Papilio Restaurant in Edinburgh, City of

I usually come into the restaurant but tonight We ordered for takeaway, Absolutely sensational, if we could give you 10 stars we would. Pasta dishes we had were absolutely delicious, pizza and starters were beautiful. Thank you for fantastic service. Such lovely staff. We will be back soon.

I've never been to a more disappointing Italian restaurant, expensive with small portions and mediocre food, and then to top it off an additional 10% service charge added to the bill which appears to be because we were non locals. I was expecting a crisp authentic Italian pizza, I received a soft pan pizza of similar style and quality to a kebab shop, the salad was less than a handful of rocket with a miniscule amount of cheese, Garlic bread was expensive and small for the price, tiramasu was also small and expensive for what was served and certainly one of the worst I've had. No choice of Italian beers (its Peroni or nothing) no branded beer glasses for the beer or cold glasses, just an old odd glass that your nan would keep in her kitchen cupboard. From the outside this restaurant has the look of an authentic family Italian; old waiter wandering around and several other Italians waiters in an old buulding but something has gone wrong here, they are probably doing well off the one time visitors from the tourist trade and it has created there own bubble, they are serving the absolute minimum quantity of food at the minimum standard, I left slightly hungry and felt disappointed for what we had paid, I've been to Italians all over the UK and Europe and always try to visit and support independents. I am baffled by some of the good reviews for this place, some people are either living a very sheltered life with low standards or have very low expectations. it's no exaggeration that there are many other Italian restaurants with food one hundred times better than this place.

One of the best restaurants I've ever been to! When you enter you immediately taste the Italian atmosphere, it is a beautiful authentic small-scale restaurant that creates a good atmosphere. The waiters have very good manners and know how to perform their job with passion and love for the guest and the Italian food. They are very hospitable and have a passion for Italian cuisine. The food was really of a high standard. I had the mussels as a starter, sea bass as a main and tiramisu with coffee for dessert. All these dishes were incredibly tasty and well balanced. Very good ingredients have been used and the chef understands Italian cuisine perfectly. Definitely 10/10 points for the entire experience!

really good italian restaurant with amazing waiters !! + the soup (brocoli + spinach + gorgonzola) was amazing would recommend!!

Just returned from a short break in Edinburgh and ate here on two evenings. Had to book the first time and just hit lucky the next night, one free table. Food gorgeous, fast and efficient service, yet the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed. Wish it was my local.

Great food, good service. Everything you want from an Italian restaurant.

Food Was authentic and delicious. Mr.Tony was very kind for selecting the dishes for me . Must go place

Ordered the Spaghetti Aubergine pasta and it was fab. Would definitely recommend to try it. Our serving person was also sweet and explained everything on the menu. Overall it was an amazing lunch time.

A perfect wee Italian, delicious food, great staff, good value for money, I would definitely eat there again!

Three kiwis and me. End of trip meal for Ross and Irene before the long haul back to Nelson, New Zealand

Lunch menu is really good value, starter and pasta main for £14 I had mussels starter, it was a large portion! And super yummy pasta for main

Best Italian food we’ve had so far in Edinburgh! I had a chicken and spinach risotto that was amazing! Would highly recommend. It’s a small, family run restaurant that has been in business 20years.

Had a very good steak with black pepper sauce.

This is a small restaurant with a great atmosphere. Has a comprehensive menu and caters well for those with allergies. My wife is coeliac and choosing a suitable meal was made easy. Very friendly, helpful and attentive staff. We will return.

We didn't book, they were very busy but so accommodating and food came quickly and was amazing.

We loved our meal at this authentic and charming restaurant. The food is exactly as served in Italy with classic dishes served with simple ingredients. They had a range of specials, which they were happy to explain to us. The venue is not large so you really should book ahead. The only method seems to call them. When we arrived for our booking at 7.30 it was the last free table. The service was friendly and efficient.

An excellent Italian restaurant that never let's you down in terms of food, service, the whole package.

