Edinburgh: – These restaurants are worth the trip on their own

Despite being the homeland of deep-fried Mars bars (!), Scotland, and Edinburgh in particular, has grown into a wonderful gastronomic destination. One of the advantages of the Scottish capital is that the city centre is small and compact, so you don't need to walk far to find your favourite.

The Devil’s Advocate

Located in an old Victorian pump house in the Old Town, one of Edinburgh's best-kept secrets is the whisky bar and restaurant The Devil's Advocate.

Besides having a fantastic name, The Devil's Advocate offers some of the city's best cuisine, with generous portions, high-quality ingredients and lovely service in incredibly cool premises. The restaurant has over 300 different types of whisky available for those who want to test some of the best that Scotland has to offer, as well as a rich selection of cocktails.

The restaurant also offers a very tasty lunch, perfect after visiting Edinburgh Castle.

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Hawksmoore

Located in the former premises of the National Bank of Scotland, Hawksmoore is one of the city's very best steak restaurants. You may already be familiar with the restaurant chain, as they have several locations in cities including London, Manchester, Dublin, and New York.

Besides serving incredible meat in completely unique premises, Hawksmoore also offers high-quality, local seafood, good service and tasty cocktails. In Edinburgh, Scottish cattle features prominently on the menu. Hawksmoore also serves a classic and award-winning Sunday roast.

After a fine steak dinner, it is recommended to pop down to the cellar for a visit to the very congenial Lady Libertine wine and cocktail bar.

The Witchery

“I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany,” said Ron Burgundy in Anchorman. The same can be said of the venerable restaurant The Witchery. Located a stone's throw from Edinburgh Castle in the Old Town, The Witchery has a moody atmosphere of dark oak, leather chairs and white tablecloths. Modern food based on the best Scottish ingredients and a rich wine cellar completes the scene.

In other words, it’s the perfect setting for a romantic dinner in distinctly Scottish surroundings.

If you want to live like a king or queen, we can also mention that The Witchery offers a handful of luxurious rooms upstairs dressed in velvet and gold paint.

Number One

The award-winning restaurant Number One is located in what is perhaps Edinburgh's most famous luxury hotel, The Balmoral Hotel. This is the place where J. K. Rowling finished the final Harry Potter books, and it is possible to stay in the same suite as the author.

Nevertheless, it is in the basement of the hotel that the real magic takes place. At Number One, Scotland's finest ingredients meet modern culinary art. Seven-course set menus with an optional wine package and cheese plate are standard. Although it lost the star it previously held in the Michelin Guide, at the time of writing, Number One still has four roses in the British AA Guide (the equivalent of one to two stars in the Michelin Guide).

The price is also acceptable, with a full seven-course meal for about £115 (wine packages are extra).