Malvarosa in Edinburgh, City of

Great service and food. Lovely atmosphere

Quite quiet when my daughter and I arrived @ 4:30. Within a couple of hours the place was heaving. Enjoyed our shared Tapas everything freshly cooked and delicious. Chorros with melted chocolate was a delight and perfect end to a lovely meal.

Very bad experience as a “Spanish” place. The place has a wonderful terrace where we sat down to eat. The waiter was friendly but we always had to go to the bar to order and he was a little lost. As for the food, it's not that it's bad, it's just that it's not Spanish. They could say that they have been inspired and I understand that if I sit in a Spanish place outside of my country it will not be the same but the thing is that the recipes were not only incorrect but in some cases they had nothing to do with it. For example, the stuffed eggplant, as its name suggests, was not stuffed, it was a vegetable stir-fry that included eggplant with a triangle of cheese on top. Everything had a terrible quality, it was surprising in a bad way…. It was an absolute shame, something like this had never happened to me. I hope they try to improve because they have a good location, a good place… Chickpea stew or any stew doesn't have raisins... can you please move on to the stew? The escalidaba is that poor Catalans absolutely invented the dish. Regarding the tasteless and sad meatballs… In terms of portions and price, it seemed expensive and not enough, but we would have gladly paid it for halfway decent Spanish food and not left hungry…

Went to Malvarosa on a Wednesday night with some friends and it was a big beautiful hearty homely meal, and a very enjoyable evening. We ordered one or two small plates for each of us, shared some paella, and then went through the whole dessert menu. Food was excellent. Delicious, and cooked and plated right beside us in the small kitchen area. It was exciting to see the measured theatricalilty that goes into creating the dishes, now that they have been perfected through years of service. Among the small plates, I believe we liked them all. The aubergines were great. Chicken, fish, prawn, all were tasty. Loved the gravy on the meatballs, had to order extra bread (which was excellent as well) to soak it all up. The paella was fantastic as well. Special mention goes out to the Choco Loco (coffee with coconut rum and cream) and the Churros (comes with excellent thick chocolate sauce - with just enough bitterness) and the basque cheese cake (just the right hint of sourness). All in all a very enjoyable meal. It strikes the proper balance between being a reliable neighborhood restaurant but also a quiet special place. Recommended.

It was surprisingly really good. I'm picky, but i see why some people say it's one of the best.

Really friendly place, went in with our 7month old and they couldn’t have been nicer. Food was excellent, crispy fish was amazing. Will be going back regularly!

Great service, great Spanish food (coming from a Spanish) and welcoming atmosphere

Lovely restaurant. A nice chill vibe on a Thursday and the service was great. We had tapas which was delicious with lots of options (even for vegetarians!). The homemade bread was especially good. Would highly recommend and we will be back :)

My first visit, hope I will get back soon. Mix of tapas between two of us and all were excellent. Service was relaxed and attentive. Water brought to table without asking, thought that was a nice touch

We went to Malvarosa during our road trip with three friends and were staying in Edinburgh for couple of nights. The hotel we were staying in had a very sad menu, so we started looking what's near by. We randomly found this place on google. It is situated away from the hustle bustle of central Edinburgh and takes about 15-20 mins drive to reach here. From the moment we stepped inside, we knew we were in for something special, but our experience exceeded even our highest expectations. It was very cozy vibe, with both the girls at the front and the chef owner in the kitchen. The food and drinks were of course very very good, however, what truly set our evening apart was the personal touch provided by the chef-owner himself. Not only did he take the time to chat with us, he also joined us at our table for a delightful laugh and lively conversation. His warmth and humour turned an already wonderful meal into an unforgettable experience. We had a lot of wine which was so so good. As the evening drew to a close, he surprised us with a generous offering of a fine Spanish liqueur, a gesture that perfectly encapsulated the genuine hospitality of this family-run establishment. It was the perfect end to a perfect night. Absolutely a must go to when in Edinburgh. We will be going back to Malvarosa, whenever we are back in Edinburgh. Keep up the good work Team Malvarosa !

