Newhaven Harbour Bistro, Edinburgh in Edinburgh, City of

The Harbour Bistro is a really special place to share an intimate relaxed lunch or dinner - and even better with a friend or two! Very interesting seasonal menus - and incredible value, so a good excuse to come back regularly! The "Cullen Skink" made with Arbroath Smokies on the lunch menu is worth going there for alone - one of my favourite Scottish specialities and Michael's version is absolutely delicious! Charming waitress Kasia - who remembered us immediately, as we did her, from our regular visits to the much missed "The New Chapter" when both it and "Michael's" nextdoor in Eyre Place, were forced to close post-Covid within weeks of each other... Even remembering that I would always book the seat in the window weeks ahead and always ask for a wee extra pot of the delicious jus! LOL! She and Michael have since joined forces - and how lucky we are for that! I just wish that I had known about sooner - or I would have spread the word long ago! Just a few minutes walk from the tram terminus; excellent value for money and a very gifted chef! What more could you ask for!

What a little gem, will definitely be back, five of us thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Fantastic chef and service.

Lovely food and great friendly service. Couldn’t fault it. Glad we found this place and we’ll come back. Between the five of us we had good selection of the menu and it was all first class.

What a wonderful little restaurant this is. My daughter and I were on holiday in Edinburgh recently and happened to take a tram ride to Newhaven. From the moment we stepped inside Harbour Bistro we were not disappointed. Not only was the waitress warm, welcoming and attentive - the food that was delivered to our table was truly exceptional. Everything was presented beautifully and tasted absolutely delicious. We regretted not having a starter - but the main courses and desserts were superb. We can not fault this place at all. It's a little gem and was by far the best meal we had during our stay in Edinburgh. The price was extremely reasonable and it was a pleasant surprise to not have a service charge surreptitiously added on to the bill. Everything about the place is fantastic - including the washroom which, in keeping with the restaurant, is spotlessly clean and decorated tastefully. Thank you for a most enjoyable evening at Harbour Bistro. We loved everything about it.

One of my favourite restaurants in Edinburgh - and there are hundreds to choose from! Food is delicious, service is amazing, the place has a lovely ambience and it is so reasonably priced..

This is a gem of a bistro based on the harbour in Leith. The service is phenomenal … but the food … wow! It’s insanely good! My goats cheese wrapped in beetroot with caramelised pecans and pomegranate seeds to start, was the best dish I’ve ever had the pleasure to indulge in! I would highly recommend this wonderful bistro to groups of friends or couples looking for an enjoyable evening out with exceptional food and great wine.

Charming little bistro with friendly atmosphere. The food was lovely, freshly prepared and beautifully presented. Service was excellent. The special lunch menu is great value for money.

They provided a most astoundingly good dinner, as well as appetizer and dessert. Plus the service was efficient and very friendly. I would highly recommend this place.

Fabulous food, great service and fantastic value! Not the first time I've been, and certainly won't be the last.

Excellent lunch both in value and quality. Will definitely return. Cullen skink was truly delicious, the cod perfectly cooked and no room for pudding.

Easy to see why the Harbour Bistro has such a growing reputation. Exceptional food, outstanding value, excellent service. The Cullen Skink with Arbroath Smokie was the standout dish in a three course lunch which came in at just under £20. Small and cosy, booking a table is a must to avoid disappointment. Highly recommend.

A perfect lunch and incredible value. Superb cooking, finely judged, fresh ingredients, simple yet elegant. Outstanding.

Absolutely lovely meal! What a gem! Felt like a fine dining meal at pub prices. The staff went above and beyond to accommodate my food allergy, and made the dining experience very enjoyable. Although the apple plum crumble wasn’t our favorite, the starters and mains were on another level. Such a great meal, cannot wait to return! I would highly recommend Harbor Bistro for sure.

The food was great (as always), the service friendly and efficient. The restaurant felt cosy and welcoming.

An absolute gem of a place Very friendly, food lovely and very well priced. Recommended by a friend and didn't disappoint Will definitely return Well worth a visit.

A wonderful dining experience, food was delicious, waitress was charming, friendly & attentive. I will definitely eat here again. I would recommend you try this little gem in Newhaven.

We took 20 pals for a special birthday lunch. Organisation of wines and menu beforehand was great. Tasty food and lovely atmosphere on the day meant everyone had a wonderful time.

