The Outsider Restaurant in Edinburgh, City of

What a great find, really nice, friendly staff, nicely decorated, comfortable with an excellent atmosphere and the food is really good, fresh and very filling. It's reasonably priced too, dinner for 2 of us was £54 that included mains, desert, drinks (non alcoholic) and coffee! Absolute bargain. Btw the panacota was superb! Go there!

Amusing wine list, tasty food, delightful castle views and a deliciously tart lemon sorbet.

Recommended by our hotel concierge, The Outsider proved to be a swankier affair than we initially planned, but what a delightful surprise it was! Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh, this restaurant wows with its modern decor and stunning art pieces. The tables were a bit too close for comfort, and there were noticeable delays in service; however, the servers were nice throughout the evening. The culinary experience was nothing short of exquisite. We indulged in a creamy broccoli and cheese soup, a perfectly cooked haunch of venison, and expertly pan-fried trout. Desserts were a highlight, with chocolate pudding and fig pudding both leaving us wanting more. Note for future visitors: The Outsider adds a 12% discretionary service tip to the bill, which was unusual for a smaller party. We had planned to tip 15% even with the somewhat indifferent servers so weren't upset about it. Definitely worth a visit if you're looking for top-notch cuisine in a chic setting.

We came here for lunch in February and all the dishes were amazing and very reasonably priced. We ordered 6 dishes for 4 people… as we were very hungry and to be honest it worked out well instead of ordering starters! We had steak frites, venison, fish stew, chowder and mussels.

Great lunch. Very busy restaurant and service was ok. Food delicious.

Friendly, accommodating staff and a varied menu with something for every taste. Lovely, popular venue, was busy at lunchtime on a Thursday.

Lovely duck and beignets, interior was a bit IKEA but gorgeous view. Mussel dish was under-seasoned

Beautiful place to enjoy Edinburgh! We went during the day for lunch and from the window we could see the Castle, good service and food, very interesting menu.

On our last night in Edinburgh, we wanted to have a nice, romantic dinner. Fortunately, I casually mentioned this to Natalia, a staff member at our hotel. She recommended Outsiders, as she had enjoyed their meals herself. We’re so glad we took her advice! The restaurant had a beautiful view, and our meal was fantastic—we started with mussels as an appetizer and had lobster and steak for dinner. Everything was so delicious that we made sure to stop by the front desk to thank Natalia personally.

This one a true gem and we were recommended it by a tour guide. It didn't disappoint. The lobster and steaks were to die for. Great atmosphere and beautiful food! Would highly recommend

Delicious food, attentive staff and nice atmosphere. We came for lunch and had a great view of the castle. Specials are changed regularly so you can try a variety of dishes.

Very fine food and attentive staff.

I had the pleasure of dining at the Outlander Restaurant in Edinburgh and it was an all around great experience! As soon as I entered, I was impressed by the stylish and cozy ambience, which offers a perfect mix of elegance and Scottish charm. The service staff was exceptionally courteous, attentive and always there with a smile. Every wish was fulfilled promptly without seeming intrusive - exactly how perfect service should be. The food was simply outstanding! Every dish was prepared with great attention to detail, tasted perfectly and beautifully presented. I was particularly impressed by the fresh ingredients and authentic flavors. If you are looking for a special culinary experience in Edinburgh, you should definitely visit the Outlander Restaurant. Absolute recommendation!

Cozy atmosphere, lovely view of the Castle. Bread for starters is a must.

Food always great here especially lunch when the prices are lower! Staff all really friendly lots of gluten free options only limiting factor is food takes a long long time to come

I was so excited for this but unfortunately left feeling disappointed. Both my start and main course arrived to the table cold, which you just don't expect at a place with such a high price point. My partner's steak was medium rare but somehow still very chewy and her chips were slightly anemic. Again, something that shouldn't happen in a restaurant that's supposedly high quality. No one came to ask us how things were during the meal (which I completely appreciate was due to the fact the restaurant was incredibly busy) so we had to share our grievances with our waitress after each course instead. Our waitress was very lovely and understanding, so no complaints there. I'm sure if you go to The Outsider at a time when they're not jam packed and chaotic then the overall experience is probably fantastic.

