El Quijote

Love this place! My boyfriend and I go here often, and we have tried many dishes. The portion sizes are perfect, and there are many varied choices. Get the venison, if you eat meat; it is excellent. Definitely recommend!

Wow. Either I’ve eaten at the wrong place or none of these reviewers have actually been to Spain. I don’t mind paying through the nose for tapas. I’ve been to Tickets and Bodega 1900 in Barcelona which are as about as expensive as you can get in Spain.
What is damning is that they don’t have any prices on their website? The food here was as expensive as the best stuff I’ve had in Spain but with the poor quality of something you would find in the most touristy place on Las Ramblas. If I can order a leg of the highest grade jamón ibérico de bellota for the price you pay in Spain plus 20 EUR shipping I don’t understand why it has to be so expensive here.
Most of our best produce goes to Spain as they are willing to pay a higher price, especially for our seafood. Walking around the market there all the langoustines and shellfish come from our West coast. I packed the wee buggers one summer on the Isle of Skye and every day refrigerated Spanish lorries would pick them up live to drive back to Spain. The Spanish are very very particular about quality of ingredients and this place did not follow the tradition.
An order of small calamari was something like £7 and the earthenware bowl it came in had a crack in it. Not a chip, but a crack where you can get dirt and it won’t wash out. That would fail a health and safety inspection double quick time.
The mains are pushing high teens. I was dubious after ordering a starter and seeing the prices upfront so didn’t go crazy and was glad because of it. I also had croquettes which were decent but the side salad was wilted and horrid and the type you get from 3663 or brakes. Why even put a side salad with croquettes? Oh maybe because you are charging more than £6 for them. They should be on a small plate adorned with only a small piece of paper underneath to catch any oil. It’s deep fried bechamel sauce, about the cheapest food you can possibly make!
Wine choices as well were pretty dear. You could fill up a van with stuff to supply a Spanish restaurant for a good while and drive it back making a tidy profit which is what I imagine they do.
Do not recommend.

Everything is very good. The last time I had tappas, it wasnt that nice. But this time, El Quijote served tappas perfectly! I totally recommend everything, especial the meat platters! Even small, this restaurant has big tastes!

Had dinner here in May 2014 while vacationing in Edinburgh. We ordered three different dishes and all were excellent. My husband had Presa Iberica, my brother had a sort of pork roulade and I had a prawn/​ham/​cheese dish. All were seriously delicious and also very reasonably priced. Service was also good and for me that all adds up to 5 stars. Must try if in the neighborhood!

Great food. Dishes are centered around Iberian pork and it’s awesome. Nice little restaurant and great whine. Came from the states and wasn’t disappointed. Would definitely eat here again if I made it back to the UK

With all the time I spend around Tollcross, I am surprised I didnt find El Quijote earlier. This place is great and will definitely be our new go-​to Spanish tapas place.
Like others have said, this place is authentic. No oily, weird UK tapas here. The selection is classic with a few surprises here and there. They also have a daily specials board. Interior is small and homey and the service is very good, very friendly. Good selection of wines at a good price.
We had a mix of several things. The Tabla Iberica plate is a mix of cured meats. You could order ten of those and be satisfied in Spanish meat heaven. It is delicious. Also tried the fried cod, calamares and pork cheek stew. Yum, yum, yum. Squid is fresh and has a delicious light batter. Love that it isnt some frozen, prebattered stuff. Cod was equally tender and juicy and in a lovely light batter. Pork cheek stew was in a delicious broth and the meat was fall-​apart tender. You could eat a huge pot of that.
Really happy we came across this place. El Quijote has restored my faith in Spanish tapas in the UK. Skip all the chain tapas places and just go here.

