Taste of Italy in Edinburgh, City of

An oasis of "beautiful Italy" in the heart of Edinburgh. Cappuccino, chocolate croissant and lots of suggestions on what to see besides the Royal Mile!

Excellent breakfast, delicious bruschetta! Lick your fingers! Very nice service, real Italian atmosphere. I recommend! I will definitely come back!

The food was good, not the best pasta I've ever had, but I was overall very happy, it was a good pasta. Friendly personnel and pleasing prices! I would definitely recommend to visit.

Busy Saturday lunch. Hadn't booked but would suggest doing so for future. Limited gluten free and dairy free options as all cooked on open kitchen area however I managed OK from choice available. Happy to come again. My only gripe because I'm not used to it is the optional 10% service charge automatically added to bill. I like to choose what I leave and I do so based on my personal experience of enjoyment. In this case I was Happy to go that bit extra but I would have given 5 pds on this bill if it had been my decision.

The cozy place, they accommodated 6 adults at a very tight table. But the food, which was incredible, made everything take a backseat. Incredible pizzas and pastas! Super recommended! It would be nice if they improved their cutlery, since cutting with knives was quite a feat.

Tasty food. Generous portions. Good service. Friendly staff

Little gem of a find. Food was delicious, staff were amazing, highly recommended

Horrible attitude by a No Name female member of staff and (so called manager) even worse!! Definitely not returning to your so "friendly" café.

A good place to have an English & Scottish breakfast. They have a variety of options in breakfast for vegetarians, vegans & non-vegetarians.

Very bad service and The woman who received the order was very racist towards me.

Nice little stop on our visit to Scotland. Good food good people 🤙

Delicious lunch with such friendly and helpful staff. Always speedy service and great VFM. We'll be back again soon!

Been a handful of times and always a lovely experience. Food and staff are always amazing, special shout-out to Courtney she has such an amazing energy always makes you feel welcome 🥰

During our stay in Edinburgh, every morning we stopped in this place to taste a good Italian espresso. Most of the time we were served by two Italian women who brought us coffee along with a glass of water. All very welcome, and the espresso was really good, especially for being in Edinburgh.

Really good. Big portions, authentic, tasty, friendly service. Much better than we expected.

Got there past brunch time but I still got some breakfast dishes to eat upon asking. Very good food!

Gratuity a bit cheeky but sign of the times.

Very nice little spot right next to our hotel. Food was delicious

Very friendly and kind staff, was served very nicely and overall a good experience, food portions were a bit smaller than hoped though

I have enjoyed eating here for my four nights in Edinburgh a very busy restaurant service was quick and friendly the food was very good I had burger chips pizza and pasta as a visitor from Canada I was very pleased. Highly recommended.

The first restaurant to visit in edinburg. I honestly didn't know what to expect but I was surprised to find out how good their food was. We ordered pizza and a sandwich with a mug of soup of the day. Everything was delicious and of course, the lattes. Very friendly staff and good service!

Disappointing takeaway meal. Tasteless overcooked penne, just about passable Caprese salad, okay pizza and bruschetta (let down by being covered with a sort of syrupy sweet balsamic glaze), very good tiramisu.

Food was nice,staff were friendly enjoyed lunch would go here again

Great service, great food and the chef is very considerate regarding food request.

We ended up here on a Friday evening after a few other options were full. We were welcomed in and offered a high table with the promise of a move to a normal table as soon as possible. All the staff were super helpful and friendly. The arancini was delicious. Pizza was thin and crispy with plenty of cheese. Husband loved the meatballs. We loved the traditional Italian desserts of canolo and torta del Nona.

The breakfast was awful, slow service, cold food and greasy bacon!

Pizza burned …took a tip without asking !!

We had pastas and they were mm! amazing! (and pretty much substantial!). But the coffee.. the coffee was - tadam! - really good! I'm sold! Besides, the place is cosy and the staff was very nice. On the list!

Ordered a couple of sandwiches via uber eats. Crumbed chicken sandwich was tasteless and dry. Both my wife and son who had it got mild food poisoning a few hours later. It was the only thing they ate all day so it couldn't have been anything else. My Sandwich was fine.

Great place to people watch. Fantastic cakes, the ferrero rocha cake was delicious. Friendly staff. Good pasta too.

Good food at a fair price and vibrant atmosphere

Last visited February 2024 Dropped by for coffee and dessert, so tiramisu it was. Good portion and rather tasty. Did not try anything else this time round. Service was good.

