Taisteal in Edinburgh, City of

I thought I had booked online, but turns out I didn't, we were accommodated with no fuss. Fab fresh menu, reasonably priced and imaginatively presented. Great pre-theatre choice for us.

Lots of problems on the evening we went (from sticky tables and spilled drinks to Michael Jackson on full blast in the second-class citizen basement room). Worst of all though was the front-of-house lady thinking it was more important to dress down a waitress right in front of us, than offering us a drink or a menu to look at while we were having to wait for our table. Absolute no-no. The food was good, but with so many other excellent food options in Edinburgh I’d rather go somewhere with a more coherent team approach to service.

What a delicious and creative menu, every course was superb! The ambiance is cozy and cute, the staff are super attentive and very lovely. I’m already looking forward to coming back.

One of our favourite restaurants in Edinburgh, it is excellent every time. Each dish has so many elements, presented well and tasting so wonderful. There is a good choice of drinks, and everything is very reasonably priced. Service friendly and excellent too. Couldn’t ask for more

Great meal and nice service, we were very happy with the combination of the food. Location is very central. You have different options 3, 5 or 7 dishes. The wine we ordered was a great choice as well. We booked in advance.

This is a great restaurant offering a very good and inventive £35 deal for three courses in the evening. Food and wines are excellent value All fine for us till it came to pay for our large party celebrating the birthday of a dear friend when it was deemed that our not paying a tip, despite a sizeable bill, was apparently not acceptable, at which point it was made very clear our presence in the restaurant was not welcome. This soured an otherwise glorious evening, and was met with little or no understanding. It's still a cracking restaurant, but don't feel pressurised to tip unless you really feel it merits. We are not America!

Great place with real, delicious food. We will be back!

Excellent food and service. Highly recommended.

An Edinburgh gem! Taisteal has a set menu that feels like a tasting menu. The combination of flavors is unique and the quality of the produce is excellent. Every dish displayed great creativity and technique. The breaded egg yoga was fantastic. I've never seen tartare presented with a deep fried egg yolk before. From the Japanese broth to the Italian red sauce, the sauces were delicious. The vegetarian lasagna was moreish. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants comfort food and it's a great dish for anyone who loves cheese. The ricotta was perfect. We each tasted (almost) every dish on the menu and paired the courses with a light red. The Beaujolais was reasonably priced and went well with the food. The staff were lovely. I really enjoyed their company.

Fantastic food with great flavours!

Reserved here spontaneously. Incredibly tasty with great value for money. If we are here again we will come back immediately.

Absolutely fabulous meal and fantastic staff Highly recommend

Everything was delicious and super flavourful. The service was great- they really made an effort to make our meal special. Nice relaxed vibe. Overall great experience here with epic food.

Had an absolutely lovely meal here. Proper fusion food, with lots of flavor and beautifully presented. It was our wedding anniversary and we felt truly spoiled, with food and attentive and professional staff.

Food was excellent although oddly we got told they had ran out of bread and we were booked for dinner at 6pm!

First time visiting last night for pre-theatre dinner. Amazing food, pea soup with ham croquette, truffle chicken Kiev and rum baba all delicious. Attentive service and great price. This is a gem of a restaurant.

What a fabulous meal. First time I had tried Duck and it was delicious. It was so tasty and well plated. Service was top notch. Staff finished the plating at the table which was a nice touch not only for the plating but the experience. I also had the lobster ravioli. So yummy in a nice broth. I've only ever seen this on tv shows, so it was so nice to experience this all at a reasonable price (IMO)

Have lived in Edinburgh 11 years. This is one of the best meals I've eaten. The quality of the wines, ingredients, and cookery were all so on point. Perfectly pitched, priced and presented. Wish there was a rating higher than 5 stars. I had avocado starter, duck main, baked alaska desert. All perfect.

Excellent and inventive 3 course meal very fairly price. Attentive and friendly staff with a relaxed dining atmosphere.