Due to the poorly lit facade, it looks abandoned, but it's worth going in! Excellent and very well prepared dishes. Fair price.

The lovely manager (I think he is Italian, I know he has a dog!) on shift a couple Fridays ago was so incredibly kind and accommodating. I’ve been to The Outsider many times, it’s always great, but this time knocked it out of the park! The trout special was absolutely delicious. The service, the food, the vibes, the value - top tier. Thank you for such a lovely visit! Will be back again soon.

Very reliable restaurant, good value especially at lunchtime

Interesting menu that goes beyond traditional restaurant fayre. The specials change daily and are interesting and exciting. The staff are engaging and professional. The fact that the place was packed is a testament to its value for money. Well worth seeking out.

Outstanding overall place. We had a great lunch for a well reasonable price. Highly recommended.

The place has a very nice atmosphere, the food is good and the price is reasonable.

Great food and service. It was a great recommendation from the concierge at the Apex City Hotel

The Outsider was recommended to me by a business acquaintance and was very pleasant. The staff were friendly and helpful. The place had a really nice vibe and the food was great.

I had my anniversary dinner today. We were visiting Edinburgh so we don’t really know which places are nice! This is not one of the nice restaurants! I had a soup of the day which is very watery and thin - the bread is great! However for my main, I had the mussels- the WORST i had ever had in my entire life! The castle view is quite nice but that’s it! Not really happy about my experience!

The food was fantastic, however the google maps directions were misleading. The walking navigator took us around to underneath the bridge. The actual entrance is on the top. Be careful

The service let it down, the staff were unbelievably rude and afraid are the reason this review is below 5 stars. Not only didn’t check if we enjoyed our food once, they dumped cutlery on the table, and we overheard the manager being rude about a couple as he walked away from their table. Such a shame as I can’t fault the food, but not even the bare minimum in service.

Impatient, humourless manager. Passive aggressive waitress who actually spilled our champagne when opening it. Didn’t apologise but blamed the bottle. No discount. Weird gnocchi. Just overall disappointing but great view of the castle.

Lovely restaurant with friendly staff. We had dinner here tonight and I don’t have any complaints. Food was very tasty best meal we’ve had in Edinburgh so far.

Tasty good quality food. Pretty view of castle. Would recommend for lunch or dinner

Hidden gem! Great restaurant. Very busy. Lovely views!! Our waitress was very nice and attentive. Highly recommend.

Outstanding! Great food. Awesome view of the castle from a few tables.

Insane experience ! Starting with the ladies in charge, then the unique place and ambiance and last the food. Can’t believe they have so many complex dishes available and so delicious. Very cheap for the level of food they provide! Will be back tomorrow for more !

While the location and view were fantastic, our overall experience fell short of expectations. The food, though decent, didn’t stand out and felt overpriced for what was offered. Additionally, the loud group dining next to us made it difficult to enjoy the atmosphere. We were also disappointed that only cash payments were accepted due to a reported card machine malfunction, which we were informed of hours prior via a text message. This seemed avoidable, especially since we overheard a staff member suggesting to another guest that couldn’t withdraw cash that the machine might work after all, which left us uncertain. It was an unfortunate situation given the potential of the venue.

Always fantastic and reasonably priced. Actually a steal. A true Edinburgh establishment.

I have been in Edinburgh for 5 days, this restaurant doesn’t represent any of the great food and hospitality we experienced. The food was cold except for the mussels. The sole fish was undercooked, tasted so bad even the cherry tomatoes were rotten. When my daughter complained about her dish the manager was so rude to her and he didn’t even try to apologize instead he was extremely aggressive and defensive. I do not recommend you to come here.

Met some friends for lunch here on their suggestion. Great place, good food at decent prices, great service. We sat in the mezzanine, and it was a bit noisy, the restaurant was quite full and busy, but it did make it more difficult to make conversation. Would definitely go back!

Arrived at 7:30pm and they had run out of 3 dishes. Went to place orders and they were out of 2 more dishes. Food all arrived lukewarm which was a shame because the taste was good.

Had a lovely lunch, the restaurant was extremely busy but still managed to fit us in. I had the coley with tarragon sauce and it was delicious, other mains were burger and the steak frites and clean plates all round. Would definitely return as a family for lunch and for dinner maybe just the two of us as would be good as a date as it's lovely at night with the candles and chilled atmosphere. We've been going for years and still excellent, especially the lunch prices.