Coming here to have a quick lunch on my Edinburgh exploration. The place is close to the commercial centre exactly on Leith Walk. I take a Sant’Elia panino with a fries and a latte to end with. The latte was one of the biggest I ever had and the panini was incredible. I really suggest you to try the Sant’Elia one if you coming here. Staff super gentle and friendly. 5/5

I had the tagliatelle del chef, garlic bread with cheese, olives, red wine and coffee. Great friendly staff, quick service and really tasty food. This was my third visit and I'll definitely be back again.

Love this place, good for a coffee or ice cream or a full meal, feels like a hidden gem. Really handy for the Playhouse, I keep going back for more

Great place and very friendly staff. Highly recommended 👌 👍

The chicken panini was cold, they charge you a service fee on top! Chef is polish and not Italian. It's a bit of a scam here. Been here a couple of times there is always something wrong here.

the food is absolutely amazing!

Stopped here for food on a very cold and wet night. Warm restaurant and good choice menu. Staff very friendly and welcoming. Will visit again and recommend. Food was delivered quickly and very enjoyable.

Portions are massive, great after a day sightseeing. Was a favourite from the first night of our trip so we made a point of going back on the second day.

Fantastic restaurant. Great location next to the playhouse. Perfect 👌 pizza and just the best lasagne . Service was great and staff very pleasant (especially enjoyed the staff sing along to Taylor swift) Great atmosphere .Would highly recommend .x

Meals are tasty but they brought us the bill before we had finished our drinks yet.

Very busy and loud towards dinner time.

Great cafe and good food at great prices

Love this place! For sitting in or takeaway. Always super tasty food and really reasonable prices! They people who work there are always friendly and welcoming. If you like Italian food, please go, you will not be disappointed.

Fantastic pre theatre pizzas and drinks , highly recommended

Comida muito boa, atendimento simpático mas muito demorado

Don’t be put off by the appearance, we had good food and good service for a very reasonable price. The porridge was especially good.

Tomato soup in a different class. Exceptional.

From the outside this looks like an American diner. But in reality it's a proper Italian cafe. Friendly service, amazing and authentically Italian food, great coffee. Popular and busy, but just far enough from the main drag to avoid being overcrowded. A proper hidden gem.

Visiting my daughter on Black Friday weekend in a heaving Edinburgh, I suggested we went somewhere local to her flat and decided on here. In future, when visiting her, I know we’ll not waste any time debating where to go because this is an absolute gem of a place. Friendly staff welcomed us and whilst waiting a few minutes on our table, our eyes devoured the fresh paninis on display. I’m not a fan of paninis but have to admit I was almost tempted; they looked amazing! We placed our order and it came in a respectable time where you knew it had been freshly made. I had the Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese half ciabatta and the closer I was getting to the end of it, the smaller the pieces I was cutting it into were becoming. It was deliciously divine; the best SS & CC on any breadstuffs I’ve ever had. My mum and daughter both thoroughly enjoyed their meals too. The staff member brought our bill over and asked us to check that everything was correct before bringing the card reader over a short while later. More than happy with the service charge being included. Considering how close the restaurant is to the Playhouse etc, the meal was very reasonable and, as I said at the start of my review, I will certainly be back.

BEWARE ..... I stopped in for food and a drink today with a friend. As usual the service was good however it wasn't until my pal and I were walking through St James Centre when said friend asked how much it cost us so he could square me up that I noticed that I had been charged a 10% £1.34 optional service charge that I never agreed to. I was also handed the bill on a tray that looked like a tip tray. My friend could easily have tipped the waitress if he hadn't been at the toilet when I squared the bill...therefore double tipping. I am extremely angry that I wasn't given the option to decide if I wished to offer up a 10% OPTIONAL service charge. The way the payment machine was offered to me didn't allow me to see the screen...so I gather the waitress must have pressed the giving of a service charge on my behalf?? I am not happy with this tactic.

Lovely food. I had the Eggs Benedict, eggs were perfectly cooked. The bacon (lots of it) were tasty. My husband had the Full Scottish which he really enjoyed. I recommend the Caramel Oatmilk Latte and my husband said the Hazelnut Latte was so good, he ordered it twice. Orange juice was fresh and delicious. Staff were very welcoming and service was quick and friendly.

Really nice staff. Not so tasty food.