1.We had reserved a table at the restaurant, but because we arrived an hour and a half early, we were seated at the very back of the restaurant. We asked if we could change seats, but no. Ok, we accepted this as a punishment for not arriving on time. However, there were hardly any other guests in the restaurant (another guest was also seated at the very back). Until we finished and left, the bright area of the restaurant only had one table of guests, while the dark area had only three tables of guests (including us). We dined while eyeing the nice but empty dining seats. 2.We had reserved the tasting menu. The best-tasting dish on the entire menu was the starter. The second course was chicken liver. Although we don't like offal, we were willing to accept the challenge, but challenge failed. The chicken liver was too gamey and salty, making it hard to swallow. Many of the subsequent dishes were too salty. The main course was lamb, but what was served was a 3cm*5cm piece, accompanied by a large portion of inedible meatballs and potatoes.The portion of lamb served here was also significantly smaller compared to the lamb dishes we've had elsewhere in the UK.We tried to objectively rate the overall taste of the menu as 2/5. 3.In summary, there was no friendly service, no professional food. And we paid for the service. lol. This was the worst experience of our entire trip in the UK, without exception.

Honestly the best food we have had in Edinburgh, especially for this price. Also friendly staff and a very good wine menu. The sole and the Thai tartar were exceptionally good. We have been to other places in Edinburgh with the same rating but this was way better food and service for about the same prices. You should definitely go here.

11/10 service, food & vibes. Food was INSANE staff were lovely. Everything was delicious.

Nice food … friendly staff a bit misleading in what you get at the start but overall a good atmosphere and nice restaurant

A small restaurant that looks inconspicuous from the outside. Among other things, we had the lamb belly, which was of high quality and tasted more than convincing. The interior design is simple and no-frills - the focus here is on the food and taste. We were very satisfied and will definitely go again. We recommend. 👍

I was really impressed by Taisteal. The quality of food on offer for the price was really really high. Our table all went for either their sole with scallop bisque and lobster oil or Cajun monkfish with pico de gallo. Both were executed really well, with lovely balanced flavours and fish cooked beautifully. It was my partners birthday and I forgot to fill the form letting them know but they still arranged her a quick sweet treat on the fly. Really lovely experience in what feels like an upmarket, welcoming neighbourhood restaurant. Highly recommended.

Had my birthday dinner here and was blown away. The food was phenomenal with a delicious and diverse menu, each plate was beautifully presented with amazing flavours. The restaurant had a really cool vibe, good music and great cocktails. Staff were really attentive, professional and welcoming. Will definitely come back!

Unfortunately quite disappointing as we were looking forward to this meal. In general found the food just not tasty and often badly cooked, particularly the French onion soup which frankly was just insipid. The other starter we had was the prawn gyoza, which had very little flavour (lemongrass and prawn bisque was promised and could not detect either flavour). Highlights from the food were the crispy skin on the sea bass and the filling of the tortellini on the venison dish, but the pasta was too thick and the venison was overcooked which ruined the dish. The pacing of the meal was also a bit odd - we had just received our drinks and bread when our starters came out. The staff were all very pleasant and professional. At one point during our meal some wood panelling fell off the wall, which a bit unnerving, and the music was loud and didn’t quite fit with the fine-dining environment they seem to be trying to build. I get the feeling this restaurant is trying to present as fine dining (nice presentation, tasting menus, matched wines etc) but I don’t think the chefs can deliver on the ambitions of the owners - the food just was not up to scratch. For the price point, I expected better.

My family showed up on a Thursday night without a reservation. The staff couldn't be friendlier. The food was amazing. I can't say enough about this restaurant.

Fantastic, fabulous food - just delicious. Great value. Third visit and it never disapoints. Lovely service - my only thought would be that there needs to be some warmer lighting. I would prefer some real candles on the table. However very minor but would complete the picture. Fantastic 😊

Amazing food, would highly recommend the monk fish! The service was amazing and everyone so friendly.

A very tasty 7-course tasting menu in a cozy city restaurant. A truly hearty meal in the winter. Portions were generous and served at a good temperature. I was impressed with the distinctive aroma from the hot dishes. Pork, salmon, scallops and venison, were all cooked with an unexpected sauce or herbs. The chef did not play it safe but it was just amazing to experience such a great variety to surprise the taste buds. My favourite was the grilled venison haunch, served with butternut squash and chestnut puree, game tortilinni, and cassie jus. No doubt there had been so much work and passion in just one dish. Tables were closely packed, but that did not bother me at all when the food was this good. And last but not least, a very good value for money for sure.