Great tasting food along with good hospitality. Lovely chef who talked about the dishes, happily kept the restaurant open a little longer for us and looked like he enjoyed cooking and feeding. Would defo be going back next time up in Edinburgh

Yummy small plates and great service! The fried eggplant was delish! I suggest you make a reservation as they are quite small and pretty popular.

Visited last week. Shame I don't live here because I'd be there every week. Lovely food and great service.

The paella was very good 😋with very attentive service 👍

Excellent place, only drawback not wheelchair accessible so had to rely on the weather

Small authetic Spanish reservation, walking distance from Portobello beach. Walked in for dinner around 6:30PM on a Friday night and glad we got a table. Tapas here are unbelievable, and they make excellent margarita. Suggest to call and ask if they have a table to avoid disappointment.

One of my favourite places to eat in Edinburgh. The staff are super friendly, and the food was incredible.

Came across this fabulous little restaurant by chance. What a treat! Fantastic tapas and a lovely relaxing setting. The food was cooked to order and was delicious. A gem of a place and I wish I lived locally as I would be back again and again.

Just eaten lunch here food was excellent and the guy is lovely 100 percent recommend

Delicious food and wonderful service. They've got all of the things you'd expect on a tapas menu, plus a couple of excellent dishes that I hadn't seen anywhere else before.

Loved this Spanish restaurant! Had a lovely selection of tapas. Staff very nice and caring . SeeWill definitely be back.

Amazing food and lovely staff who work so hard to make everything perfect.

First time I have been and the whole experience was brilliant. Will be going back again and can highly recommend the venue.

Lovely food,great drinks. Staff were friendly and welcoming

Loved it. A very lovely paella, and really good coffee. Had a great chat with the host, a man with a wicked sense of humour.

Had not visited for a while, but enjoyed the meal. Another couple were complaining about their food, which was the same as we had. Nothing wrong with it, but guess that they did not want to pay!

We had waited for so long to go to this place as some people recommended it to us. Last night we finally did, and we were so excited to try their food, however we got so disappointed by this place. We got there and we waited for our drinks order to be taken, however it was so later on that we even had time to decide for our food, so we ordered both just in case. Drinks (only two vermouths so no cocktails) took about 20 minutes to arrive, and after that food took about 40 minutes or more. We did point out to the staff that we had been waiting for a while, and both the waiter and the chef (who we presume is the owner too), told us it was going to be a couple of minutes, but no apologies given. Rather, we were met with a jokey attitude which was not well received since we were very hungry after all the wait. It took as much time for someone to realise we also had no drinks left. When the food arrived, it was very tasty but the wait and treatment received had spoilt it all already. Once we finished the food, were given the digestif and dessert menu without being asked. At that point, we just asked for the bill and went to the fish and chips next door as we were still hungry. Deeply, deeply disappointed experience!

We really enjoyed our food and the service. Each tapas was a different, exciting taste revelation and we all left happy.

The food is fine, and the atmosphere is great. It's definitely not the best place for tapas in Edinburgh though.

I recommend La Malvarosa 100%. My partner and I went during lunchtime and we ordered: -Fried calamari -Seabass in green sauce -Black Rice -Basca Cheesecake Everything was absolutely delicious, I have no complaints about the food, everything was on point. Honestly, the best meal I've had in a long time in a restaurant :) The best Spanish restaurant in Scotland! I would love for them to even expand their menu more so I can try more variety from their delicious cooks. And the service charge is not added, don't forget to give tips

What a gem to have stumbled upon! Highly recommend. I think tapas isn’t always done very well in a lot of places but the food was great, really tasty, good portions, reasonably prices. The people working there were lovely and really helpful. Atmosphere was perfect. Will definitely be back!

We had a brilliant time for lunch there. Great tapas plenty choices and fine wine. Service very good and the owner is a bit of a character.

Vous aimez les tapas espagnoles ? Alors Vous avez trouvé. Carte variée, tout était bon et le Patron, par sa bonne humeur, rend ce moment encore plus sympa. Ça vaut la peine d’aller dans le centre de Portobello.

Popped in off the cuff for a bit of lunch. Was warmly greeted by what appeared to be a one man band today. Yes it took a little longer than usual but was worth waiting for. Potatoes, Prawns, Calamari and several vegetable dishes were excellent. Place was busy with bookings and a few wandering in. Paella looked amazing and a fabulous sharing dish at one table. Will be returning. Have to say the owner took the orders, cooked and served so well done in what appeared to be a day with few staff..

