The Doric in Edinburgh, City of

This was the highlight food experience of our London and Scotland trip in September. My boyfriend (now husband) recommended Doric because he had eaten the best Haggis and Sticky Toffee Pudding on his trip to Scotland a few years ago. I made a reservation for a weekend evening about a month in advance. We were seated immediately in a delightful little nook of the top floor of the restaurant. They were very clear that the food will take time because everything is made from scratch and fresh, but we were prepared for that. We ordered a wine and a whiskey and a cheese plate to go with that. The alcohols were great but the cheese plate was a little blah in comparison to the food that was forthcoming. For food, we ordered the Haggis (obviously), the Shepherd's pie and the Sticky Toffee Pudding. The Haggis was the star. The best Haggis I've had in my 3 days in Scotland (and I had Haggis everywhere I went). The meat was delicious, the turnips were scrumptious and the potatoes were so creamy! The icing on the cake was the sauce which blended everything together in a mouthwatering morsel that just got all my taste buds singing. The shepherd's pie was also very very very good!! In fact, when we ate leftovers a day later, the minced meat and peas from the shepherd's pie with the potato had accumulated even more flavor. The Sticky toffee pudding was perfect - sticky, not too sweet, warm and so comforting! This was an excellent meal and I will come back here every single time I am in Edinburgh!

I was in Edinburgh over a year ago on my honeymoon and ended up here after getting caught in a torrential down pour. I have spent every day since dreaming of the Shepards pie and haggis chips. If I ever make it back to Scotland this place will be one of my first stops.

Brilliant bar in Edinburgh. Friendly staff and very welcoming. Great pint of beer

Used to be our go to restaurant whenever in Edinburgh not anymore. Food now pretty basic at premium prices, poor service, had to go to bar to pay, fed up waiting to pay bill. Came in with clean jacket, left with dirty jacket.waitress dropped cutlery when collecting dishes from table behind never let on that they had hit my jacket, wife only noticed as we left, all in all no longer same place we used to love.

Expectations were overall maybe a bit too high but the salmon and especially its sauce really blew us away. Haggis balls also good.

The food is delicious and the service was great!

The food here was incredible. We had the lamb and the fish and chips, and finished with the sticky toffee pudding. Everything was delicious, perfectly cooked and beautifully plated.

It was so refreshing to find a place after the rugby that was quaint, down to early, friendly and accommodating. We had a lovely meal and would absolutely go again.

Nice shop with very good service. Nice beers although I got alcohol free too. Guinness black and a peroni. The foam fish and chips (. Cod with potatoes). Reasonable prices.

Stopped in the downstairs pub after a day of touring. This is a small, cozy, authentic locals spot while still being close to attractions. What really stood out was the unique, thick-cut chips. Probably some of the best we had in Edinburgh and a welcome warm treat after being out in the cool weather all day. Based on the chips alone, I’d return to give the restaurant a try.

Service very bad not the best in city

Loved the place as it gives the typical vibe of an old pub with a great service. We are vegetarians and could get options that taste good and fill you well...

I came here on the recommendation of local people and the choice could not have been better. Typical 100% local pub with live music on weekends. Friendly staff, attentive to people outside and great variety of beers. I came several times to have cullen skink for dinner (very good) and try the typical haggis. If I return to Edinburgh, of course I will stop by again.

I went there because I heard there was a Sunday roast menu that was only sold on Sundays. When we said we were hesitant because our luggage was heavy, they left our luggage at the pub on the ground floor (1st floor in Korean standards)...ㅜㅜ This means that the staff member who helped us at the time was very kind... This doesn't mean it happens all the time... A single act of kindness stays with a traveler for a long time, so I was so grateful that I bothered to say it... Thank you... Sunday roast is delicious! Considering that haggis is part of their culture, it was delicious (note that it is a dish of sheep intestines)! The shepherd's pie also had a lot of lamb flavor, but the cheese on top was delicious and the spice flavor went well together, so I enjoyed it!!

Very good place. We were in Edinburgh for free days and came here every day. Thank you very much guys!

Slow service. Child's cordial and soda tasted like nothing I could describe. Ordered a burger and chips. Came with salad which must have sat under the hot lights as it was warm....mmm warm salad leaf. The burger was dryer than the Sahara the chips had a skin like they'd been reheated multiple times. Gauging by how quickly the food came out chef mic is the hardest working chef in the kitchen. We left half our food on both are plates and never asked how it was.....because the staff know it's gash.

Very good atmosphere and very friendly staff. Delicious food at a good price. We ate the soup of the day (tomato and basil) and some Fancy chips (potatoes with parmesan and truffle oil). All very rich

The mokoko ice cream is so good, my whole family enjoyed it, they were happy, the ice cream was so good

Very delicious Scottish cheeses.. All products of Scottish cuisine.. I recommend this wonderful taste stop that has been in existence since 1823..