Was recommended this little gem of a restaurant by a friend - what a find! Best dinner in a long time. Top quality produce cooked to perfection and presented piping hot. Scallops with black pudding bon bons, and parsnip puree was amazing, as was my cod with mussel and saffron broth, king prawn. Everything was bursting with flavour. We had a three course meal - every mouthful delicious. Not a large choice of menu but it changes regularly. Good selection of wine and drinks. Friendly and efficient service along with incredible value for money. This place could rival some of Edinburgh's Michelin Star restaurants at a fraction of the price!

Super delicious food with very friendly staff, enjoyed the lunch time with friends here.

A small place with around 18 places serving a limited menu but the food was stunningly good! Beautifully presented food and with friendly and helpful service. I had the scallops with black pudding to start, the cod with herb crust and smocked haddock sauce and muscles as a main. Absolutely delicious! That was all finished off with strawberry panacota, fresh strawberries and raspberries and cream anglais ...wonderful! I did not have wine as I was driving but a scan of the wine list suggested a nice selection ... so a taxi the next time! A changing menu but the talented staff will make sure it is delicious. Will be back soon.

Exquisite, affordable (and quiet, surprisingly, for a Friday!). We will be back, with friends. Could not score higher or recommend more. Every mouthful was delectable.

Had a lovely meal here in this small but delightful restaurant on New Year's eve before watching fireworks at Midnight. Very friendly waitress, possibly owner, the food was perfect and nicely served

Another excellent meal at the Harbour Bistro. This was our fourth or fifth time eating there and it never disappoints. The food was beautiful and the service attentive but unfussy.

Fantastic Hogmany lunch. Food and atmosphere just what we wanted.

Small and perfectly formed. Simply but comfortably furnished. A warm welcome gets things off to a good start. The menu offers a good choice for a small restaurant, same for the wine and all for a reasonable price. The food is just a little bit different, beautifully cooked and presented.

This restaurant punches way above its weight (price). Very small but lovely space, great staff, great (and brilliantly presented) food from a short but regularly changing menu. Lunch menu incredible value, a la carte merely spectacular value.

My wife and I had the festive menu. I started with the scallops, followed by the sea trout. My wife started with the beetroot & goats cheese roulade, followed by the lamb wellington tartiflette. All four courses were delicious. The wine is reasonably priced and the service is efficient and friendly. In summary a very enjoyable meal in a small comfortable restaurant overlooking Newhaven Harbour.

First time here The food is amazing and so flavoursome. Fresh succulent cod and seafood dishes Festive menu was on but great choices too!

Best place in Edimburg! Its was a nice surprise! Thanks

5 of us were at the bistro for lunch today. The Crab Bisque was AMAZING!!!! Very good waiting staff, asked us about allergies before we ordered. Lovely cosy atmosphere. No negatives. The home made bread and fudge were a nice touch❤️

Our third trip here, this time for lunch (which is an absolute bargain). The quality of the cooking and service have been excellent on all occasions. A real hidden gem

Excellent little restaurant. The best food we had during our visit to Edinburgh by a long way. We got there early on Friday evening without a reservation, but was offered a table if we could vacate by 8pm, which wasn't a problem. Really friendly waitress, lovely food, good value, only thing that was slightly lacking was it being very quiet, but it was around 6pm and it did start to get busy after 7pm. Please support this great Bistro.

Lovely meal. Fish soup and fish main. Tasty. Nicely decorated and comfortable. Only takes about 30 covers but you are well looked after.

Did my birthday lunch at Harbour Bistro and wouldn’t have gone for any other place! Michael’s an amazing chef and that reflected well on all the dishes we had. Everything was so fresh and flavourful. Service was top notch, we were well taken care of by Kasia. Great value for money and the food just hits the spot. Look no further if you’re looking for a nice cosy restaurant to eat in!!

The Harbour is always good and great value!!

The Harbour Bistro is a very well run restaurant, serving excellent food in a friendly, professional style. Had a fantastic dinner here in September with a party of 8. Many thanks for being so accommodating and welcoming ... and apologies for taking so long to spread the word !

Amazing!!!! Incredibly intimate with truly delicious food. Would highly recommend!

As usual a perfect evening with delicious inventive food and excellent service. It was especially good as my son was visiting from France. He thoroughly enjoyed the food and couldn’t stop praising it. Once again, harbour bistro and Michael a huge, thank you. P S. I think you’re website isn’t user friendly and needs attention.