This place used to be my favourite place in Edinburgh for pizza but it's gone way down hill. It's noticeable they're Using lower quality ingredients and the flavour suffers, it's a shame. And when we were visiting the music was blaring so loud I couldn't hear a word my daughter was saying to me across the table. A shame because it was brilliant.

I fell in love with this place immediately I walked in! My fiance had the Penne al Salmone and a Strawberry Milkshake, and I had the Chicken Caesar Salad with a Strawberry milkshake. The chicken Caesar salad tasted so fresh and delicious, and the Penne was amazing too. We were served by the beautiful Elide, an we totally loved the ambience in this restaurant. We rate it a 10/10!

Absolutely lovely staff! The food came very quickly and was good, hot and very filling. Gonna come back!

Had a alright brunch there with family, good service and nice food with a calm atmosphere

Great service, clean, and tasty food.

Friendly service, fast take out, very good pizza, calzone and pasta!

This is an amazing place. The staff are very professional and efficient, the food is excellent and the atmosphere is always warm and welcoming, no matter the weather outside. Lots of places could learn a thing or two about customer service from them, so good !

I am in this place only the second time, but I already understand how good it is here, very nice workers and good food which can be eaten all day, I can easily advise this cafe to those who love small atmospheric institutions

A taste of Italy...truly is ...the coffee is excellent,great atmosphere and great staff a credit to the restaurant.the best coffee had ,very close . bellismo:)...part two ,have returned for dinner...it was and is that good...had the calzone ...it was authentic.. excellent...and from a Yorkshire lad ...this is fair gushing:)

Small hidden gem. It’s really a taste of Italy. I had Pizza and it was so good. Beautifully done with crisp crunchy base. Prices are a bit high but I think it’s worth it for the quality and taste of the food. I also had Vanilla Gelato, it is smooth, tasty and just beautiful.

Food is amazing. My wife and I ate here...had bruschetta to start. Very fresh, wonderful flavor, and a nice presentation. I had Penne pasta Pomadoro and my wife had Lasagna. Almost as good as Venice. When in Edinburgh get Taste of Italy a try. Only regret was we ate too much and didn't have room for gelato. Maybe next time.

First time to Edinburgh and found this gem of a place for breakfast That we came back 3 days says a lot. We are in out 60s and i hope by now know what’s good and what’s not. Steph and Daniel who served us were always welcoming , smile easily and are efficient . We both had porridge and tea and i had eggs Benedict all served promptly all good quality and value. As soon as anyone leaves the tables are cleaned and the whole place looks spotless and well maintained . The catering industry is a hard taskmaster. The staff and owners show how it can be done well . Congratulations on the upsell Daniel on our first day. Well done Steph keep smiling thank you all

Delicious breakfast, I love their breakfast smoothie with coconut milk and the scrambled eggs on toast. Try their sourdough! The whole family loved breakfast.

Lovely Vegetarian Full Scottish, kne of the best fry ups I've had. Very good Hazemel Frappe, too! The cafe was clean and well decorated. Little bit of a wait for the food.

Excellent food and coffee at any time of day! My wife and I went there a total of 5 times during our visit to Edinburgh! Everything was good, the coffee was consistently excellent, and the prices were reasonable. The atmosphere wasn't the coziest I've ever encountered, and the service was not particularly noteworthy, but the food always came in a reasonable amount of time, and I couldn't find an entrée I didn't like! Definitely a MUST if you are into Italian food.

Staff were pleasant and excellent. the food is good and would highly recommend.

Food was very good. Thee were some geest whom were very loud.

פיצה ושתי מנות פסטה לא עושה מסעדה לאיטלקית. הפיצה טובה. הפסטה לא ממש מוצלח.

Good speedy service given close to theatre and cinema. But not at expense of top quality pizza. Loved it, as always ❤️

Great food for a casual dinner, price was very reasonable and food lovely, fresh ingredients used. Plenty of choice.

Absolutely loved the lasagna and the service was really good. Thanks team

Fantastic food and not expensive

Very very tasty breakfast and desert

Had the 'Diavolo' pepperoni + chilli pizza, which was very nice. It's always a good sign when the pizza crust tastes so good you enjoy it just as much as the toppings. I would have preferred it a bit spicier for my taste, but still very tasty. Had a baba au rhum for dessert which could have done with a little more 'rhum', some bites were a little dry, but the lemon mousse/cream on the side gave some nice contrast to the syrup and bread. Overall, if you're in the mood for classic italian food without breaking the bank this is a good bet.

