The best restaurants serving Italian food in Edinburgh and Lothian

Simple but tasty paninis, very authentic feel. Had to change my baby's nappy and they helped me carry things down to the toilet area. No changing table but squeaky clean facilities and no problem changing on the floor with my own changing mat. Great service with a smile!!

Now called Rocksalt formerly Cafe Luca. I am afraid I was not at all impressed and will not be back. Extremely disappointing. I had over done bacon a strange fluffy fried egg and chips. It cannot afford to coast on the back of the former glory associated with Cafe Luca.

Cute place down the stairs. Had enough space, the service was kind and the food was relatively fast ready. Very delicious Royal Salmon with a light sauce Hollandaise - a good portion to keep you full the whole morning!

PERMANENTLY CLOSED. we booked online and turned up and the place is permanently closed……..

If you're in the Leith area this place is definitely worth travelling to. Great service and great food. I would also go out of my way to go here just for the coffee. I'm a big meat eater so I was a bit hesitant when I saw the menu. I got the jalapeño popper + nduja and I was blown away. Side note: also had a lovely glass of white wine and I thought the wine glass it was served in was elegant and well thought out for the style of venue.

Excellent food, delicious starters and seafood linguine main. The staff are very knowledgeable and great banter as always!

First visit here a few weeks ago and it’s as lovely inside as the restaurant is from the outside. The staff were so friendly, the food was delicious and they do a real good Aperol spritz! I particularly loved how every table was spaced out so whilst the place was full and buzzing, you weren’t sat on top of each other. I’d definitely recommend and will definitely be back ✨

My family ate here 2 years ago and we are back. As a flexitarian, I can fully respect this menu and these chefs ability to make delicious food. I had the Meat Feast pizza and thought it was amazing. Ate the whole thing and didn't leave bloated. My family had the special (Pasta with butter cream, parm pistachio), calzone, and Mezze Maniche Alla Zozzona. Oh my! This place is unique and has to be the best Italian place I've eaten at, forget the fact it's vegan. Their layers of flavors will blow your mind.

Excellent focaccia sandwiches and coffee. Would recommend arriving early to avoid disappointment as they can sell out fast. But well worth it!

Excellent food and generous servings. Professional and friendly service. Relaxed atmosphere, not pretentious despite good standards. It wasn’t a pb to get dairy free alternative. The wine was excellent too. Will go back for sure. If it wasn’t so pricey (although worth every penny), we would be there every week.

Lovely bistro. Friendly staff and attentive to detail in their food.

On cold and very wet December days, this cafe was a great place to warm up. I suspect it would be a great 'slice of Italy' at any time of the year. Excellent hot and tasty panini, homemade scones and hot coffee...very welcome and much needed. Great attentive and friendly staff. We will ready return (and have) to this great cafe. For us, a bonus is that it is nowhere near the city centre.

Fantastic Italian cafe with wonderful friendly staff and the best Italian coffee and breakfast! We always go to the cafe every time we are visiting Edinburgh from Chicago. It’s the best! Thank you for all the delicious breakfasts and coffee!

Una experiencia fantástica. La pizza fue la mejor que he probado y nada como esa basura “nappy” de Nápoles que se hace tan rápido porque los chefs italianos necesitan hacer más pausas para fumar. La salsa Mutti es la mejor pero no tan buena como el guapo embajador de la marca escocesa Neill y su PA Catherine, que han creado un recuerdo que pone el nacimiento de mis hijos en segundo lugar con el sentimiento de amor que sentí después de mi comida. ¿Cómo lo hacen todavía en 2024 es la octava maravilla del mundo. Si puedes entrar te sorprenderás. ¡Vete!

If you're looking for authentic Italian food in Edinburgh, this is the place to go! From start to finish, everything about our experience was incredible. The restaurant has its own vineyard, and the wine they served us was hands-down the best we had on our trip—so rich and full of flavor. The food? Absolutely phenomenal. Every bite felt like we were dining in Italy itself. Fresh ingredients, perfectly balanced flavors, and that warm, comforting feeling that only true Italian cooking can bring. A special shoutout to Alex, our server, who made the night even better! Super friendly, attentive, and really passionate about the food and wine. Their recommendations were spot on, and the service was top-notch. If you're in Edinburgh and love Italian food, do not miss this place! Can't wait to come back.