The wife and I visit quite frequently and don't have a bad word about it will always have them in my phone.

Food was amazing the risotto was epic and they had amazing appetiser with aubergine and cheese was so good.

Good food, good service in nice premises. I had a nice meal here.

The food was delicious, and the service was exceptionally good. Thank you for a good experience!

Authentic Italian food, great service.

Great authentic Italian food, and nice atmosphere. Great variety of dishes, and a really good specials board. Lovely seafood, pasta, pizza, and more. Staff are warm and welcoming.

The food was spectacular and the chianti was especially good. I had the stuffed pasta with ricotta and a tomato and pune nut sauce

Charming personal service. Warm, friendly not intrusive. Food was excellent. Portions were the right size. Happily on the list for a return trip.

The lobster cream and the special tagliatelle was divine. Best Italian restaurant ever, I’ll be back.

Walked past this restaurant so often and finally tried it and was not disappointed. Quality of food is excellent and delicious. Lovely Atmosphere and exceptional customer service. So pleased to have stepped over the door, we will now make regular visits. It’s no wonder it has such consistently good reviews. So pleased we have an authentic Italian restaurant on our doorstep. Highly recommend. All the dishes were delicious but have to give a shout out to the Homemade Pate, Taglia Papalina and Tiramisu (husband said hands down best he’s ever tasted!)

The staff was extremely helpful, food was delicious (recommend the tiramisu!😊) place is lovely, great time!

Lovely little restaurant which a great busy vibe, food was nice and the service was great the man gave us a free garlic bread and chocolates while we waited! Garlic bread was delicious and the gnocchi too.

Such friendly service, lovely atmosphere and delicious food. A gem!

If I could marry food it would be the tiramisu. I wished I had taken photos but the food vanished.

Lovely little restaurant, a real hidden gem. We both had pizzas which were absolutely delicious. The staff were helpful and attentive. Hope to come back soon!

It was an amazing surprise. The food was great with an extensive menu. The wait staff were extremely friendly and haapy to help. It was a great fun night with great food. There is a reason it was busy.

Excellent food & great service 😍

My favourite Italian restaurant in town. Authentic and friendly. My family love Papilio. Keep up the great work.

Amazing high quality food at a very reasonable price.

It was a cold, rainy evening on our visit to Edinburgh when we found this warm, cosy Italian restaurant welcoming us with the delicious aroma of delights to come. And we weren't disappointed. The meals came cooked to order, hot and a good sized portion, reasonably priced and served with a smile. I wish I lived nearer, I would certainly visit Papilio again and again.

Excellent, authentic, delicious Italian food.

The only less positive point was that they didn't let the table be occupied immediately. They asked for 15 minutes even though the table was free. Otherwise, everything is excellent at very competitive prices. I recommend.

We really enjoyed our meal here. There was a mistake with the booking (our fault) but they went above and beyond to accommodate us. Food great, especially the pasta dishes which are top tier.

Amazing food, amazing staff, amazing environment, I don't have a bad word about this place, been multiple times with family and it never disappoints, very authentic Italian cuisine and employees.

What a find. I looked on Google Maps to see which restaurants were near our hotel, walked past, liked the look of it, so called in to see if we could get a table for later that evening. Food fabulous, I had Beef Masala off the specials menu, and it was really tasty, but there's a good selecting of pizza and pasta as well. The restaurant has a warm and friendly atmosphere. Staff are lovely. Owner is welcoming and happy to get to know you. Good selection of wine too. We recommend house red. Even though about 100 yards from our hotel, it's also easy to get to by bus as well. Book in advance, better to be safe than sorry, as it was busy, however the staff will try and accommodate you. Definitely go again next time we're in Edinburgh.

Neighbourhood Italian restaurant in Bruntsfield. I’ve been coming here for years. Great food and brilliant service every time. The focaccia is particularly good, as is the vitello (veal) Milanese.

Lovely Italian food. Very good choice of dishes for starters, mains and deserts.

