The Basement in Edinburgh, City of

Food and staff were great. Bit quieter than I was expecting but realy enjoyed it.

Only came for the tacos, coming back to try the rest of the tacos! Half spiritual experience

Just got back to the Hotel after having a meal here. When entering the restaurant we were met with a man who greeted us and proceeded to scan through the iPad to find us a table. This took quite a while as we stood at the door awkwardly waiting to see if we could have a meal or not.. Table service was fine. We ordered the chicken quesadillas, fish tacos, and guacamole and chips. The quesdillas were far too cheesy. Everything else was good. The guacamole was oddly scooped from the avocado in front of us on a little fold out table? Usually, the taste of the avocado is enough to say it's fresh. We found this quite odd and underwhelming and just a little awkward.. Again, I dont usually write reviews. However, when paying for the meal at the counter. A woman, the bartender that served us. She printed a receipt and said there is a service charge "if that's okay." We decided not to pay it. She re printed the receipt, put it on the counter, and stormed off without saying another word. Extremely rude encounter with this woman. I'm not sure if this is usual practice or it's because we are not from the country, however it's the first time we have been guilted into tipping, usually you're prompted on an eftpos machine or so on...

Absolutely lovely place! I had the Birria tacos and a margarita and I was very happy with both! The service was amazing and very kind staff x

This is the worst place i have ever been in my life, i had more fun at the bus stop staring at the bus times. Food? Nice. Everything else? Well…. Let’s just say I’d rather eat in a graveyard. Prob get better patter and smiles. Anyway. Foood yummm mmmm, i love food mmmm. But not this place!

Excellent service, great food and drink options.

¡Qué gran recomendación de un amigo! Vale la pena visitarlo. El restaurante es vibrante y divertido, gran personal que es acogedor y atento y deliciosa comida! No tiene un menú extenso, pero no es necesario para la calidad de lo que se sirve. Tuvimos una variedad de tacos con cerdo y pescado tirado, así como los deliciosos nachos de ternera con chile, todos vinieron rápido y estaban scrummy! Luego, las bebidas... .. fabulosa selección de margaritas recién hechas que dieron en el lugar a la perfección y terminamos la noche con un poco de tequila de miel sobre hielo que era absolutamente delicioso! Nuestra sobrina va a visitar Edimburgo el próximo fin de semana y le hemos dicho que vaya al sótano, ya que realmente es un gran lugar! ¡Volveremos la próxima vez que estemos en el norte!

Delicious mexican food. Staff are fun and charming. Nice selection of beers.

Had a great time on a girls trip sinking shots. Harry and the bartender were incredible with recommendations and a good time. Disappointed that we didn’t get to try the food because it smelled amazing. Highly recommend for a good time with good people

Nos recomendaron aquí por amigos y no decepcionó. La comida era genial, las porciones eran enormes, así que no pudimos manejar todo! Compartimos nachos de chile y alitas de pollo para empezar y luego fueron enchiladas y burritos para principal. Las margaritas eran preciosas y sabían bastante potente! El ambiente era animado y el servicio atento. Lo único negativo para nosotros fue que la música era mejor antes de que empezara el “DJ”.

My partner and I walked in and asked if they had room for two. They featured at a table and then ignored us for 20 minutes. No water, menus, or even so much as a “sorry, we’re really busy but we’ll be right there.” Really abysmal service. We understand things can get busy but to have ignored us for 20+ minutes is unacceptable.

A great find for authentic Mexican food! The atmosphere and decor were lovely, food was amazing and full of flavour. Cocktails were nice and the staff went out of their way to swap a cocktail that I wasn’t keen on.

Second visit to the basement, still haven’t tried the cocktails but the food is amazing. Been struggling to find a good Mexican. The beef burrito had the perfect quantity of everything, the birra tacos are my favourite but pretty spicey if you like some heat! Love the vibe and black light decoration, busy little place but legendary 🙌🏻

I have been here a few time and it never fails to impress. From the moment you walk in the staff are very welcoming and friendly. The food is always amazing and drinks taste superb.

Food is AMAZING! Big portions and so worth the price. Our servers, Pedro and Eimante, were phenomenal and such a brightening presence. Decor is so nice too, overall me and my friends heavily recommend! Thanks guys :)

This is a truly outstanding restaurant. The food is fresh and flavoursome and the portions are really good. The service is fantastic and the staff are friendly and helpful. The entire atmosphere of this restaurant along with the beautiful decor has made it a firm favourite for me in Edinburgh. If you like Mexican food, this restaurant is a must.