Braw pit stop for a beverage and loverlee food

We came for dessert and did not disappoint! Cannolis were pretty good. The ice cream was very good, different with Nutella. Service was great and it was pretty busy.

After a long overnight flight we were looking for a place to have a good breakfast. Taste of Italy was conveniently located across the street from our hotel. The staff were friendly and the Breakfast Meals were excellent. Would definitely recommend this place.

The best restaurant. Freshly cooked food, lovely and friendly staff. A wide variety of food and drinks. I have always been satisfied with this place.

Super Frühstück und sehr freundlicher Service

We sat outside. Weather was great. Food was good. Only I didn't like was it tooks so long to order and pay the bills. The cashier prepared the order and took the order. I think that's not quiet organised. But the staff are so nice and food was good.

The caprizioza we ordered had no mushrooms at all -although this was clearly written on the menu- and had only one (!) piece of artichoke. Terrible value for money

When we visit Edinburgh we always head to Taste of Italy for lunch. It's a great little restaurant with a 1950s style booths and tall seats, the chefs are visible working away behind the service bar. As usual we ordered filled paninis, a side of chips, soft drinks and wine from a friendly helpful waitress. We weren't disappointed with the generously filled hot tasty chicken ceasar paninis and side salad, all so reasonably priced too. Would recommend, just a stones throw from the Playhouse.

A diner-style cafe full of great Italian flavours. And that's just the staff to start with! Highly recommended. The menu is vast at very reasonable prices. Close to the city centre this cafe is very convenient for locals and tourists alike. Always a great vibe and the staff are so friendly. I regularly pop in for brunch and have also tried some of the pasta options much to my satisfaction. The coffee is Italian and uplifting. You can also try the evening fare with drinks ready for a jolly night out or trip to the nearby theatre. Aways delicious in a simple yet elegant manner.

2nd time we've eaten here and it it has been amazing both times. The service is quick and friendly and the food is too notch. Highly recommend!!

Perfect ghnocci. Ugh. And great coffee.

Posto davvero accogliente! Cibo eccellente, pasta al dente!!! Staff molto molto simpatico e preparato e servizio veloce. Ci siamo stati più volte. Un grazie mille.

Muy recomendable, una experiencia que definitivamente repetiría. Nos atendió Lupe, pese a la hora que era y nos informó sobre sitios que visitar. Un servicio eficaz y comida muy rica.

This is a very convenient spot, well located. We popped in just for a drink, coffee and cake (gluten-free carrot cake was delicious), and really enjoyed the experience. The service was prompt, friendly and very attentive. An optional 10% service charge is included in the bill, but presumably you can ask for this to be removed.

Ci siamo tornati spesso durante il nostro soggiorno ad Edimburgo. Panini ottimi, milkshake squisiti e pizza...ottima! Pasta della pizza croccante e saporita. Ingredienti squisiti sopra. Davvero un tocco d'Italia in Scozia!

Amazing food and my waitress (Lily with the glasses) was one of the best waitresses I've ever had in my life

I have been eating at this fast food joint since 2017. In the last few weeks the service has deteriorated to an all time low. Earlier this week, I popped in for lasagne. When I had finished eating, a bill was plonked on my table and a few minutes later a girl returned with a card machine. I had to say I would like a cup of coffee. This pushy service is a far cry from the pleasing service provided by the very nice girls who have worked here over the years Today, I sat outside at the tables. When the waitress with green streaks through jet black hair with loud make-up breezed by, I requested a strawberry milkshake. I have done this on countless occasions over the last six years and it has never been a problem until today. I was told, " Order inside.We'll take money off you before we bring anything out to you." The tone of the request was both officious and insulting - suggesting that I was not trustworthy to order and would skidaddle without paying. I declined to order anything but the waitress had to get the last word in with the officious "Thank you, Sir, goodbye." She then laughed in my face. I had to muster every bit of resilience from telling this woman where to go very rudely.

My wife and I had such a wonderful experience at breakfast that we came back for dinner. The food was delicious and the staff was amazing, in particular Lupita and Jess.

Great pizza and friendly cheerful staff

The staff is very friendly and helpful We tried the margarita pizza very good Mac and cheese also good The fries are not good 👎

Good choice of meals and very tasty. Good value for money.

Popped in here for full Scottish breakfast, as a wee hangover from last night.🤣🤣🤣 the staff were amazing & on hand if you want anything. This a wee gem, always busy a good sign. If passing by please pop in so worth it prices are good as well