Lovely food and quick, friendly service. Very reasonable too. Hard to fault it.

Adorable Spanish restaurant. So highly recommended. The owner is delightfully friendly, the atmosphere is wonderful and the food is utterly fantastic.

Had a great evening here. Really nice food, friendly people, great atmosphere.

We decided to have lunch at Malvarosa today and the experience took us all the way to Spain!! The selection of home-made breads was an excellent starter and a great way to introduce the food that was to come. There were only 2 of us, hence why we could only go for 2 tapas each, but they were all individually perfect and prepared in an exemplary manner. We finished with a slice of cheesecake as a dessert, which was one of the tastiest cheesecakes we've ever had!!! We would love to be back and try more delicious, wholesome Spanish food! Thank you for serving us and for providing us with outstanding dishes!

Had a lovely time at Malvarosa! Me and my friends ate here on new years eve and I thought that the food was great, tried lots of different tapas dishes and also tried my friends paella which was delicious. Great that they had vegan and non vegan dishes so everyone could get something that they liked. I also really enjoyed the sangria! The service was also fabulous and all the staff were super friendly. Would defiantly go back again and would recommend to friends & family.

Beautiful place and amazing food! Service excellent and staff very attentive and friendly.

Fantastic food and fantastic staff.

Some time ago we had a spontaneous meal at Malvarosa. I've never been to Great Britain and had such a Spanish flair as here with you. It was a vacation that we will remember with great pleasure.

Wonderful treat for my birthday. The food, service and atmosphere were all exceptional. The owner was so hospitable and took time to suggest a variety of tapas to try. Great experience and would highly recommend. Thanks

We popped by just to see if we could have coffee/cake on a quiet Sunday afternoon. As soon as we walked in, the waiting staff sanitised a high chair for our toddler and then offered us toys for her which they also sanitised. The coffee was delicious, and the desserts we had were really light and tasty.

Great food but takeaway gets a bit pricey if you order several tapas.

A really good evening, the food was excellent and so was the service. Update: We came back, and it was even better. Last time we had paella, but this time we had tapas. The paella was good, but the tapas are amazing! A small restaurant, with a family feel, the service was personal without being intrusive.

Lovely lunch, very authentic. Will definitely come back for dinner and drinks.

Excellent tapas and gf friendly.

Absolutely outstanding tapas with the best sangria I’ve ever had - service is slow but that’s due to everything being made up fresh so relax, drink some sangria, and be assured the food is worth the wait!

Best tapas we ever had. We’ve been to Spain, but this a difference level for tapas.

Memorable tapas. Hardworking and friendly staff. Will definitely be back.

Great food and always packed. My advice is to book.

Güzel uzun bir sahil ama aşırı kalabalık oluyor

Fantastic food served by friendly staff who make you feel most welcome.

The food was delicious, and the staff were so helpful in explaining and adjusting the menu for our dietary requirements (gluten and dairy).

Welcoming staff, delicious cake and seriously good coffee. Perfect!

Real tapas and raçions! Enjoyed the flavour and cosiness of the venue.

Lovely selection of choices on the menu. We could have happily eaten anything on offer. The pil pil paella was very tasty and beautifully cooked and the service was relaxed, friendly and welcoming.

A lovely little Spanish bistro. The churros with chocolate sauce was heavenly.

Fantastic meal! Shared some tasty homemade breads and dips to start, followed by one of the best paellas I've eaten, finished off with yummy churos with chocolate. Can't wait to go back!

Family meal in midweek. Restaurant full with a friendly atmosphere. Food and drink very good. Service was excellent. A bit pricey IMO but thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Recently went for a lunch. We ordered 4 tapas dishes and thoroughly enjoyed them. Nice place with a good atmosphere. We will be back.

Was here as part of a group of hungry guys. Starters mains,desert and coffee were all really good. The waitress was very good, very pleasant and faultless throughout the night. The owner was a lovely gentleman with a good sense of humour. Between us, I think we tried 70% of the menu and everything was great. And the homemade lemonade was great. Would recommend for a good night of tapas!