The best Mexican restaurant in Edinburgh. Is authentic, the food is amazing soooo tasty, the environment is great, the drinks (Margherita and mescal) were really good. Staff are very nice, polite and very helpful. Did I said that the food is amazing. I really recommend it to everyone that loves Mexican food

Vine aquí con mi pareja a comer y mi elección clásica de burrito de chile de res fue muy elogiada, y luego devorada. Lleno de todo lo que un burrito debe ser (muchos lugares se pierden cosas) y lo suficientemente ceñido como para hacerme sentir lleno a la mañana siguiente. Mi compañero tenía las enchiladas de pollo que también estaban excelentes y bien presentadas. Tuvimos nachos para empezar que eran hermosos y es agradable ver un lugar no contener el queso. El bar tiene un ambiente mexicano agradable con colores frescos y arte en las paredes. Las dos camareras que nos sirvieron fueron muy atentos. Incluso tuvimos entretenimiento para presenciar al personal retirando un baño bucal del local. Las mejores notas. 👌

Los miembros de la familia tuvieron una cena temprana y la comida y los cócteles eran excelentes. El ambiente era bueno y el personal era muy profesional y amable. Cuando vinieron a pagar el negocio WiFi estaba caído y no podían usar el vale que había sido un regalo de Navidad. Tuvieron que pagar, lo que fue realmente decepcionante. Sin embargo después de un correo electrónico Andy rectificó esto y como gesto de buena voluntad reembolsó el importe total! Qué fantástico. No puedo esperar para visitar el sótano y disfrutar de una gran comida. Gran gracias Andy 5 * servicio al cliente!

Delicious food but service really let it down.

Great food and really friendly, helpful staff. We enjoyed chips and salsa whilst waiting on the main - one of the best salsa’s we have tasted in a while. Tacos, fajitas and burrito were also delicious. And finished the meal with lovely churros. I’ve worked 5 minutes away for 5 years and this is my first visit. Definitely not the last!

Great service, very friendly staff and great food. Awesome margaritas!

10/10 I'm from Mexico and believe me, these birria tacos are much tastier than many I've tried in my country 🙈🙊 the people who served us were super friendly! I'm leaving happy

It’s hard to find good Mexican restaurants in the UK but this place was amazing, it is on the more expensive side but I think it’s worth the price. Very cool atmosphere and friendly, quick service.

This is a fantastic Mexican restaurant/ bar. Small menu really well done. Guacamole made up at the table side. Funky, quirky decor. Great crowd. Superb host working every table. Great music playlist played throughout.Loved it. Find this place when visiting Edinburgh and come here. You'll love it too.

Great place, tasty food, booked last minute, very resalable priced and dog friendly 👍👍

Decent Mexican food, good service but a bit loud. Cheap and cheerful. Portions are good and tasty.

Visité con mi esposa y dos hijos adultos, dos de los cuales tienen restricciones dietéticas. Toda la experiencia fue genial. El personal era excelente, altamente capaz y realmente comprensivo. Bueno era de primera calidad, cócteles geniales y el ambiente es acogedor y divertido sin ser ruidoso e imponente. Sin duda volvería

We loved our meal here - we had the beef enchaladas, chicken fajitas and the tacos - all were amazing. Service a little slow but got there in the end with drink arriving promptly.

Amazing place. Great music and brilliant staff

Had an absolutely incredible lunch here, staff were attentive and the food was even better. Ordered slightly too much food and a takeaway box was quickly provided. Didn’t order drinks however I was quite envious of the frozen drinks ordered by the table next to us. We will most certainly be back.

Had a phenomenal time, the staff were amazing and so friendly, food was immense - strongly recommend the guac and drunken beans. Really good veggie options, lovely atmosphere. We sat in the bar section and music was great (not too loud to talk either).

Lovely friendly atmosphere, staff are attentive, food is delicious, fairly priced as well , starters , mains , bottle of wine £80 for two , very reasonable . Will definitely be booking a table again in the near future 5☆

I recently visited with a friend and was excited to try after hearing such positive things on social media. Unfortunately the food I ordered the enchiladas I found them to be a bit bland and underwhelming, lacking the flavor I was hoping for. On a positive note, the cocktails were lovely! However, I was disappointed by the slow service; I had to go up to the till several times just to ask for the bill. Overall, my experience didn’t quite meet my expectations.

