately

Good food, reasonable price, royal portion, lovely service. Food is on the richer side, quite filling.

Everything is wonderful here. The food is really fulfilling, the bread is good, the main course dishes were definitely worth it.

This place was solid, but of all the places I went on my uk trip not particularly memorable.

Update: Wow! That was fast. Now they all of a sudden want to talk after ghosting for a week. Perhaps because I posted a negative review. They indicated they tried to help me by requesting my banking information. Like no. You think I trust you with my banking information after all this????? It was a credit card payment, just void it. They claim that’s impossible. Anyway, I just disputed it in my credit card. I hope they do better for others. Initial Review: I don't write bad reviews. I usually just don't say anything if I don't have something nice to say. However, the people need to know about this restaurant. I had dinner during my visit to Edinburgh. My bill was 65 pounds. They charged me 650 pounds. I've given them a week to refund my money. They have not and have now resorted to not responding to me. Be very careful here. My job is not to play bank for a restaurant.

Excellent meal best we had in two weeks in UK. Beet salad was to die for. Beef stew and risotto both excellent. The ambiance in restaurant was top notch and service was perfect. Thank you for a great experience.

Great food and friendly service

Delicious food and the service was great. Absolutely recommended in a top location. Très bien!

Wonderful atmosphere, great food, amazing value - would highly recommend! We got a two course meal for $20 each, and it was a really great value. We were stuffed, the mushroom soup was fantastic. Also received fresh bread and butter for the table. The service was amazing as well, very helpful. Rick Steves recommends this restaurant when visiting Edinburgh and I’m so glad we followed his recommendation!

Excellent service and venue for a private event. Close to the Royal mile. Niki went the extra mile to help things run smoothly. He was very responsive, communicative and helpful. Many thanks to Niki and the rest of the team for their hard work.

The food was absolutely amazing. I ordered the mussels and oh my god, those were sooo good. The prices were pretty good (19,95 at lunch for two courses). Would love to visit this place again.

Fresh Seafoods, Beef Stew yummy

Hidden gem in the French embassy building. Good and fair price French restaurant with lunch specials 3 courses with starter, mains and dessert for only 29 pounds. Highly recommended

Very nice place with good quality food!

We had a late Sunday lunch and were pleasantly surprised to have the room at the back all to ourselves......it was like a private dining experience. The food was amazing and excellent value for money. I particularly enjoyed my Coq au Vin. Service very attentive without being intrusive. If you are on the Royal Mile, avoid the other tourist traps and head for the Bistro at the French Institute!

Great place highly recommended and very good food and excellent service and adequate price.

Really great find in city centre! Friendly service and delicious food at very reasonable price. Would definitely recommend

The best France restaurant Excellent food and service 🙏

A very quiet and calming restaurant where we didn't feel rushed throughout our meal. Service was pleasant and the food came out within decent time. Our issue was with the food. Saw many going for the mussels but it smelt horrid/stank when it came out. We didn't think much of it cause the lady beside us who ordered the same mussels didn't seem bothered by it (it was our first time trying mussels). However now we suspect that it wasn't fresh. Also had the pasta with prawn which now looking through the previous reviews, someone once got food poisoning from it. Which was what we had once we left the restaurant. What a pity, the pleasant service was ruined by the food.

My family and I had dinner at the bistrot celebrating my sister’s 18th birthday. Honestly we couldn’t have hone to a better place for this special occasion. The food was exquisite and every dish we ordered was 10/10. The staff, Niki and Costas, were the nicest people, helping us with everything and being so nice and approachable. I recommend this restaurant that is a 10/10 and couldn’t have had a better time there. Thank you very much for it, we will be back! :)

Lovely place to spend an evening with a friend. The food was good, service was friendly and the atmosphere was great. À bientôt.

This place was so lovely! I had been siteseeing at the Castle all morning. When I came out it was cold and drizzly, and I was hungry. I spotted Le Bistrot in the building of The French Institute. The atmosphere was quite cozy and comfortable, and a welcome respite to the busy, chilly streets. I warmed up with some cafe au lait and then had a lovely lunch of quiche, salad, mussels, and bread--with their prix fixed menu it was also quite affordable. I highly recommend it!

My father, who does not usually eat French food, was in heaven.

Service was perfect; wine was excellent with a very good selection. Dinner was prompt, cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious. Save room for dessert… very yummy. First time here but not the last…!!!!!!!!!!!

Had a great meal here last night. Staff super friendly. Lovely menu. Great portion sizes. Would highly recommend.

Wish we would have had a better experience here. The restaurant itself is ok. Food was a bit disappointing. We ordered the steak, scallops, and chicken. The steak was under seasoned and over cooked. Scallops were over cooked to the point I couldn’t eat a couple pieces of them. The chicken was delicious and the sauce it came with was very delicious. Portions are on the smaller side. I would not return or recommend this place as a dining option.

Excellent location, beautiful location, everything perfect, only flaw: entrance that is not understandable if you enter a hotel, office building or... For the rest everything perfect. Very approachable waiters despite the high professionalism.