Great food, attentive staff, nice atmosphere, my only comment would be that my table felt a little too close to the next so felt slightly cramped but it wouldn’t stop me from going back again!

We enjoyed a small wedding dinner for 15 in the downstairs room - we were brilliantly looked after all evening by Naz and his team. As always the food was absolutely delicious and good value for money. We will definitely be back! Thanks again for making our day so special

It was our third time here but this time was so disappointing. There was a larger group there of 17 and it was obvious they were the priority. Food was below par, mine wasn’t nice at all. Service wasn’t very friendly this time, it all felt rushed and unprofessional. My husband also had a drink forgotten which was a shame. For £190 it was a very disappointing visit

Amazing food and service. Went for Valentine’s Day and had the most amazing time. A highlight of our trip. As a vegetarian, their cauliflower dish was a stand out.

Canadians spent a wonderful evening there . everyone so friendly

A warm place with cozy candles lighted. The foods were amazing and staffs were friendly. The top part of the dessert (tastes like cotton candy) were a bit too sweet for me, but the starter and main were all very good.

Superb. Every course we had was lovely and next time we will be trying the tasting menu which for the standard of cooking is very reasonably priced.The cocktails they serve were also very tasty

Went here because it was well reviewed. Unfortunately it was very disappointing. The service was friendly but incompetent. The food was mostly mediocre. A few dishes were good but not great. The rest were poor. Made with good produce but often under or overseasoned, or just not very good. You can't expect magic at this price point but I expected better than this.

Fantastic restaurant, amazing food, great atmosphere. Friendly and informative staff. It is always on top of my list on a visit to Edinburgh.

We stumbled across this restaurant by chance when our reservation at another restaurant was cancelled last minute, and slight panic occured. Luckily it was not a bad replacement. We did the 7 course tasting menu with matching drinks. The tikka scallop was surprisingly well balanced, as it could easily have overpowered the rather delicate scallop, the venison dish was amazing! Overall a very good experience, the food gives you some surprising combinations, and might not be for everyone. Also a big thumbs up for the amount of food and drink. Portions were pretty spot on. Very happy with the solutions for the gluten free party!

I booked us a table at Taisteal for my wife's Birthday. We checked the menu again before arriving and I have to be honest: we weren't sure it would be a great fit for us, as the dishes do sound a bit.... out there. But I'm glad we went. The staff were very friendly, the food was amazing (even though it didn't seem that way, all the flavors mixed well together) and you get a 3 course meal for 35 GBP. I have friends who've asked us for recommendations and Taisteal is definitely on the list :) For anyone who wants to know, we started off with the Prawn Wontons with Sriracha Mayo & Avocado Panna Cotta, Sweetcorn Fritter, Avocado Chutney and Chilli Jam. Our mains were the Cured & Smoked Duck Breast, Caramelised Onion Dauphinoise, Cherry and Pistachio, Cherry Jus and Wild Garlic Chicken Kiev with Potato Mousse, Pancetta and Asparagus. For dessert we had the Hazelnut Creme Brulee and a special (not on the menu) Millionaire's Tart.

It was great food for good value; £35 for three courses The restaurant had an intimate dining experience with a nice atmosphere

The food was absolutely disgusting. Here is the 7 course meal: French onion soup was OK. Very salty, no bread. Ravioli was decent. Not delicious, but ok The salmon was the best, but it didn't match anything. Venison was horrible, pasty, and pretty much inedible. We left after that. Very expensive and not worth it. For the price, nothing was worth it. There are many better and less expensive places to eat in Edinburgh.