Warm and welcoming straight from the start, helpful staff and even better food. Very chill atmosphere, lots of drinks available and the best margaritas we’ve ever had! 100% recommend for a nice chill meal at a fair price if you’re visiting Edinburgh.

Been here quite a few times for both food and drinks. Always love it, brought friends and family here too and they have a great time! Food is delicious, lots of options for vegan etc. And the margarita is my favourite! Reason for review is, had a couple of drinks in there last night and a girl next to us was looking like maybe she'd had one too many (happens to the best of us), place was absolutely packed but before I'd even noticed bar staff were checking on her and bringing water to the table. Love to see it

I had a terrible experience here on Tuesday. The staff were clueless and didn’t even acknowledge the fact that 3 plates of tacos took 30 minutes and my partner’s was cold by the time mine arrived. The tables beside us seemed to have timely and attentive service, having ordered and finished their meals before ours even arrived so I have no idea how it went so wrong for us. No cutlery dropped off, no offers to refill our drinks, no check back for our food. The servers had no clear sections which looked like it caused a lot of confusion between them and created this lack of organisation. I had to go up and ask for the bill and was then handed a £50 bill with a service charge. After asking for it to be taken off, the waiter did not even ask if everything was okay. I have eaten here a few times and cannot fault the food but I am completely embarrassed by this experience and will no longer recommend it.

The place never went down with quality. Went back after 5 years and still was having the best Mexican food in Edinburgh.

Quaint bar went for cocktail week but do try it if you like mexican

Came in on the off chance one evening. REALLY good tacos!

An easy to miss bar/restaurant that I’m VERY happy to have gone into :) Staff are really lovely and food was amazing - best we’ve had in a while! Cocktails were great and the music was excellent. Such a good vibe. We shared three kinds of tacos and left very well fed. Will be returning next time I’m in Edinburgh!

Great wee Mexican Bar with great range of tequila and mescal. Food is really tasty and service is friendly. Recommend.

Great food in a cozy basement. We had nachos, burrito and fajitas (all vegetarian). Love the presentation of the fajitas. Went there a Friday night so it was busy. The staff managed it well. Reserve a table! Quite some people who showed up without reservation had to turn around in the door. Well worth a visit.

I had a very nice experience at The Basement last Friday. Few days before I asked if it was possible to reserve a few tables for 10 people and Harry kindly arranged an area for me and my leaving party. The service was attentive and the food was nice quality and generous. Regardless it was a busy night the guys treated everyone always with a smile. I would definitely come back

Quirky Environment, Great Food, “Cute” Cocktails, Mood Lighting and Tequila Water Bottles were among my favorite! Good Service! Visited from USA and this is Upscale Mexican Food better than we get right across the border!

Good food, cocktails a tad on the high side, friendly staff.

Inventive delicious twists on classic Mexican dishes. I know this sounds strange but if you like broccoli, I highly recommend the marinated broccolini tacos with feta whipped sauce and pickled onions. SO good. And great cocktails too! Staff was an absolute delight!

Absolutely fantastic restaurant and bar. The service was incredible from start to finish despite it being a busy Friday night and the food was just incredible (as were the drinks). I get the impression the staff here genuinely enjoy their jobs which is so nice to see as an ex waitress/retail worker. The atmosphere on top of everything is just lovely. I will be back again very soon!

Really great restaurant with dedicated, friendly staff.❤️ The churros were sensational and the drinks were absolutely delicious! If you are in Edinburgh and like Mexican food you should definitely stop by.

Great buzz in this place and the Tommy margaritas are the way to go👌🏼

The food is way too expensive compared to the quantety and the taste. It is just spicy and way too moist. The service is awfull - you can ask for a specific drink or food on the menu, and the staff will have you sit for half an hour and they'll come back and tell you it's sold out.

We had a lovely evening with our friends here! The atmosphere is amazing and the drinks are really really good! The frozen margaritas are perfect! The only little criticism I have is it might’ve been a wee bit overpriced. We paid £180 for one course each and 2 rounds of drinks for 4 people. Other than that perfect wee spot for food and drinks 🌸

Good / okay food. I can recommend the refried beans, but the nachos were bland and bland. The music was a bit loud, but the service was good and the waiters were friendly.