Superb Italian food and great service

Love this place so much . It's old school, it's my happy place .

What a wonderful find. Excellent food lovely atmosphere very attentive staff and good prices.

Amazing food, so many choices, problem is, very hard to choose just one starter or one main course. You will definitely want to go back to taste more. Such a lovely staff, very attentive and polite. 100 percent recommend it.

Landed in Edinburgh early evening and managed to get a table as a walk-in, very lucky as the place soon filled up. Just a nice piece of Italy in the city centre. Great food, and the house wine was good, too.😉

Really nice local Italian, good food, service and prices

First reviewed this eatery 5 years ago and it has been consistently one of our favourites.Excellent menu, charming service, food was authentic and service was attentive.Really recommended for family get together and a lovely lunch. One of the capital's best kept secrets.

An Italian atmosphere brought into our hands right here in Edinburgh would definitely recommend for everyone passing by.

Delightfully cozy, with the charm and atmosphere of an authentic Italian restaurant. It’s like a little slice of Rome tucked away in Edinburgh. Incredible warm service and delicious food. This place cannot be beat!

Local restaurants serving classic Italian dishes Food is all made fresh Standard basic drinks menu Staff helpful Prices reasonable, especially for the area A good local restaurant

Nice local Italian restaurant, with tasty food and great service

Friendly people and amazing food.

Voll leckeres essen und sehr zuvorkommende Mitarbeiter

La pizza muy seca, al igual que los panes con queso.la pasta bastante mejor que la pizza. Me pareció caro para lo que fue

Been coming for years. Food always delicious. Staff friendly and helpful. Recommend to book as it is often busy especially on weekends. Does a reasonable lunch menu as well.

Great Italian restaurant serving classic Italian cuisine

Awesome Italian place. Really hospitable people and delicious food.

Delicious Italian food. Perfect portion.

June 2022: Really excellent. Highly recommended. Nov 2023: still excellent all round

Alles nahezu perfekt und echt italienisch ... charmante Bedienungen .. jederzeit wieder ... leider lief das Ein und Gleiche Lied in Endlosschleife 😂

First visit tonight when myself and some colleagues were in Edinburgh for work. Great food, warm friendly service, and a cosy and intimate atmosphere. Definitely recommend it.

Great food and everyone was so friendly

Italian ambience but poor service and no special food. The main waiter was not friendly. Drinks completely forgotten. A free aperitif was promised as an apology. This was never brought. Food (lasagne and pizza) good but not worth the price. Unfortunately very disappointing.

Small and really friendly with good food

The atmosphere and food was great! I highly recommend!

We used to come here quite a lot,but hadn't been in ages and can say it hadn't changed a bit.Its still a cosy wee place.The staff were lovely and friendly and the food was great.

Várias opções de comida italiana e comida muito boa, saborosa! Convém reservar. Adorei!

We have been in Scotland for 2 weeks and ended our trip with most delicious dinners two nights in a row. Authentic Italian cuisine and genuine courtesy from everyone in the restaurant.

Everything was top class, from the warm reception, attentive without overbearing service, to the delicious fresh and full of flavour food on every course. Particular highlight was mussels with gorgonzola sauce, a bit of a suprising but incredible frontrunner.

Small restaurant with great charm. Solid wine selection, gnocchi and risotto more than worth the trip!

The food is genuinely heart warming! Homelike little authentic Italian restaurant Mussels are incredible!

A deservedly popular eatery - I called in for an early tea twice last week, about 5.50pm - the restaurant was quiet, but I was told they'd need the table by 7.15, indeed, while I was there people kept arriving, and the place was pretty full by the time I left. Definitely need to book if you want to eat at a more popular time. Service was friendly and efficient - I had a glass of decent house wine in my hand within 2 mins, and food ordered within 3! I ordered spaghetti carbonara and risotto ortolano on my two visits - both arrived promptly, were delicious and piping hot, couldn't fault the experience in any way. Highly recommended!