Lacked quality for years but things really turning round

Genuine Spanish food, good range of tapas and paellas. Staff always in a good mood and cracking jokes. One of our favourite place to have lunch or dinner in Portobello.

Great food, friendly welcome. Lovely little chestnut near the Seaside part of my Home city.

Excellent customer service, brilliant food, delicious hot chocolate and churros. And don't forget the choco-loco (hot chocolate with Malibu). Lovely place to be.

Great night lovely food and good service The staff coped extremely well with 20+ of us, even though its a small place

Cozy, family-run, authentic Spanish food. Lovely selection, freshly made, and worth the money! Could improve a couple aspects - lack of tortilla on the tapas menu and the admittedly sad amount of bread given on the charcuterie boards (two small pieces that can’t even be counted as a single slice - not enough for one person, not to mention two). Otherwise loved everything about it - especially recommend the champiñones al ajillo. Le doy mis felicitaciones al chef desde Tenerife!

Did not get there as unable to book as they did not answer the phone

Very authentic restaurant. Food was delicious and the service was excellent.

Excellent food and service with a friendly atmosphere highly recommend

We are very lucky that Malvarosa is local for us. We dont feel the need to go into the city centre for occasions as we always get great food in a lovely atmosphere when going here. We went on Friday evening as a family group of 4 people. Everything was delicious. The sangria is particularly recommended. Tapas was great and homemade bread fantastic. We will be back again!

Wonderful, thank you. We had a delightful afternoon with the Bernabeu family. Nice atmosphere, lovely food and wine. Thank you so much.

Myself and my Dad walked in off the street Friday evening without booking and we were well looked after and accommodated, even though the restaurant was full. The tapas were beautiful (albondigas, patatas bravos and prawns in garlic) and the paella was unbelievable, and the wine was also great and very well recommended by the lady owner. £90 for a bottle and a half of wine, three plates of tapas and a two person paella was great value for the quality of food and I’d happily visit again.

I have got out of the habit of posting reviews but when I read that someone took exception to the owner I felt I had to put in my tuppence ha’penny.I had booked a table for lunch at 12.30. I decided to go by bus so that I could have a glass of wine. I arrived there at 12.10 and asked if it was OK to come in (website said open at 12.00). A man, later found to be the owner, told me he had to go to the shop. My heart sank wondering what the food would be like if he was still shopping.The food was really excellent. My friend and I chose 3 tapas each. The owner was both cooking and serving and I can see that his humour might not appeal to everyone, being very dry, but I thought he was funny and friendly.They open until 10pm and I believe he has more staff in the evenings.I had passed by this restaurant several times and wondered what it was like. Now I know and I will return.

Had a lovely lunch in the sun at Malvarosa. Excellent service and delightful food. Nice mix of tapas plates and very reasonably priced. Look forward to coming again!!

Ordered a sharing platter and 3 separate dishes.. we both were so full, however did manage to find space for some churros!! All food was delicious and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Recommend most definitely

Food was really disappointing, we were surprised to see two shrimps lying in the dish which is £28, honestly we have never experienced such low value of money before in Edinburgh. And it was very slow serving, I am so sorry to say this, but we did not enjoy ourselves at all. Overall, it is low value of money.

Really quaint little place - lovely fresh tapas made to order! Staff are helpful and friendly. Felt like I was in another country! Really nice ambiance here! Lovely evening out in Portabella

Really enjoyed our visit here....lots of great tapas dishes, wine and a relaxed atmosphere. Definitely recommend booking a table as Covid restrictions limit the permissible numbers

Finally got around to using Xmas gift voucher. We had the kebabs, chicken, meatballs, patatas bravas, manchego, goats cheese, roasted vegetables, grilled prawns and every single bite was great, took me back to all the amazing tapas I've had on holiday in Spain. Would highly recommend

Excellent tapas. Calamari and prawns were particularly tasty. Friendly welcome, good atmosphere and very relaxing. Can’t wait to go back when we are allowed a proper drink. PH.