The food here is great. But, the service was terrible, we didn’t see a server for a half an hour. We ordered everything when we saw her, from there we had to ask for our drinks because they didn’t come, our mains came after we had been there for an hour then were taken back when they found out we didn’t have our starters. So I then another wait to get those. We had to get up and request things we needed because we weren’t being served. Not only was this happening at our table but it seemed to be happening to most of us. We were finished after 2 hours and asked for takeout boxes and they told us they don’t offer them because they aren’t licensed to let us take out food. Horrible experience, good food.

Nice food nice service Couldn’t be more pleased

Just had lunch here. I had steak frites, my wife had mussels. Brilliant. The mussels were declared the best ever! The steak was lovely. Only about £10 per head. Very good wine menu as well. Staff are really ‘on it’. It’s two minutes walk from the Museum of Scotland. Totally recommended.

Found it walking from the museum , what a lucky find for lunch , lovely staff , it fills up quickly but staff stay ontop of everything , lovely choice , top nosh for a fraction of what you would expect to pay for such delicious and imaginative menu , treat yourself I'm sure you will return .

Great atmosphere and service. Had a perfect view of the castle and the food was very good. Came here for dinner and was so good that we came back for lunch!

Dine by candlelight in this spot right off the main drag, with a gorgeous view of the castle. I had the venison, which was good. I'd like more of a non-alcoholic menu for five stars on Food.

Went for my anniversary meal, my partner had the mussels. Later that night she was horrifically ill throwing up constantly through the night and the next day. I called the restaurant to inform them about what had happened, they showed very little care for the situation didn’t make any effort to apologise for what they had caused. I was disappointed with my venison, was over cooked and the flavours were nothing to brag about. For the price of this place all there is to show for it is the interior. I would advise against eating at this place. Better spending your money elsewhere.

Absolutely fantastic, great in every way, such a find. Food was excellent and amazing value, staff, even though they were so busy couldn’t be faulted. We had to come here twice during our short stay just to try it again!! Best chocolate pave ever. A definite revisit required.

Fantastic. We had an amazing seat next to the window and had a view of Edinburgh castle! Staff were attentive and so friendly. The interior is candle lit and very ambient, lovely place for a date night. I would really recommend this restaurant if you are unsure of here to eat during your visit to the city. We had the venison which was lovely and the el pinto wine.

When we saw the menu we thought it was going to be very expensive but we ate very well and for a very good price. It took them a little longer to give us a table but then the service was great. I would highly recommend the spinach crepe, it was incredibly good! Very good location.

Designed for “romantic” dinners, the starters are not badly priced. But the main ones are too expensive for the quality. I would say 25% above the price. The tables near the sales have a relative view of the castle and are pleasant. I wouldn't choose it as an ad-hoc place but if there is no other option the food is not bad and it is well taken care of.

Went for lunch and wasn't really sure where to go, really glad we happened to walk past this place. Steak frites are super reasonably priced and so tasty with lots of peppercorn sauce. Soup and bread very tasty also. Great service and very friendly/helpful.

Terrific place fkr an evening meal. The venison was amazing

Reasonable prices, good food, service slow during busy times

Extremely disappointing experience for what should have been a special graduation celebration. From the initial phone booking where the manager was rude and inflexible about timing, to the hostile reception when we arrived. The staff were unprofessional, both in their dismissive attitude and inappropriate attire. The poor service might have been more tolerable if the food had been better. Unfortunately, all dishes arrived cold. The polenta was stodgy and dry, while the soup was thin and watery. Despite a few decent elements, the overall quality was mediocre at best. What could have been a memorable celebration was ruined by poor service and subpar food. Would not recommend for any special occasion, or really any occasion at all.

Great restaurant and friendly service

The interior and FOH team of The Outsider set a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. I had the pan fried duck which was presented perfectly and tasted unreal. Will definitely be back again!

The food was amazing! Had the best venison ever and the steaks were very well cooked. Great local place and the view of the castle was amazing. Would highly recommend.

Recommended by a friend to have some traditional Scottish food. The tender venison came with a few side dishes and a tasty sauce. We were a large group so we had a table upstairs. It was quieter and comfortable.