What an awful and disappointing experience. We came on time for our reservation but had to wait over 30 minutes for our table. We had the 5 course meal and the food was horrible. The onion soup and the pork ravioli that followed were both just ok, nothing special. Next came the salmon which was mediocre at best. The grilled venison was the biggest disappointment - the meat was tired, the tortellini didn't feel fresh, and the squash & chestnut puree was simply not tasty at all. I returned the dish. Last came the dessert - the "parfait" was an odd-texture ball-shaped mess, which was disgusting. I came with high expectations after reading good reviews - which now look absolutely detached from reality. The staff were nice and gave us a glass of prosecco to apologize for the long wait, but I don't feel like it's the appropriate response. The meal was expensive, and feels like wasted money since we didn't like anything. I don't recommend this place to anyone.

Great little resteraunt offering a relaxed and classy expirience. Staff were very friendly and the atmosphere and decor were great and mellow. The food is ultimately the cornerstone of our expirience, I'd travel back in time to replace myself at that meal if it meant I could eat the pork again! We did wait a bit over what we'd expect for the bill but given the food its well worth it regardless.

I booked a 7-course tasting menu for me and my friend. I mentioned on the booking that it's my pre-birthday celebration dinner and, oh boy, didn’t disappoint. One of the best meals I’ve ever had! The food was scrumptious and service was great. Not to mention, the vibe was warm and cozy. They’re very attentive too— received a little surprise candle for my birthday! Thank you so much and I will definitely come back here.

I love the unpretentious atmosphere here. The food is fantastic and a real treat for the eye and the palate! The staff are also very patient and attentive.

Delicious meal good staff but quite a gap in courses arriving.

Really delicious food and a creative menu. I can’t think of anywhere else where you get such quality for such a good price, 3 courses for £35/2 for £30. Would highly recommend.

Staff was very attentive and described each course. We got the seven course tasting set and was stuffed by the end. The courses had a range of flavors, from East Asian, to Indian, to Mexican, and were all delicious.

Tasty food with excellent service. Lovely relaxed vibe. Time past by quickly but never felt rushed.

Always a 5/5 experience at Taisteal.

This restaurant is absolutely stunning, and the food and service are even more impressive! It offers a luxurious experience at surprisingly affordable prices. We're definitely planning to return in the future.

Ein 3-Gänge-Menü für 35£ und dann auch noch mega lecker. Wir sind begeistert und können es geschmacklich nur weiter empfehlen. Wir sind bereits das zweite Mal in einem Jahr dort und beide Male hatten wir neue Bedienungen, was man sehr gemerkt hat. Leider zieht es auch sehr und ladet somit nicht darin ein, länger zu verweilen.

For a £100 meal with 10% service charge you would expect them to at least refill your water, yet not only did we have to ASK for it, we needed to ask TWICE after waiting for 20 min and having no one even looked at our table. Same goes for when we asked for the bill, we had to ask TWICE for it to finally come after long waiting. They weren’t even busy. Over the course of the meal, we felt completely ignored and overlooked. Absolutely no service was received besides putting meal on the table and indifferently introducing what it is. We also waited half an hour between the starters and the main. They explained one of us had the tasting course, and they would like us to digest well after the three starters (which were only a few bites, what is there to digest for?). Food was mediocre and small portions in course meal standards. The 5-course tasting menu was a fish soup, hoisin duck roll, bite of salmon and cucumber, venison main and mint chocolate dessert. Overpriced and service was miserable. They are not even trying to up their game to how much they charge. I would not come again.

Really enjoyed the food service was great as well

You'll see this isn't the first poor review noting the manager / owner. I booked with two hour's notice for a 9:30pm table. Turned up 9:35pm to be told the booking wasn't possible as the kitchen closes at 9:30pm. My partner and I were left standing for 5 minutes in the isle, and were then treated like trash when seated. We were reminded repeatedly 'we were late', and given minutes between being seated and being told to order. After a frank exchange with the individual involved, we opted to leave. Table next to us remarked the deserts were poor. Take from that what you will. Nipped round the corner for a last minute table at Rollo on Broughton Street and never looked back. Advice to the owner; don't take 9:30 bookings if your kitchen closes at 9:30 - you embarrassed yourself.