My partner and I had a lovely time at the Doric Tavern, I had reserved a table for two for 5:30PM. It was abit awkward coming in, there was no host available to help us to our seat so we watched servers pass by us while we waited for someone to seat us. We came specifically to try their Cullen Skink. The Cullen Skink was flavorful and tasty—I was hoping it would have been creamier as the soup was quite liquidy, but the flavors made up for it. I told the server we were going to share a plate of fish and chips. When we were served our food, the server told us they had asked the chef to split the fish and chips into two plates for us. It was lovely that they did that and we really appreciated it! The fish and chips were alright, the fish was crispy and tasty. The chips didn’t taste that fresh and were not very crisp which was abit disappointing. Overall I would come back again and perhaps try other things on the menu.

Characteristic tavern in the center of excellent Scottish food, generous portions and typical atmosphere

Il posto migliore per cenare e per fare un aperitivo immersi nella tipica atmosfera scozzese!! Qualità prezzo eccellente!

My family and friends recently traveled from Spain for a very special occasion. We decided to eat here mainly because it looked like the type of place we like to eat. The location was also very good. we can not find any fault with the food, drinks or service on the day. we were well cared for but not hassled in any way. Food was tasty and well cooked. They also answered my email and followed my request promptly. I would recommend to anyone wanting fresh well cooked food. I will be returning.

For a nice snack in the afternoon go here for their delicious sticky toffee pudding and a spot of Scotch.

Just popped in for a tea. Very friendly staff. Cozy atmosphere.

Our first night in Edinburgh after having dinner elsewhere, we went to the Doric for some traditional Scottish music and that is what we got. A small bar/pub that is very busy, hard to score somewhere to sit but we did eventually score some seats. What a fun night we had meeting people, having drinks and listening to some great music. A hopping place.

Nice casual place, above a pub. The food was excellent, as was the service. I ordered Cullen Skink and it was steaming and delicious. It was right down from our hotel and that made it very easy to drop in for dinner, but reservations are recommended.

Had a delicious meal here. Friendly relaxed atmosphere. Good service and the food was very good. The sticky toffee pudding was the best we had ever tasted! Thank you

A really nice dinner in one of the oldest pubs in Edinburgh. The haggis were super tasty, as the lentil pie. Great beer selection. Gluten free options.

Pretty good. We all enjoyed our food. Service was efficient without being friendly. It was quiet so atmosphere was not buzzing. Perfectly acceptable without being outstanding.

We had a lovely meal here, the food was absolutely delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive. All in all a decent place. My only small gripe is that it was a tad pricey for what we had but as stated could not fault the food or service! Thank you 🤍

Excellent pub..restaurant .....best fish and chips out of 5 places tried

My son had heard about this place. We didn't have a reservation, we waited at the bubi downstairs for half an hour. Good cheerful service downstairs and upstairs. We recommend it, there were four of us.

Typical 🏴————————————mber. I liked it

Small traditional pub right next to the station. It has the great atmosphere of wee old pub and some nice pints. The bar food was a good addition. Visited during the festival and it was a bonus that it was busy but not mobbed. Would definitely visit again.

When in Edinburgh is a must to visit the oldest gastro-pub in town and try traditional Scottish food.

This was a real find in the midst of the Fringe festival. They had a table without booking, the service was excellent and the food delicious. Highly recommended

Central venue with a classic style, the pub area on the lower floor is free, the restaurant above must be booked. Friendly staff and on-time service, just a couple of oversights, such as not bringing the right knife with the meat, or having to call for attention several times. Dirty bathroom. The food is not bad, but I don't consider it exceptional, and the prices are slightly higher than the average for similar places. Haggis good, shepherd pie also, steak decidedly less so. I don't know if I would go back specifically, considering that there are many similar places in the city that cost even less... still recommended.

Amazing for a traditional Scottish meal, the bistro upstairs that serves the meal is cute. Staff are friendly too!

The best Guinness pour in Edinburgh. If you’re looking for quality house made Gastro Pub food, go to The Doric Tavern! Haggis Neeps & Tatties? Yes! Sticky Toffee Pudding? Yes! Cask ales and curated selection of local brews? Yes! Cullen Skink? Yes!

A good address in Edinburgh. We ate there with 10 people. Efficient and friendly service. Good welcome and we ate well there. We will return.

Best fish and chips in town! The staff’s super friendly, tje atmosphere is top and the wild mushrooms and the fish and chips is a MUST. I’ll pop in again for sure. A must go ehile in Edimburgh

Lovely pint of guiness. Staff member was new and so on it! She was brilliant with the punters.