The food is delicious, the views are stunning, and the wine selection is good. Overall, it creates a delightful dining experience.

We arrived around 9:30 or so The kitchen was closing soon but they still let us sit The owner and the waitresses were very courteous and welcoming despite the late hour We ate a soup (which reading other reviews is very popular but because it is really worth it) A little spicy if you're not used to it but with the cold outside it's really excellent To finish, a very particular risotto (photo) with goat's cheese yolk and if I'm not mistaken also a bit of truffle powder (really an excellent composition) All accompanied by bread (I think made by them) and butter A must-try place with an excellent atmosphere by candlelight It's just a shame that some customers were a little too out of line

This is a retrospective review but just tried to book a table again now and the staff member was rude as hell so I might as well post it. Firstly you have to book via telephone as they have no online booking system. This means you get an overstressed person who is both working their job and having to deal with bookings. Secondly we'd waited for over an hour for our mains and they had run out of the ingredients so had replaced it with something else not from the menu. Overall this placed is overhyped, sub-par food and the just not worth the hassle. I really don't know what the outsider is trying to achieve with this venture but your food has to be really top notch to have the attitude they have and it's just not even close.

It took too long for me to finally make it to this Edinburgh classic. The food and service make the experience with great attention and quality. The menu is fun hand written daily specials. The room is loud and could use with some sound dampening management. It is very hard to hear your own table in conversation. But I fully recommend this place and hope they continue to improve the premises.

I'm not a vegan, but I ordered the vegan dish because it was so elaborate. The flavors and textures popped yet blended perfectly. Candlelight, good cocktails, and a stunning view makes this reasonably priced eatery a 5 star experience.

Service was great. Very knowledgeable and professional yet friendly. The starters were the star of the show for me. Ox cheek and the risotto. For mains I had the flat iron. Ever so slightly on the tough side but very tasty. Would go again.

We had the most amazing meal here for our anniversary. Every course was delicious, we had the best seats in the house over looking the castle and the service was almost as good as the company 😉 Thank you Jess you made it a lovely evening for us! Will definitely be back and recommending to our friends!

Went for lunch before a match at Murrayfield. The restaurant was busy but the service was still quick. Very well priced and varied lunch menu. The staff were helpful about gluten free options too, confirming that the chips are cooked in a separate fryer.

Everything about this place was meh.

Had a late lunch with business associates and we were pleasantly surprised with the food quality. The olives and the cheese plate were big hits! (We fell in love with the red storm cheese ❤️) the view is great. Had the fish stew and it was very interesting. Don't recommend the gnocchi dish... It was not like the Italian gnocchi we are used too, it was looking like an omelette cut in pieces 🫤)

Restaurant with a clean classic style serving delicious food at reasonable prices. A little understaffed, and so service was a little slow. I would still highly recommend it for the delicious food.

Great food, atmosphere and hidden place from tourists ;)

We had a lovely dinner and experience. The food was delicious, the view from the window tables overlooking the castle and old town was stunning (probably one of the best views of the castle from a restaurant). The restaurant felt busy in a positive way, the vibe and atmosphere was both relaxing and alive. Everyone from the staff really took good care of us - special thanks to Ignacio and his wife! Highly recommended! Definitely a place to revisit.

Very good first and second course; we had soup, cheese and trout; cod, steak and pork saltimbocca; the desert was not as great as the rest (trifle and lemon cake)

The restaurant has a nice ambiance and we decided to go because it was recommended. The whole place is lit with candles and it is really nice. We ordered the flat iron steak and asked for it to be cooked medium. It was so hard to chew that it was like chewing gum. I couldn't eat the steak, only had the chips and the salad. Also, the waiter who was taking care of us was not very nice. She didn't even ask why we didn't eat our steak, she just asked if I was going to continue, when I said I wasn't she took both of our plates without asking my friend. Although her sentences seemed to be helping us, her attitude and actions made us feel bad when we said we wanted to taste wine, as if we shouldn't do this. I felt weird. After my experience, I won't go again.

It was quite okay. We were famished when we got there. The food was delicious, thought it had varying temperature.

Beautiful decoration and comfortable sofa seats, food is pretty good and healthy.