I think it’s fair to say that Spanish cuisine hasn’t caught on in the UK in the way that, say, French or Italian has. We’re all au fait with authentic coq au vin and insist on our pasta being al dente, but, despite tv chefs throwing chorizo into every second dish, how many of us really know what Spanish food is all about? Tapas and sangria might be holiday staples but when looking for somewhere for dinner Spanish doesn’t seem to be the first thing that springs to mind.
El Quijote has changed all that, and in doing so has leaped right to the top of my list of favourite places.
It’s small and cosy, with a sort of rustic décor that doesn’t overdo it but still manages to feel welcoming and snug. I’m glad we booked ahead as it was full and they were turning people away. The staff are friendly but not overbearing, and the menu is just extensive enough to require some tough decisions but not to leave you languishing in the slough of menu despond.
And the food, of course. Man. That was some of the best grilled meat I’ve had in ages. We started with some simple tapas: the obligatory chorizo and manchego, and some piquant grilled peppers, to go with the complimentary bread and olive oil. Then onto the main courses. My grilled Iberian pork was incredible (see photo). Tender and pink on the inside, with that nice grilled outside, little bits of crisp and crunch, just heavenly. And the simple accompaniment of potatoes and salad was all that was needed.
I didn’t particularly like the wine I chose, so I made up for it by finishing the meal with some unctuously rich sherry from their short sherry menu. Much better than having pudding. The next day I was dreaming of that grilled pork and we’ll be back soon to try the rest of the menu.

Came here for a Unilocal girly lunch following Jenny’s weekly newsletter on the best Spanish food in Edinburgh. My taste buds were a tingling. And tingled they were!
The tabla quijote platter of meat and cheese allowed us to taste every variety on offer. Some were nicer than others (I’m not a fan of blue cheese!) but it was a great sharing plate for anyone who loves cured meat and chorizo. I also ordered a tapas sized of small peppers with white asparagus and topped with an Andalusian sauce. Phallic looking as they were (haha!) I rather liked them. The dish was chilled, asparagus was soft (not crunchy how I normally like asparagus) but tasty nevertheless. The sauce was nice too and I’d order them again.
For my main I ordered the Pork Cheeks stew which was recommended by jenny. I went for the medium side but boy it was big! watch out on the sizes if you’re having starter tapas too! The stew was basically a big bowl of soup like stew. Not what I was expecting but extremely tasty. I’ve never had pork cheeks before but the meat was slow cooked and fell away from the fork. Yum! The only thing was the lack of «chunky homemade chips» as described in the menu. There were bits of potato in the stew but chips? Nope.
Would I go back? Definitely. The food was authentic and tasty and its really near my work so v handy! It’s small but cute with terracotta pots and plants dotted around inside. Quite quaint. If it wasn’t for the garlic in the food it would be an ideal date venue! :)

El Quijote has long been on my radar as some of the best Spanish food that Costa del Edina has to offer. Yet for some reason I had never found a reason to go.
Take one gloriously sunny Sunday during our blast of summer, visiting friends, and a taste for a good filling lunch. We wandered by, found it open, and went right in.
The small wooden exterior is quite telling of the small, wooden interior inside. It is small, with a small number of covers. The food came out two or three dishes at a time, with some gaps in between each; telling of a small kitchen too.
And also, very telling of the quality of the food. The porks cheek came out last, but it was evident it had been cooked and simmered fresh. The tender, delicious meat in a densely flavoured gravy was quite delicious. The two types of manchego cheese, the ham, the calamri, all of it was the best quality Spanish food I’ve had on our fair isle. It’s definitely «straight off the boat» from Espana.
The stand-​out dish, for me, was the dish I ordered. A mushroom, artichoke and potato dish. It wasn’t a small tapas plate, but a main meal (only at £8.50 mind). It expect it to be just a ratatouille style amalgalm of vegetables, sauttéed and served scattered on a plate.
Instead, they came out as a round disc, formed together similar to how the Spanish frittata might look; but without the end binding it. Instead, it was a very large ‘cake’ of mushrooms, artichoke and potato, with a strong flavour of thyme. Not greasy, not oily (not like any other ‘British’-tapas like La Tasca). Light, full of flavour and delicious.
Based on this meal alone, I am already looking forward to another night back. I imagine for dinner the atmosphere is quite high, packed into the small space. The waitress was very friendly, the music was some Spanish-​Italian-​ska, the wooden interior transports you for a minute away from Tollcross. Bueno! Muchos bueno!

After the fab reviews on here i decided that El Quijote was the place to go for eats on
Saturday night!
Firstly the waitresses were extremely accommodating, we were late, and when i called the resturant to advise of this it was no problem! The restuarant is very small and can likethe other reviews suggest be quite cramped.
We ordered the platter, which comprised of a selection of Salami & Cheeses, you could certainly taste the quality of the food! The Rioja was lovely and the ambience was very romantic. Only slight downside was their was only 2 waitresses serving and service suffered slightly (but only a tiny bit)
If you are thinking of going here, then do! Its worth every penny & remember to book in advance!