It’s an amazing place to eat Scottish food. All food is delicious in my trip I had repeat this restaurant 3 times. 100% recommend 🫶🏻👍

We had a fabulous Sunday lunch here - roast beef and all the trimmings! And delicious sticky toffee pudding for dessert. I highly recommend!

Great Food, Great Service. It's a nice homey place to grab dinner that is a little off the main part of town. I would recommend this if you were looking for more of a local place that is not that fancy.

Fantastic food. Hearty and well seasoned, full of flavor

We celebrated our ruby wedding anniversary last week. The service and food was outstanding and the staff made it a very special evening. The sticky toffee is to die for.

Great selection of food. Amazing quality of fish and chips. Outstanding customer service.

Went for lunch. Haggis Fries, Haggis Bon Bons and Cullen Skink were all excellent.

We came to eat Sunday roast on the recommendation of a colleague who has lived in Edinburgh for 6 years. The Doric did not disappoint! Delicious food. Shepard's pie was also very good. Highly recommended further!

The best Cullen Skink - my husband and I’ve been obsessed with Cullen skink, we’ve been pub-hopping & tasted over eight Cullen skink in town and this is the best place ever believe me . And other Amazing food and service in Edinburgh ❤️❤️❤️

We loved the Doric. We ate upstairs and service and food were fresh and fun. Downstairs bar after dinner is a must for live authentic music.

Sehr leckeres Essen. Waren zweimal hier weil es einfach sehr gute Qualität und authentisch war. Exzellentes Haggis, lamb shank war super. Personal sehr freundlich und Ambiente trotz ausgebuchtem Restaurant angenehm .

Amazing lunch at the Doric, this was recommended by a friend and it did not disappoint! Brilliant staff particularly a lovely red headed young man who looked after us, he made it a great experience! We will definitely be back!

Friendly service. Good menu. Slightly let down on the quality of the food, such as way overcooked spaghetti and rice dishes.

Fresh food, right in the heart of the city. Next door to waverley train station.

Excellent pub, had a cracking time

We stopped in to rest our feet and have a drink while exploring Edinburgh. Service was great.

Prawn and chorizo linguine was the absolute best ever!!

Very nice plain pub grub. Quiet, with friendly and efficient staff.

The Shepard’s pie was good! I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the Haggis Neeps and Tattis (flavor-wise and visually), but that was my first time trying that iconic dish so it’s likely not on the bar. This spot gets crowded, so get reservations if you can otherwise come early!

I didn't eat but it was a proper old fashioned pub.It had some lovely old features and it was cosy.

Extremely expensive for the food you get, quite bland. Service was fine. A bit disappointing, I'd spend your money elsewhere!

Excellent food and a pleasant atmosphere.

The Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties were excellent, and Cullan Skink very good too. Overall, a reasonably priced taste of Scotland's traditional offerings.

I recommend booking in this pub, beautiful and with friendly and very approachable service. Prices in line: I recommend the soup which was very good and the vegetables which for some reason in England are always so good. It is located close to the historic center. Compliments!

Everything was perfect. Really good food and good beer. Excellent service . Thank you.

Nice little pub with very pleasant service and excellent food! Special mention to the sticky toffee pudding!!!

Fantastic meal in Edinburgh conveniently located near our hotel

Among the most famous places in the city, very nice and rustic atmosphere, really tasty and plentiful food, higher than average prices... to try at least once for lunch

Full restaurant which, luckily for me that day, was able to find me a seat. The cuisine, the dishes, are incredible, don't hesitate to book in advance! When I come back to Edinburgh, believe me this is where I will go!

The food was delicious and the service was friendly and informative. Definitely worth the visit. I do suggest a reservation for dinner as we lucked out as a walk in.

The food here was really good and we loved the ambience. Just a word of warning, be careful with the Mussels - I had horrific food poisoning from a bad mussel. Other than that, it was great!

The food is good but at that price point I expect a little better and also better service. The fish was good, great flavor, crunchy on top, but unfortunately very greasy and soggy on the bottom. First time trying haggis and I liked it. Shepherds pie was also good. Good thyme flavor. Service wasn't great. Our table of four ran out of water mid meal. Would have asked for more if our server had walked by. Not once did she even walk by our table after we received our food so I also wasn't able to ask for more tartar sauce or ketchup for my chips. Overall, it was just okay.

Friendly and professional service. Food tasted wonderfully delicious if you try Scottish cuisine. Recommend toffee pudding at the end.

Great atmosphere, with local live music most nights

Glad we booked as it was bustling on a Friday night. Met downstairs in the bar for drinks beforehand. Great Scottish food and super friendly waiter. Highly recommend.