Highly recommend this restaurant. We came here after a long day and it was just perfect. The cosy relaxed atmosphere and lovely service made it such an enjoyable evening and the food was delicious! We just wish we lived closer and will be definitely revisiting when back in Scotland! Thank You Papilio <3

Nos lo recomendó nuestra hostess del Airbnb y he de decir que estaba muy sabrosa la comida. Además de esto, el servicio fue excepcional, estaban siempre pendientes de que no nos faltara de nada. Tuvimos que esperar porque a la hora que fuimos estaba lleno pero nos reservó una mesita para media hora más tarde sin ningún problema. Un saludo y muchas gracias.

Wonderful local Italian restaurant. The manager genuinely cares about his customers. The food is superb. During my vacation to Edinburgh I visited 3 times! Can’t recommend the restaurant enough.

Everything here was absolutely perfect. The servers were so friendly and responsive, which was made even better by the great atmosphere. We had dinner here and the food was incredible. I've never tasted such amazing salmon tagliatelle. The price is reasonable too, and overall just a great place to go.

Lovely lunch menu with a healthy variety of options. Service is very fast and attentive. Prices are very reasonable.

Small Italian cozy restaurant, the food that we order it was nice and tasty. The service was excellent.

A truly authentic Italian food experience coupled with a relaxed atmosphere and very friendly staff. It was a pleasure to have dinner here, it felt like we were back in Italy.

Very popular very busy. Huge menu with too many choices 😋 what we chose was very good. Friendly and attentive owner who makes you welcome. Good find.

Decent food for a good price, enjoyed it here

We have been several times and like the restaurant very much. Last night the mixed fish special was delicious and the veal with ginger and spinach really tasty. Service was superb as always and worth saying that we each had three courses and an after dinner liqueur and shared a bottle of wine - the bill was under £100.

As a vegan, I was deeply reluctant to come here with my family, but oh my word I was so pleasantly surprised. The garlic bread and the spicy tomato bread were both vegan and absolutely amazing. The tomato bread was mind blowingly good - the sauce was perfectly spiced and creamy and on a pizza base. And the spagehetti al pomodoro was superb. Not just the usual of tomato whizzed up as a poor excuse of a sauce and a shan amount of spaghetti. This was a nice, thick sauce with a mountain of spaghetti. I finished it all, did not feel like I missed my vegan cheese. I ate all three of my dishes and needed a lie down after

Fantastico! Been a while since I found a legit Italian restaurant. Service was great (thanks for letting me attempt my Italian), the vibe is just right, and the food was most excellent! Even the house red wine was on point. Grazie!!

Excellent food, huge menu choices plus specials! Suggest booking as it gets very busy.

Really enjoyed my salmon tagliatelle. Other diners food look lush. Friendly staff. Good value for money

Love this place! Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Highly recommended!

Great food, however not the best customer service from all, especially the manager. Was not the most welcoming experience, which is a shame as the food was great! there are much more friendly family run Italian restaurants in Edinburgh

My family and I go here all the time. A lovely place

I’m really not sure where these other reviews are coming from and what their expectations are. Although the service was excellent, this couldn’t be further from the truth for the food. Calamari tasted freezer burnt, rocket was wilting. Eggplant Parmigiana was the worst I’ve ever tasted with heaped spoonfuls of processed Parmesan on top. However, people seem to enjoy this for some reason or other

Fantastic food, fantastic service. The go-to destination for Italian food in Edinburgh!

Brilliant service brilliant food great place to eat out would highly recommended

Rude service, uncomfortable atmosphere and basic bland food . Will never spend my money there again!

God mat og flott servitør som ordnet bord til oss i full restaurant.

We have had such a lovely time. Excellent food. Highly recommend!

Very friendly, welcoming, efficient and professional service. Great Italian food served in a relaxed environment with a homely, traditional vibe. Nice extras like individually wrapped biscotti biscuits with coffee.