Host is unbelievably rude. Turned up 9:35 for a 9:30 reservation and was told the kitchen was closed. After being made to wait without any eye contact and plenty of awkwardness, we were shown to a table and told to “be quick about it”. When the same host / owner came back around like 2 minutes later and was even more rude, my boyfriend told suggested he not taking 9:30 / 9:45 or even 10pm bookings if they weren’t interested in seating them. At this point the guy told us to leave and we happily obliged. Everyone in the restaurant looked drunk but not particular happy. Think we dodged a bullet. I’ve NEVER written a review like this before but the behavior of the guy out front was a bit shocking. Proceed at your own risk, especially for those prices.

Amazing food Very nice location Good selection of whine

Taisteal is now in a new location, Forth Street. The tasting menu is still first class and comes with matched drinks which, with the help if Wendy, we changed to matched wines. First class food and wines. Lovely staff. Would definitely recommend and I fully intend returning. Brilliant tasting menu with matched drinks. Friendly staff. Enjoyable evening. I would recommen

Great place to eat and right in the centre of town. Taisteal offer both a tasting and an a la carte menu. So many delicious options to choose from which will bring me back for more. Service was quick and friendly. The food was amazing, lots of new flavour combinations. I would recommend this restaurant and I'll be back.

First time getting a tasting menu with drink pairing... Absolutely superb.

Tasting menu was excellent, not cheap though!

Had the 5 course tasting menu, the food was exquisite and beautifully presented. Service was excellent, attentive and friendly. A fantastic experience and well worth the money.

I went to Taisteal last night and, once again, food and service were great! The steak tartare had an authentic delicious flavour with the crispy egg yolk and the chicken Kiev was also really good with a perfectly creamy sauce.

Delicious meal from beginning to end. Well seasoned starter of edamame followed by Thai tartare with crispy mushrooms and a main of baked cod. Beautiful presentation as well. The chefs know what they are doing. This is truly a dining pleasure and experience. Michelin quality!

Amazing food experience! Highly recommend this restaurant

Went to celebrate my birthday and had a wonderful night. Originally booked a 5-course meal but wanted to try a 7-course one after looking at the reviews for the scallops. The staff was very accommodating and asked chefs about the availability for the 7-course meal. Glad that we changed to have the 7-course meal. The dishes had some Asian-touch and they worked great with European ingredients and dishes.

We have been multiple times and this was the best yet. The three course set menu started brilliantly (pea and jalapeño soup alongside prawn wontons), but the mains were even better (black olive gnocchi with heritage tomatoes and sole, tartlet, croquette with sauce vierge). Desserts were hazelnut crème brûlée and millionaires cake with malted ice cream.

This is the third time we've been to Taisteal and the second time since it moved from Stockbridge to Broughton. The food is always interesting and excellent and there were multiple dishes on each course which we really liked. I had the yuzu lobster roll to start and the spiced monkfish for main, finished off with the cheese board for dessert. All courses were fantastic and beautifully presented. The service is attentive and friendly without being overbearing and I really appreciate the balance they have with this. We always recommend this restaurant to friends and we'll definitely be back at some point.

Genuinely the best meal we’ve ever had. So reasonably priced for such an amazing tasting menu. Each course ranged from technically brilliant to excitingly delicious, and the whole menu was so well thought out. The waiting staff were helpful, friendly and helped make the evening what it was. Thank you.

I was taken for my birthday and really enjoyed it, the staff were very helpful and friendly, the food was delicious and the décor was nice and comfortable. We both agreed we would go back! I had looked at the menu and picked a desert that unfortunately wasn't in the menu. The ice cream I had insisted was fine. Maybe could have more choices for non drinkers but there were still good options.

Tried the 3 courses. Good food but a little bit pricy for the given portion. The wine selection was nice so does the atmosphere. The service was just average. The desserts were by far too sweet for me.

Absolutely gorgeous food at reasonable prices (I would have paid more!) and great service. Really impressed.

Fantastic food! And at a reasonable price considering quality of meal. Highly recommended!

Really excellent value £30, three course, menu... Staff very helpful and pleasant 😊 Look forward to my next visit to Edinburgh!

Went to Tiasteal last evening after reading some great reviews and, it was just around the corner to Holiday Inn Express where we were staying. We weren't disappointed the meal was lovely! Went with the three course £35 set menu.Throughly recommend.