I visited the Basement for dinner in September 2024. For me it was more of a bar than a restaurant. At least that's how I felt about the atmosphere. Especially since the rooms are in the (basement) basement. And many people probably have to think about whether this is the right place if they are looking for it. The staff was friendly and attentive, the food was very tasty, but the portions were small, so if you want to fill up, just order a little of everything. It would be good if the staff would point this out if necessary.

Great food and atmosphere. The staff are helpful come across as very knowledgeable about the drinks. I will be going back to try some more dishes.

Amazing food great atmophere and an awesome friendly vibe. We were really looked after the food arrived extra quick and the wine very much appreciated. We will be back the best food we’ve had ref eating out in a long time. Please go you won’t be disappointed.

Please, please ignore the one-star reviews from folks who only ever complain. This place is awesome. Staff were friendly and helpful and very attentive. We had lunch and drinks at a prebooked table. It gets busy and I recommend booking in advance. Tacos were fresh, tasty and generous. The frozen orange and mango margarita was super smooth and we enjoyed the choice of beers. Great experience, and I can't wait to visit again.

Lovely service (and guac) from Muskaan! Thank you

I don’t even know where to start. Food - ok, it was my daughter’s choice for her birthday. We had a party of 8. Our waitress was - without a question of a doubt and agreed on by all - the worst waiting staff I have ever had. Rude, entitled. Made the meal an absolute misery. When I had the bill was told there was a 10% service on top which I asked to have removed. So, I had 2 members of staff come and enquire why (discretionary-right?). There are too many good places to have a meal in Edinburgh without wasting time here.

Really delicious Mexican food. Lots of great options and great service. The atmosphere is lovely. Definitely worth a visit if you like Mexican.

Nice (noisy) place with super nice service, perfect cocktails and delicious food

Had an absolute ball! Mukaan and her guac really made the experience for me and my husband on our anniversary. We’re off to boogie the night away after some brilliant margs. Xx

Had a fantastic anniversary. Mukaan was amazing and the guacamole was simply to die for. Would absolutely recommend, top drawer.

Amazing food and lovely staff. The restaurant is located in a basement and has an very chill atmosphere. The Food and drinks were served fast, while being very delicious. Cood place to have dinner and some cocktails afterwards. Would definitly recommend :)

We literally want to fly back to ediburgh to have this meal again. Tacos were incredible

Best tacos ever. Those birria tacos were super spicy and delicious. Fish ones also great as was the pork ones. We want to fly back just for this dinner Friendly staff too

Delicious food! This place has the amazing atmosphere of a real Mexican restaurant.

Super friendly staff and delicious food. The drinks are super, I loved my passionfruit frozen margarita the best. The carne asada tacos were my favorite meal the entire trip. We really enjoyed our dinner here as a group.

Good pub for mexican food and drinks. Decor works really well with the theme. Food is normally good and sometimes excellent. On recent visit Carnitas tacos were excellent, had steak fajitas which were good because steak was good quality and cooked well but the accompanying parts were very average at best. The previous menu iteration where steak was available outwith the fajitas and with a really good fresh sauce was missed. Nachos and chicken wings were good. Fish tacos just okay this time bit greasy and just missing the spark that I remembered. Tacos not in a crisp taco shell but in same wrap as went with fajitas which was a negative. But downside of being regular for years old favourites get swapped out and find current choices less good. Some of the previous menus I preferred but still good spot and had great time (had to pause and revisit review to separate a 5 star afternoon from what was 4 star experience food wise this time)

The food and cocktails are amazing here. Loved having the gauc made at table and queso set on fire. The Birria tacos were so good. The service was really good, especially from Muskaan who made us our delicious and was lovely all night.

The atmosphere is great, a real buzz about the place but also not overly loud or distracting. The service was great and the food even better! We had hot wings and padron peppers to start both very tasty although the hot wings were not quite to the spice/heat we like 🔥 the beef burrito and the Reuben were amazing. Myself and my husband do not tend to be food sharers but we definitely split the dishes in this place and we're both as good as each other on the taste scale. The frozen margaritas are a bit pricey at £11 each but still nice nonetheless. Definitely would give this place a try if ever in Edinburgh.