Delicious food and great service.

From the moment you walk into the doors of this lovely restaurant, you are treated like old friends. We are in Edinburgh for our honeymoon and this is the first evening meal we have been out for as married couple. We chose a french restaurant as we had wanted originally to go to Paris, but couldn't afford the Eurostar fare during school holidays. The Scottish weather continues to be absolutely predictable for April (freezing and raining), but the welcome we got from this restaurant warmed us up (as has the welcome we have had everywhere. We definitely didn't choose to come to Scotland for the weather, but the friendliness and scenic beauty speak for themselves). The food was absolutely delicious, the wine, absolutely lovely and the service was so kind and friendly from being seated to the end of the evening (they also make a stunning negroni). The lady on the embassy front desk even gave us some tips on where to visit during our Edinburgh stay. Highly recommend this restaurant.

We have been twice, for lunch and dinner. Superb plates, excellent service. Highly reccomended

My goat’s cheese and tomato quiche comes in a rich, collapsing, eggy slice. Thin with a meltingly short pastry crust. Requires no knife. Parfait. Ragoût de boeuf à la bière is the best I’ve encountered in Scotland. This is generous, hearty, homely food, everything cut chunky and holding itself together beautifully: big hunks of beef braised in beer, thick carrot coins, soft fudgy potato halves, earthy slabs of swede, plenty of not overly reduced tomatoey gravy, and a thin ring of oil around the edge to let you know it’s been puttering on a stove for many hours.

Cosy restaurant, quiet ambience for the location in the middle of the city. Very Delicious dishes, good prices and relaxed, super friendly staff!

Amazing experience, excellent service from the manager and the rest of the staff. Hats off to the chef, beautifully presented dishes full of rich flavours!

Wow…What a night. The service was amazing and they were really kind with everything. The food was delicious. Chapeau 🇫🇷definitely recommended 🇫🇷🇫🇷

French at the French consulate building...? How can I not go? Lunch 2 courses (starter + main or main + dessert) Starter recommendation - Calamari (fried squid) + soup (I was expecting onion soup, but...) Main recommendation - Ratatouille + Mussels

Excellent value for money for this establishment located in the heart of the Royal Mile, the city's main artery. Quality French cuisine. Smiling and efficient service. To discover without hesitation.

We enjoyed the beef stew, salad and soup of the day (potato soup). Service was great!

A small French restaurant. We enjoyed the mussels very very much, the scallop starters and salmon were also really really good. The Beef stew was spot on as well. Very convenient location to the touristy spots on royal mile. Quite small and cozy so booking is recommended.

On a repéré ce restaurant qui semblait intéressant, juste à côté du consulat français. Le soir on ce décidé d'y aller moi et mon pote, car sur Google Map c'était ouvert, une fois sur place on s'aperçoit que de la lumière et des clients sont a intérieur , donc on cherche ou est la porte d'entrée, 5minutes, 10 minutes, 15m après je décide de toque sur la vitre a extérieur la serveuse me fait comprendre que le restaurant est fermée. Donc blasé et frustré, on ce dit que c'est pas normal de mettre des informations d'ouverture quand le restaurant est fermé, car nous on a cherché comme des c** dans le froid, c'est pas respectueux...

The food was great, we went to dinner and were served by a Spanish waitress, Alejandra, who was wonderful. At all times explaining the entire menu and the dishes that we did not understand. He advised us very well, I definitely recommend repeating. We had the onion soup, hummus and beef ragout. Everything was delicious and the ragout meat was super tender. Price quality very good. The coffee was also very good, they had vegetable milk. Without a doubt 100% recommended

Me equivoqué con la elección de un plato y me sorprendió muy positivamente el trato del personal, que no nos lo cobró. Muy amables, serviciales y atentos. Todo muy bien presentado y carta amplia. Lo recomiendo!

Superb good and service on what seemed a quiet night which did not help the atmosphere

This was a great find on our recent trip to Edinburgh in the run up to Christmas. Staff were welcoming and most attentive. Menu choices were extensive and food was of the highest quality. Atmosphere in the restaurant was conducive to an enjoyable and indeed romantic meal! We hope to return. Highly recommended.

I have tried many french restaurants in my time but this is by far my fave and probably one of the cheapest also. I left a £20 tip for the staff who wouldn't accept as they said it was too much - after i insisted that the restaurant deserved it they gave me some free pastries to take home as a thank you

Pleasant service but food bland and tbh pretty mediocre, especially for around £20 main course average. House red tasted like the last of a two day old opened bottle. Left both.

Booked a table in advance for a Saturday a busy Christmas weekend in Edinburgh, they called up the afternoon before and cancelled it. No apology, no alternative given, the excuse was it's not our fault, it was the system. Poor attitude and behaviour

This is a gem of a restaurant. Lovely food at a great price.

After a long day travelling to Edinburgh, we went looking for a good restaurant and struck gold with le Bistrot. The food was flawless, and the service was very good. It was the best meal out I have had I in a very long time.