Absolutely brilliant! The food was absolutely delicious, and the service was super friendly and unpretentious. Am already looking forward to eating here again.

We recently had the pleasure of dining at Taisteal. Our first night in Edinburgh and it truly exceeded our expectations. The food was outstanding with beautifully balanced flavours and lots of attention to detail. The service was also top-notch, with friendly and very helpful staff who made our meal even more enjoyable. The lovely intimate venue added to the already incredible ambiance, making it the perfect spot for a romantic night out. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a dining experience that is sure to impress.

Ordered onion soup and pork fillet, both splendid! The onion soup may be salty to some but for me its just the right taste! N the pork fillet is wonderful. A worthy place to visit for your meal. Did I forget to say their service is excellent too?!

Exceptional tasting menu with generous portions and some adventurous yet very successful dishes. A very good service as well. A real good discovery and I will certainly be back. What a night it has been.

Amazing food! We had the 3 course dinner deal for £35, very good value for such great food. We all picked something different and everything was delicious. Most people's favourite was the yuzu meringue with raspberry sorbet and coulis.

Very reasonably priced for dinner and the food was well presented and tasted excellent. The cocktails were a plus too.

We had an amazing meal at Taisteal. The staff were all very friendly and attentive. The food was excellent, it was also promptly served. The restaurant had a great atmosphere.

Lovely food, waiter explained every detail of the food on our plates. Lovely quite atmosphere. Would highly recommend.

Locale con atmosfera accogliente ed intima: sembra di cenare nel salotto di un appartamento. I piatti sono eccellenti sia come sapore che come presentazione, quasi dispiace mangiarli. Il personale spiega dettagliatamente ogni piatto ed è attento al servizio, che è veloce. Da tornarci subito!

Probably one of the best dining experience in Edinburgh! 7 course menu and pairing drinks are to die for and service is welcoming, attentive and friendly. Highly recommend!!

Absolutely fantastic food, drink, and service. Faultless. Will be back.

Amazing experience, food was delicious, staff was amazing and the location superb. First experience and has been one of the best that I ever had.

Beautiful tasting menu, the service was impeccable, felt looked after the whole night

Myself and my boyfriend visited Taisteal last night and what a fantastic evening it was. The food was absolutely superb and I can honestly say, the service was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Grant was an incredible host and made the whole visit perfect from start to finish. Can’t praise him enough! We were visiting from London but should we be in Edinburgh again, we will certainly be coming back to Taisteal. Wish there were more stars to give!

Great for a celebration dinner! We did a 5-course tasting menu with drinks pairings for a landmark work celebration with 14 people. The team at Taisteal did us proud for a memorable evening. Everything was delicious and the service was excellent. They arranged a private room, worked with us to cater for vegans and other special diets in the group, everything was just right and we had a great evening. 5 stars, 100% recommended, would do it all again. For me, the venison dish was the highlight.

Very very good. Excellent food and service. Thank you 👏🏼👏🏼

Her er det absolutt verdt å ta turen innom. Fantastisk god mat, hyggelig betjening og koselige lokaler.

I wish the owner can see this review and know how Awful the manager is, with no respect to customers . would give zero star if I could. I booked the table for four. And the waitress is very nice and let us to order the tasting menu and we made our order but manager came up told us we have to change what we ordered and leave soon. And he disciplined her in front of us, as waitress gave us the the options that he prefer not to. When I ask him to Not do that in front of customers, he started to raise his voice and argue with me. I felt sorry for that young waitress and left. To me, that manager has no respect to customer and his staff. And a bit racist as well.

This was the worst experience ever as the manager was very rude and arrogant. And show very unacceptable attitude in front of my kids. I would not recommend any family visit them. Not family friendly, consider hundreds pounds you spent there.

Un menú que se hace difícil para elegir entre tanta oferta apetitosa. Espectacular👏👏

Excellent food. What else is there to say

Great food although some strange combinations. Very warm welcome although once we had finished our tasting menu we waited a while to order coffee but no one came to take our order. We waited before we left as we wanted to tip the waiter but no one was to be seen so we left. A little disappointed.