The Palmerston
Best for: sustainable dining
Must order dish: It’s always changing, but something like the cassoulet with confit duck leg, pork belly, cotechino sausage and green salad
On a corner between Princes Street and Haymarket, previously home to tenants including a high street bank and a low-key cafe, this terrific all-day restaurant leaves diners with the sense that the chefs constantly obsess over the details of land and sea. The menu changes with each service, with ingredients sourced from local fishermen and farmers, including meat from organic, no-dig farm The Free Company, located in the fields below the Pentland Hills. So there could be extremely good hogget fagot, ox’s liver, or fish stew, but equally, it might be a more challenging crispy pig’s head or pickled tripe salad. Simply put, the Australian Scots owners put their trust in bold flavours – there are no dribbles of sauce here – and the measure of its success is that it can be as busy on a dreich midweek as on a sunny weekend. The other detail not to overlook is the bakery – perfect for brekkie pastries or to stash away for a takeaway lunch.
Address: 1 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh EH12 5AF
Website: thepalmerstonedinburgh.co.uk
Timberyard
Timberyard
Best for: seasonal fare and impeccable ingredients
Must order dish: Grilled langoustine with fennel pollen and Amalfi lemon
In a beautifully converted, Scandi-inspired and candlelit brick warehouse just a few minutes from the Grassmarket, you’ll find some of the most exciting food being cooked in Edinburgh. With a focus on ingredients from small, local growers and suppliers and a Nordic flavour, Timberyard’s Michelin-starred menu is fresh, seasonal, simple and utterly delicious. As is the way, things are in a constant state of flux here, but our visit brought a meaty bass served with mussels, sea beet and a hum of vermouth; caramelised pork belly sitting alongside buttery cabbage, kimchi and salted apple; and roasted pink fir potatoes in a rich shallot herby glaze. They also do their own pickling, curing and foraging, and you’ll find plenty of homemade surprises, including dark red berry kombucha on offer. Whether you opt for the tasting menu at dinner or plump for a smaller set menu at lunch, you’ll have a memorable visit. Sonya Barber