I must say this place was AH-​MAZING! Not only was it cozy and super comfy, the staff were awesome. They made sure that our dinner party of three were as comfy as can be and this is really important cause we were dining with a toddler.
The waitress was very friendly with my wee one and even took her back to the kitchen to say hello to the chef and show her stuff! It made me feel like I was back home in Spain.
Now to get to the food. It was great. By far the best Spanish food I have had in Scotland. The Gordiales were authentic Sevillan olives. The salmorejo (a type of gazpacho) had punch and was very tasty. The chips were perfectly fried and not greasy. The chicken was scrumptious and juicy. The cook even created a special plate of food for my wee one, tortilla francesa con tomate! Basically an egg omelet with tomato wedges.
You gotta love this kind of personalized service. Its a special place that makes such an effort with your childs needs and also serves quality tasty food. I will most definitely be going back.

Its a lovely wee traditional spanish tapas restaurant in Tollcross. I went with a group of friends so we ordered nearly one of everything on the menu. It allowed us all to try a bit of everything and we weren’t disappointed. The service was outstanding and the various elements of the meal that were from different regions in spain were explained. Definitely worth a visit!!!

Oh Quijote, you have ended my epic quest for good spanish food.
Authentic spanish food; the famous iberian ham where the pigs eat only the acorns, delcious manchego cheese, and the olives!
To be honest I’m not even sure where to start, perhaps the ham, jamon. Cut in the traditional thin slices it melts in your mouth with a delicous savory salty essence of Spain.
There was also an amazing venison dish, with black salt on top! The meat was a bit on the tough side, but the flavours and the spices truly brought me back to my times to Spain.
Atmosphere is rather cute of them trying to transport you to the Frontera, but its the food that succeeds in this desire. In my top 5 restaurants of Edinburgh!

If you like authentic countryside tapas, this is the place to go. Fantastic cheese and charcuterie platter, yummy hot tapas. This tiny tapas bar in Tollcross is a little gem.
The service is very good and our lovely hostess explained the dishes to us. It’s also great that the place is open all day, which is perfect for a late Saturday afternoon lunch. Highly recommended.

Was really disappointed with this place. Went last night before a Fringe show. Very poor, small menu. Not enough choice to have Tapas and not many choices for main courses either. Choices very restricted. Meat was dry and chicken was thin cut, fatty and chewy. Service was very poor. We waited 30mins to have our order taken and my friend ordered a wine which took 20mins to show. I had a prawn dish and found an uncooked prawn in my dish. Pretty lame and disapointing experience. The only positive thing was the cosy setting and live guitar player. Won’t be returning or recommending.

My first review on Qype had to be for El Quijote. This HAS to be the Spanish hidden gem of Edinburgh. Prior to eating in EL Quijote, i wasnt overly impressed by any of Spanish the restaurants in Edinburgh. On the outside, it is very unassuming without the cliched decoration featured in the likes of La Tasca — here is traditional ceramic crockery, surrounded in a truely authentic Spanish setting.
When my partner and i entered were instantly made to feel very comfortable and given the best seat at the window. I visited Barcelona in the recent months before and eating here took me back to the delightful experience of eating rustic, fresh Spanish food — at not too much of a cost ! I had the Spanish Fishcakes — and i can honestly say that they were the nicest fishcakes i have ever tasted, oh and the manchego is lovely. Fairly priced. i would recommend this wee delight to anyone looking for a nice Spanish meal in Edinburgh. I will definetely be back.

Had dinner here the other night with two people and we have all been raving about it since. Recently opened (perhaps last December or so?) and in a small unit opposite Realfoods on Brougham street. Homely, authentic, delicious Spanish tapas served with a smile and passion that is unmatched in Edinburgh. Seriously, this is the best tapas in Edinburgh at the moment. Make this a must-​visit!

Lovely atmos, authentic ceramic jugs and plates. Different but authentic food We had pork cheek stew lovely and the kids thought it was lush too. We also had the large cheese and meat platter, the chicken skewer, two full bowls of the amazingly fresh squid, olives, bread, wine, water and juice. The kids were stuffed we were eating for about 2 hours. with plenty of people around its chatty and somewhere we will all go again. The baby squid had sold out or we would have had that too.