I love this restaurant. Have visited before covid restrictions and thought then it was punching above its weight. Great food, terrific people, who go the extra mile. I’ll be supporting Malvarosa as often as possible, because it’s the kind of business and the kind of people who deserve our support. Well done Malvarosa!

Lucky to get in here just before lockdown!! The food and wine/beer were excellent. The host was friendly and informative with food and drink. We really enjoyed our meal and will definitely go back when they are allowed to reopen.

Fabuloso auténtico bar de tapas / paella / restaurante en la calle principal. Comida y vino deliciosos. Excelente servicio y propietario español muy amable con un encantador sentido del humor peculiar. Después de nuestra primera experiencia, reservamos nuevamente para el día siguiente antes de que se establecieran las restricciones. ¡Sin duda volveremos en el futuro! ¡Y también puedes comprar delicias españolas!

Wonderful pré lockdown tapas lunch. Everything was delicious. Fish and gambas perfect. Bread wonderful. Nothing negative to say. Service excellent. Food fresh and very tasty. Will be back with family and friends in the future.

We had a great meal out to celebrate a family birthday. All Covid prepared. Food was delicious. Love the tapas. Recommend the sangria. Lovely cosy feel great coffee. Great service. It felt like a real treat.

Good food, nice paella and chatty owner. Nice cosy setting too. Felt comfortable despite COVID protocols. Only small issue is maybe a bottle cooler to go with rose wine is all. Recommended 👍

The food was great. No complaints about the quality. Portion sizes a little small so made it a pretty expensive meal in the end. Especially we ordered a side of bread which was £2.50 for a few small bits.

Visité aquí hoy más temprano, solo para un refrigerio ligero antes de una cita local. entró para ser recibido por un olor muy extraño y no ser recibido por nadie, aparte de un hombre sentado en su computadora portátil, adivinando el dueño? preguntó si podíamos sentarnos afuera y procedió a decir "sí, solo sin alcohol y fuera antes de las 9 pm". No estoy seguro de si esto tenía la intención de ser divertido, pero se quedó sentado durante la conversación. Se dirigió a mi mesa afuera, donde trajo un menú. Le pedí 2 limonadas Schweppes y él trató de obligarme a conseguir la 'limonada casera'. Le expliqué que quería Schweppes y él continuó tratando de conseguirme la limonada casera. Nos apetecía un bocadillo, así que decidimos comprar pan fresco con un poco de vinagre balsámico y aceite de oliva y las patatas bravas. Primero que todo el pan venía con lo que se llamaba "vinagre de jerez", le pregunté a la mesera si tenían balsámico y ella dijo "no, tenemos vinagre de jerez de España", esto sabía a vinagre de malta, lo cual por supuesto no es agradable nada para mojar el pan. como no pudimos usar el "vinagre de jerez", pedí un poco de mantequilla, que NO TENÍAN, me pareció bastante impactante, como restaurante. . . . . . no tener mantequilla. "¿Entonces no tienes mantequilla para el pan?", le pregunto, ella respondió "no". así que no tuvimos otra opción para comer el pan seco. las patatas bravas eran simplemente patatas hervidas, puestas en una sartén con aceite para hacerlas crujientes, con salsa de tomate fría encima. la salsa de tomate no tenía sabor, sin profundidad alguna, soy un ávido cocinero casero y esta salsa era básicamente passatta con pimentón ahumado, no teníamos alioli encima, que estoy seguro de que es tradicional de las patatas bravas. así que en pocas palabras fue bastante terrible, no volvería y nunca en un millón de años recomendaría esto a alguien.

Encontré la Malvarosa cuando visitaba la zona. Comida deliciosa con pan casero y aceites de oliva. Menú mediano con opciones para todos. Toda la comida se cocina fresca, así que tienes que esperar un poco. Desafortunadamente, solo pudimos tener una mesa afuera que disfruta del sol, sin embargo, no pueden servir vino, etc. para disfrutar con sus tapas. El propietario español tiene un peculiar sentido del honor. No la comida barata, pero la calidad puede superar esto.