The food is absolutely amazing, and don't get me started on the frozen cocktails 😋. It is a little bit on the expensive side, but it is so worth it. Definitely recommend.

Come here for the birria tacos - was super delicious and flavourful and just the right amount of spicy. Excellent service as well from our hostess.

Very welcoming bar! Great selection of beers and cocktails! Didn't have anything to eat, but will be back soon as the food being served looked delicious!

We had a bit of a misunderstanding with our booking but this was swiftly rectified by the manager Andrew, who went above and beyond to ensure we got booked in. The food, drinks, service and atmosphere were all second to none. I recommend trying the Guacamole starter (devine!), the Baja Fish Tacos (to die for) and the Corpse Reviver #2 (in blue) cocktail, which is one of the best cocktails I've had. Amazing place, delicious food, devine cocktails and wonderful staff. Perfect.

Had a meal here and on a Friday evening, delicious food, good atmosphere, service and little slow after initial order taking but would not hold that against them on a busy night

Been here twice, food is always bad

Excellent Mexican dishes and cocktails!!

Loved everything about this place. Having a gluten allergy this menu was perfect for me. Finally got to try gluten free Churros. The guys really looked after us. Highly recommend it.

What a vibe. It’s a great place and although empty when we arrived within an hour it was heaving. Look out for Harry as he is the master of ceremony. All the food we had was impressive

Here, we witnessed 2023-2024 league championship of Galatasaray. So, this pub has been added to our list of unforgettable places :) P.S.: The staff were nice and smiling :)

Came with my sister before the eras tour and had a fab time! We were served by a young waitress who was super friendly and helpful. We had fajitas and chicken enchiladas which were both tasty but the highlight was the guacamole handmade at the table. We also loved the frozen margaritas. Prices were reasonable for Edinburgh and the place had a great cozy atmosphere. Would definitely return if in the area again!

Deliciously creamy and freshly made gelato! Our new go to place when we are in town. Server was kind and patient, let’s you try flavours if not too sure what you fancy. We had tried the pistachio and fresh mint stracciatella

Good, St Mungo on tap. Expensive cocktails £10-£16.50.

fantastic place, best UK Mexican restaurant by far/ lovely food, staff, drinks & ambience! Well done guys:)

Really great service and food, will definitely be back

Served by Amante, maybe wrong spelling but she was brilliant thanks so much

Amazing, food was great. Very good selection as well

Friendly staff, great service and great food. Bathrooms needed some attention.

We had Sat down for 40 minutes before anyone even served us for drinks. When food order was taken by staff member they didn’t seem to care but rather try to memorise our order instead of noting it down like the rest of the staff were. This led to me as a vegan being given real cheese after having a conversation with the server about veganism and found a joint interest in it for him to quickly disregard it when putting through the order. This has led me to come home being sick as I haven’t eaten any dairy or meat for 7 years until tonight. We had poor service for the rest of the night not even receiving cutlery or napkins. It was a bad experience on my behalf especially for those with dietary requirements. Where this was taken off our bill which I was appreciative of the relaxed way it was dealt with wasn’t something I believe should be acceptable had it been an allergy this could have been detrimental.

Chilli con queso, Padron Peppers , Chicken Quesidillas and Birria Tacos out of this world. The chilli consommé is superb. My new favourite sauce

Everything was so good. Our groups rating was a 10/10. This place made me like guacamole for the first time ever. Must try!

Delicious food with good portion size. Service was very friendly.

The atmosphere in this place is the best thing about it. Drinks were also pretty good - I have no complaints there. However, the food did not impress me. The queso looks cool because they come out and light it on fire, but the taste is nothing to write home about. My husband also ordered the birria tacos and I thought they turned out greasy. Another annoying thing was they seated us right in front of a door and kept asking him to move so they could get around him all night - why not just seat us somewhere else? Otherwise the service was good.

Really tasty vegetarian food and a great atmosphere

Food was delicious and tasty. I bit long waiting for food. Music was very loud.

Delicious food, served in really good time by lovely and friendly welcoming staff.

Lovely wee restaurant full of character. Only complaint we were not served all at the same time

Good food. Well priced. Pleasant service. Food could have been a bit quicker perhaps and delivered all dishes together

Fantastic. Properly memorable. Already booking the next visit.