What a wonderful restaurant, warm welcome from front of house, didn't have to wait for a table, excellent menu, with a great lunch menu, very reasonably priced,food was excellent, I will definitely return when in Edinburgh

Went at 4.30 and told to come back at 5 as they were doing a change over for dinner while board outside said lunch menu is served till 5. When said to the manager he didn’t really care. Attitude wasn’t good, advertising wasn’t good but they probably don’t care as enough passing trade to allow 3 people to go somewhere else.

Everything was spot on—from the starters to the preparation, and especially the desserts. We came across this restaurant by chance one day, booked it, and everything exceeded our expectations.

Awesome food variety at a very good price. We had coley with potatoes, kale and an Orange mermelade, and the cheese table and both were very tasty.

This restaurant has a very modern feel, with excellent service, and food. Their duck breast was absolutely phenomenal. I would definitely recommend stopping by for the excellent food!

Spectacular!! Excellent food and service!!

Friendly, agile service and a flat iron that exceeded expectations.

Gorgeous food for such a low price at lunch, high class and wonderful service. Dishes were fantastic.

The food was ok, prices were very high, we were sat next to a very loud group of guys and the waitress didn't check on us until the very end of the meal. She was super busy so I felt bad but it still wasn't a very fun experience for us.

Delicious food from fresh seasonal ingredients and an incredible accommodating staff. 10/10 if you’re visiting the city.

Stressed server, probably due to the fact that the TPE was not working. We had to go and withdraw money from the ATM a little further away. Friendly waitress and decent dishes, the fries are not homemade... Not incredible but it's okay.

I really don’t understand how there can be such a straightforward Racist in Edinburgh in 2024! Can this crappy restaurant still be open? Do you really have no fear of fire if you place the candle so casually on the table? Who on earth would be so stupid as to eat this? ? ?

Great view and tasty food. Service was a little slow but overall a lovely day experience.

Avoid this place at all costs—overpriced, bad service, and racist management, a pattern noted by several other reviewers. Booked this place for a birthday celebration, but it was a disaster. The manager seated us in a cramped hallway with a dangerously unstable candle setup. The waiter was cold and indifferent, and the food took forever to arrive—when it did, it was overpriced. The manager repeatedly asked us, an Asian group, to move our chairs, claiming they were obstructing others, despite the fact that this was where he had seated us in the first place. Strangely, he did not ask other diners to move, despite them being in similarly spaces. It felt blatantly discriminatory, as his rude behavior was clearly reserved for us. His attitude was worse than the food.

Nice place, busy but great service.

A true hidden gem of the city of Edinburgh. We had lunch at a table with a great view of the castle, the food was tasty and the staff were attentive and friendly. I recommend with love!

Very good restaurant, the daily specials are very good for less than 10 pounds I recommend

Food inedible. Cheapest cut of steak ive ever had. All my friends food was bad. Manager didnt care

Unexpected good dinner here! Lovely evening

Amazing lunch after a long travel day.

Hostess ignored us, and the waitress had the attitude that we were a burden. Generally the service was at best dismissive and slow. Someone obviously spent some money on the beautiful surroundings, too bad it is not run with the same care. Cheap paper napkins, the glassware must have been purchased from a second hand store. DO not lose the chef, the food was very good, well prepared, flavourful, and attractively presented. Be aware that there is a 12% service charge tacked on. I would have asked it to be removed had I not been in a group.

One of our favorite food spots in Edinburgh! Delicious food! Recommend!!

A Fantastic Dining Experience The Outsider in Edinburgh exceeded all of my expectations. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with stunning views of the city that make for a perfect backdrop. The menu offers a great variety, blending traditional Scottish ingredients with a modern twist. The staff were incredibly friendly, attentive, and despite it was busy and we didn’t book in advance we were offered great table and prices are very reasonable. I’ll definitely be back!

We stumbled on this place while strolling around and were very glad we did! We stopped in for lunch. My son and I both had the steak frites and were blown away by the lunch portion size and flavor. I love steak with peppercorn sauce and this was the best peppercorn sauce I've ever had.

The atmosphere, the location, the view, the detail of the candle on the table AND... the incredibly good meal! Our best Scottish culinary discovery! And the team at the top!