Authentically French food, served by friendly French waiting staff. A beautiful building and bistro-style dining room. Recommended.

Waitess very pleasant but needs Coaching. She used her fingers to move slice of bread from almost empty basket to another basket she had brought to our table. She poured wine to gentleman who ordered wine after he had tasted it and said it was fine instead of other guests at table and then she should have gone back to him. Food very very mediocre.

Went to get a coffee at 3.45pm in place that markets itself as a “café”. The place was completely empty, and we were told by a snooty waiter that they “don’t do coffee at this time”. Too early for dinner and too late for lunch, I’m not sure why they’re turning away custom at that time of day. Used to come here for coffee and cake regularly a few years ago and was never treated like this. I’ve never even seen such behaviour in France.

Very friendly and helpful staff. Lovely food and generous portions.

The best scottish beef dish! Everyone very nice and everything delicious!

Very nice place and great staff. Food was delicious.

Really lovely restaurant. Great good, great service.

Tout était parfait, le ragoût a la bière mais quel délice, qualité exellente

An excellent authentic French dining experience. The best Moules I have had in the UK, France and Belgium

The food was exquisite and it was an experience I would highly recommend, the waitress Alejandra was extremely nice and brought us our food fast.

Sehr ruhiges Lokal mit einem freundlichen, schnellen Service. Der Kellner lies mich vorher das französische Bier kosten. Am Anfang gab es Butter und Brot. Ich hatte mich für das Poulet Champignon entschieden ! Ganze 5 kleine Scheiben Champignons enthielt das Poulet!!!

A smart alternative for a quiet and very good diner.

On our Holidays we randomly walked in to the closest restaurant we could find and what a gem it turned out to be! Everything we have eaten we superbly tasteful. We have waited a bit for food but when it arrived it became clear that it’s prepared to the highest standards. Now: 3 course meal for 2, drinks, appetisers in the prime point of the European Country Capital, price for all of that? Just over £100… In London that type of the restaurant would charge you 3 times that. Highly recommended.

Terrible service - your experience is not important. They only care for revenue. I visited restaurant around 18:30 with friends and we wanted to have a cake and coffee. We waited for 10 minutes for the table, and we got one. When I started to order first cake and coffee the waiter started to make excuses that he will not serve us cause we are not ordering the main dish 🤪 they asked us out! What’s more the seat was dirty and my trousers got stained.

Not quite the experience my wife and I are accustomed to. Several menu items not available I presume due to demand fuelled by the festival, but not an excuse. My wife's quiche a little on the hard side. The last time we were there I had to send back my food because it was not hot enough, today's offering was on the border-line. A little disappointing.

Fantastic french restaurant with a welcoming staff and ambiance. Delicious food and good wine options.

New spot to add to my favourites list in Edinburgh! My mom had the terrine and potato soup, while I ordered the salmon which came on a bed of pearl barley risotto. Yum!

Had a three course meal for lunch and was only £24 including service. Such a great price for the delicious and quality food. The quantity was large for the price. Really friendly staffs and great atmosphere. Totally recommend!!

Muy buena comida. El salmón y el ragut estaban muy buenos, sorprende la Vieira al horno! Muy buen servicio

Had a table booked on 30/7 @1500 hours ..The restaurant had ran out of a starter and main which we had ordered and the service was really poor . It was very quiet and staff were so busy sharing phone photos or something similar and chatting to one another . We asked the young women to clear out table as staff hadn't noticed we had been sitting with dirty plates for ten or so minutes. The booking was for a special treat which proved very disappointing..Won't be back and would not recommend .

Ate here with a friend. Started with the scallops, which were mediocre--cloying sauce that entirely drowned out the scallops. My friend had their soup, which she described as tasting like mush. Onto our mains--hers was tasteless. Mine unfortunately did have a taste. I had ordered the mussels, and the taste was of seafood well past its sell by date. Neither of us finished more than a minimal taste of our food, and we both felt ill afterwards. Do yourself a favour and eat elsewhere.

Lovely little place right off of the Royal Mile, but a world away from the hubbub. This restaurant is right next to the French Embassy. We we able to get a table at about 5:30 pm there. The bread that was brought out was fresh, great crunch on the outside and chewy on the inside. My wife had the carrot soup. It was very tasty. She also had the mussels. Plentiful and generous portion, with a nice cream sauce . I ordered the beet salad. It was the best beet salad that I've ever had. Cashews, fried onions, a nice liquid creamy blue cheese and fresh blackberries along with fresh lettuce. Everything blended perfectly! I also ordered the ragout. It had a nice balance of tender beef, carrot and potato and a nicely spiced sauce. The wait staff were excellent as well. A very nice find. It felt as if we were in France!

Wonderful experience! Actually extremely well-priced for the high-class experience you get. I ordered the mussels and fries and it was obly 16£ (burger on the same road will be same price or more!!). The food was delicious and a really nice portion!! The staff was extremely polite. Would recommend to anyone visiting the Royal Mile if they want to feel wine and dined for a low cost.