Delicious. Superb value. Will be back.

Fabulous wee place. We had a lovely lunch. Excellent quality and great value 👏

Ein Abend in diesem feinen, kleinen Bistro war eine großartige Erfahrung. Der Service war perfekt! Unaufgeregt, witzig, super aufmerksam und zuvorkommend. Das Essen war von der Vorspeise bis zum Fudge, der mit der Rechnung kam einfach nur toll, kreativ und unglaublich lecker. Das Hauptgericht war eines der besten Fischgerichte, die ich je gegessen habe. All in all it was a blast!

Beautiful food, good service, excellent coffee. The lunch menu was fantastic value. (Not for those in a hurry)

small , very pleasant restaurant for mainly couples or small group of 4 .Fantastic food apetizer rolls are yummy. Compliments to chef . A restaurantvto return to again and again

Had the absolute pleasure of dining here, definitely the best restaurant I have been in with unbelievable food. Best pork belly I've ever had. The little touches like homemade bread, and fudge with your bill only added to the pleasure. Small intimate with fresh pleasant decor and professional pleasant staff. I can't praise this restaurant enough.

I don't often leave reviews but we are quite taken with this place. The food is delicious and the front of house hospitality from Izabella is outstanding. The fact that they execute both so well in an intimate, unassuming wee venue is quite remarkable. Whenever we are next in the area we will be back.

Simplemente fantástico!!! Excelente ubicación, el local bonito, bien decorado y acogedor. La comida buonissima, platos creativos y elaborados con mimo. Y la camarera súper-simpatica !!! Alejaros del Edimburgo más turístico y escaparos a harbour bistró merece la pena.

been thr recent n tho the food ws gr8.. the ambience ws drab.. the place ws busy so cudn' ask for a change of seat, but my tabl ws absolutly dark lit by just a candle.. unluckier fr me.. I wasn wearing my lens.. the food tastd luvlee bt I cud barely see wt my dessrt lookd like (brownie base) or if I pourd too mch watr in my glass it ws jus my experience tho n peopl myt stll enjoy the place.. inspite of being negativ her.. I wud still recomend the food 5/5 :)

A lovely 3 course lunch, beautifully cooked. Alfonso was excellent and the chef clearly talented.

A good value set lunch is virtually unheard of these days but the Harbour Bistro managed to offer excellent food well above the £12.50 for two courses price tag (£17.50 for three). My starter of chicken and ham hock terrine was well made and brimming with garlic flavour. The chunks of ham seasoned it and it was served at room temperature - appreciate the attention to detail. My pork belly was delicious and came with a technically accomplished potato terrine. The Szechuan pepper coating can be overpowering but it was well balanced with sweet carrot puree and a rich, delicious sauce. The brownie dessert was a real winner. Service was first rate and they even had a special menu to cater for my nut allergy. Great wee find in Newhaven

This little restaurant at the Leith waterfront doesn’t look like much from the outside; however, the inside is cozy, the staff very friendly and the food is outstanding. We tried two starters (one based on salmon, the other on asparagus) and loved both the presentation and the interplay of flavors. The mains we picked, were both fish dishes (hake and haddock). Both came with a good variety of ingredients and flavors. My only slight criticism is that I would have liked the hake to be a little less salted, as the overall flavors were so rich and varied that they did not need any amplification. In brief: if you look for an interesting food experience and like seafood, give this place a try!

This restaurant is a hidden gem. Simply amazing food for the price! Meal was changed to make it gluten free - which was perfect for me. I can't praise the meal and service enough!

Excellent food and attentive staff. Will def use again.

Small but well designed space, great service, exceptional tastes.

May well beat the lb for £ best dining experience in Edinburgh right now. It’s difficult to summarise how absolutely on point every component of each dish was without sounding like an employee or paid review - The kitchen is utterly fantastic here. The ambience is akin being in an eclectic retired fisherman’s family dining room, chilled piano music makes space for the food and wine to dominate the senses. This is quite literally a relaxed form of one star fine dining for prices that are on par with a reasonably average gastropub, With a frequently rotating menu, will be back very soon!