No es frecuente que escribo una reseña, pero la actitud del propietario me obligó a escribir esta. Un pequeño restaurante agradable y pedimos paella para dos (13.50 ish cada persona y una botella de vino para compartir hizo nuestra cuenta 50) La paella estaba deliciosa pero simplemente demasiado pequeña para dos personas. . mi marido y yo nos quedamos muy hambrientos todavía. Al salir cuando me preguntaron si lo disfrutamos, le dije la verdad que estaba muy sabroso, pero dos pequeños para dos con la etiqueta de precio también. El propietario se burló y estuvo de acuerdo en que no había forma de que lo pidiera, ya que dijo que solo era suficiente para que comiera solo. No había nada más en el menú que pudiéramos pedir para llenar, le expliqué (ya que mi esposo no tiene gluten) a lo que se encogió de hombros y arrojó un pequeño pan para llevar a casa en nuestra mesa (lleno de gluten) y se fue. La arrogancia y la indiferencia lo convierten en un anfitrión muy poco acogedor, así que lo echaría de menos en el futuro.

Genuine Spanish tapas, great wine. Authentic surroundings. We called in here and enjoyed a Spanish feast cooked by the owner... just what we were looking for! Delicious.

Brilliant Spanish restaurant now doing takeaway during this difficult time. We have had paella on several occasions and every time it has been great. Staff, quality and service of food has been an excellent experience while looking for authentic Spanish food.

Mi pareja y yo comemos en Malvarosa con bastante regularidad, así que estamos encantados de ver que ahora ofrecen una opción para llevar durante el cierre. Se ordenó a la hora del almuerzo para recogerlo por la noche y la comida estaba lista para su llegada. Toda la experiencia fue eficiente y fácil y la comida era buena en general. Definitivamente volverá a usar la comida para llevar y no veo la hora de volver al restaurante para comer con amigos.

He estado aquí varias veces y lo encuentro excelente cada vez.Hoy era el cumpleaños de mi esposa, así que probamos la selección de la fiesta y la rioja. Gran mezcla de sabores, complementada por el vino y rematada con churros y salsa de chocolate. Alvaro obviamente se complace en ser un buen anfitrión y chef. Gracias por un gran momento y super comida.

Amigos reservado para el almuerzo, nuestra primera vez allí. Buena selección más especiales. Las porciones no son enormes, lo cual es ideal si te gusta la variedad sin estar "relleno". La comida tardó un tiempo en llegar, sin embargo, todo estaba recién preparado, por lo tanto, valió la pena. Entre nuestros platos tuvimos el frijol mantequilla, morcilla y estofado de chorizo, albóndigas, selección de pan, pescado, gambas al ajillo y chile y patatas alioli. Una buena selección que incluye bebidas funcionó alrededor de 30 p / cabeza. Volveremos y lo recomendaría.

I really want to like this restaurant because I like to support small local businesses. There were just a few too many things wrong, which made me rate it only as 'average'.We visited Malvarosa at lunchtime and it was pretty quiet. Perhaps it had been busier, but apart from a group of four who were just leaving there was only one table of about six people. Still, service was very slow. It didn't help that the waitresses were just chatting instead of keeping on top of serving customers. Three bottled soft drinks could have been served straight away, after handing our food order to the kitchen, but weren't.We received our drinks after waiting at least 20 minutes, and had to wait longer again for our food. I would have thought that most tapas dishes were pre-prepared and could be heated and served pretty quickly, but we didn't think the food was very warm at all. We were hungry and didn't want to delay eating, so we made do. We weren't the only ones, as in the meanwhile another couple had come in, had food served to them, and sent something back because it was cold. They didn't get their warmed dish back until they had finished the rest of their food.The food we ordered was tasty, though appreciating it would have been easier if it had been hot. I also thought the platter for two we ordered was expensive for what it was. There wasn't that much food, and I thought it was a bit odd for example to serve two tiny meatballs in a dish - one each... Other dishes included a very small amount of vegetables, a few green leaves (the salad) and three small bits of bread. I had expected more for £15.00+

Mi hermana, mi sobrina y yo visitamos Malvarosa el fin de semana para el cumpleaños de mi hermana y fue encantador. El personal fue muy atento y la comida estaba deliciosa. Pequeño restaurante pero ambiente encantador, muy acogedor. Era la primera vez que mi hermana había estado y le encantó. Esperamos volver nuevamente en un futuro próximo.