I came back to Edinburgh on purpose to meet a friend, eat “haggys” and “Cullen skink”; after returning to the pub where we met him more than a year ago, almost disgusted we had to leave and entered here, as soon as we entered the smiles from everyone made us very happy, the smell of cooking immediately made me feel positive, the guy who served us was very kind, and the haggys was truly exceptional; now I have memorized well where this restaurant is and every other time I will return without fail, see you soon guys!!! I'm only sorry that after touring various venues, tired and exhausted, we forgot to take photographs in the very venue that deserved it most...

Ate here tonite, all 4 of us had haggis, it was excellent, service was great, it’s like a dinner restaurant so the atmosphere is so so

Great food and very friendly service Only thing I would say is the food came out very quickly, and not much time between each course felt a bit rushed

The servers were kind and patient with my extensive food restrictions. Gluten free vegan option, mushroom stroganoff, was one of the best meals I’ve had out in a long time!

Just at the entrance of the old town, great pub with dining area upstairs. Good food, not too busy and fair prices.

Friendly a tad different we had a light bite but it was well nice don't hesitate if your in the area.

Great Shepherd’s pie and the sticky toffee is truly to die for! Staff is super friendly and their service is excellent. Next time I’m in Edinburgh I’ll come again.

We loved the cod soup, the shepherd's pie and the prosciutto chicken! Satisfying and tasty and fish n chips! Nice choices in desserts, especially the local toffee pudding!

We stopped here based on a recommendation from a friend. It was fantastic! The food was delicious and gave us a taste of Scottish food. The haggis had good flavors and was tasty. The Shepard's pie had a lot of meat and nice sauce. We made reservations and our table was ready on arrival. The restaurant is on the second floor with a bar on the ground level. I didn't see parking near by. There isn't a handicap accessible entrance. No elevator to the second floor. I wouldn't recommend it for people that can't walk up a flight of stairs. Otherwise it was a great dinner experience.

Bar lady hates her job and all humans, the bar smells of very stale beer. Beer seems watery and weak. Upstairs, the waitress was lovely and possibly the best bit and deserves a pay rise. The food though was dire. My partner had King prawns swimming in cooking oil. No amount of tiny chorizo pieces could disguise that flavour. The duck leg was ok but the 'sweet sauce' on the cabbage tasted like watered down jam. We avoided pudding. Please change up the oil cloth tablecloths. Something to actually match the decor would look good. The Doric itself is beautiful and really deserves better, in my humble opinion you are wasting a local treasure.

What a cool historic gastro-pub! We went for dinner and were able to get seated without a reservation. The food was pretty good and came out quickly! The reason for four stars is because as classic Americans we asked for a few cocktails and they couldn't make any of them even though they had a fully stocked bar. A Dirty Shirley is pretty simple, but it was a no go. Our friends loved the Shepards Pie and the Haggis Bon-Bons.

We had the chicken breast, the mussels and mushrooms. The sauce for the chicken was really, really good. The mussels and mushrooms were also really excellent. For the same money we have eaten much worse in Edinburgh. The tavern is upstairs above the associated pub. There were excellent sauces for all three dishes and the bread was crispy and delicious. We can recommend this restaurant as well as the Pup below. Good mix of rustic ambience and very good food.

Visited for first time for drinks only around 2.00pm on Thursday. Quiet wee pub at this time of day but good service and selection of beverages for a small bar. Clean and tidy environment. Definitely would return and recommend to others.

Good proper pub. No TV. Just good beer, good conversation and a good night

The children enjoyed the fish and chips!!!!! A treat indeed... The pudding was excellent. We were served quickly, the staff was very pleasant. To recommend

Good old fashioned pub at the back entrance to Waverly station/old town. Mainly local clientele/tourist. Likable pub with good selection of drinks

This place is just awesome. Like you go back in time. Food is great, service is great. We had the fish and chips and it was the best one I've had. We really enjoyed ourselves here.

It’s been over 10 years and the restaurant and bar are essentially stuck in time. And that’s not a bad thing. Don’t expect silver service, but do expect hot, fresh, home cooked food and friendly staff. May not be another 10+ years before my next visit.

Stopped here for some lunch after checking the menu outside. Enjoyed the flowers on the way up the stairs and loved being sat where I could see out of the window. I chose the lentil pie and it was delicious. I really enjoyed it. So flavourful. I came here with my husband and we spent around £40 for lunch and a beer each. The service charge was not automatically added to our bill which I really appreciate - I don’t appreciate it when it’s just added on. I think it may be added for larger parties in here though.

Classic Tavern experience. Add bonus with the informal Scottish folk music downstairs. It felt like chilling out with friends in their front room rather than a performance.

Everything else was fine, the service good , but the food was bad and definitely not worth it. One dish salty and other one completely no salt .

Yummy dessert options especially the sticky toffee pudding!