Incredible place. Wonderful service, fantastic food, lovely relaxed atmosphere. The lunch set menu is incredible value too. Couldn't recommend enough

Es war so gemütlich, so ein angenehmer Service, und das Essen einfach phänomenal. Wir haben selten so lecker gegessen wie hier in diesem von außen eher unscheinbaren Lokal. Unbedingt reingehen.

This place definitely undersells itself. It looks very plain from outside but this is in complete contrast to the quality of food which is exquisite. And value for money too considering the quality of everything.

Enjoyed the fresh seafood, good service and great views.

Amazing food, excellent service, one of the nicest meals I've had in along time!

I've been to Newhaven's Harbour Bistro several times, and not just because the menu has changed several times. I'm not a fast mover, but the lovely little restaurant still feels new to me and each trip back is a treat of discovery. On my last visit to the Bistro overlooking Newhaven's charming harbour, I brought the most awkward, stern, and demanding food audience in the world—my family. My family loved the Bistro. As I prefer, I've always booked online. You get a confirmation ahead of time, and once, when I booked a birthday meal so far in advance that I was sure we'd fallen off the system, Michael Neave himself responded. My parents remembered Michael Neave from Young Chef of the Year competitions, popular Edinburgh restaurants, and his name recognition (though the Bristo doesn't mention it!) was a big lure. I recommend the fish since this is a nautical-themed restaurant overlooking a fishing harbour. I've not always followed my advice but I'm never had a dish that was less than amazing. I've taken vegetarians here, and they've always found something to eat (the menu isn't huge but robust) and liked it. The food is surprisingly affordable! The two- or three-course options are very reasonable, and we've mixed and matched with some tables with all three courses, some with a starter and main, and others with a main and dessert. I'm a volume eater and hard to fill up, but despite using the word "smaller" I'll admit I've never left the Harbour Bistro feeling cheated or unsatisfied. It's just quality over quantity. I can't imagine a table of sportsball fans or rowdy businesspeople trying to outdrink each other here, and Newhaven's Harbour Bistro can quietly impress guests. Harbour Bistro succeeds by being the best of both posh/classy and friendly/cozy. It's fancy food without the pretentiousness. Cafe? No. Small Bistro. The word "bistro" fits the tiny nook, and I think tables of four to six are large here, so you and a date about to be wowed by your tastes are ideal. The atmosphere is relaxed, and there's a window seat with a diorama of sand and pebbles to simulate a beach. I recommend the friendly atmosphere, trip to Edinburgh's waterfront, and charming restaurant.

Best food I’ve had for a long time 👏👏👏

Took friends from Colchester to evening meal, who rated seafood very highly. Despite 3 choices, veggy and carnivores had excellent meal that was reasonably priced due to doing what they do very well (and friendly service).

Fantastic small restaurant, really would recommended

Really nicely prepared food. Service is attentive and pretty quick. Great wee restaurant that deserves to be busier

Had an excellent meal here with friends. The service was very good and the food was lovely with immaculate presentation. It is a small menu but everything we had was cooked perfectly and to everyone's requirements. Will definitely go again.

Very friendly staff, great value food, super tasty with nice presentation. Unbeatable GBP12.5 for 2 courses!

Fabulous food and great service. Will definitely be back.

Absolutely delicious food, beautiful presentation, and cosy atmosphere. Will definitely be dining there again!

Very much enjoyed this place. Very cool with us and our baby and the good was excellent

Would really recommend. We live nearby and have been meaning to go and will definitely be back. We had a lovely relaxing lunch. Great food and service. Hope it does well!

Having recently opened back up, we dined here in October 2022. Every single dish was spectacular! Really happy we have a great local restaurant again!

This place is brilliant. The food is amazing; very close to the standard you’d get at starred restaurants. It’s small and cozy and the service is excellent.

Would def give 6 stars if possible 😊 cozy place, great ambience, excellent service, very tasty food with a very reasonable price, even the toilet is very clean and they provide a baby changing pad with sanitizer. Would def come back!

Lovely Bistro... absolutely amazing food at affordable price and great service! Very highly recommended!

Excellent food at very reasonable prices.

Excellent meal, relaxed intimate atmosphere, very enjoyable.

Great food and great service. They have a lovely menu at a reasonable price and everything has been well thought out to make for an excellent dining experience. The restaurant offers something new to Newhaven /Trinity and is a brilliant addition to the neighbourhood.

Fine dining at very affordable prices. Exceptional food, service and setting. Lovely view of the sea