The Devil’s Advocate

A Wednesday night in June and they couldn’t get two people in until 1.5 hours later. Come on. Pretentious feeling full of yuppie businessmen. Would have liked to eat here but didn’t plan ahead 3 days.

So loud! Got indigestion from this pub who’s trying to be a restaurant with pricy limited menu. Would not recommend unless you are 21 – 25 years old.

Food is incredible and it has a lovely atmosphere! One downside is it is always busy!

The food was amazing — one of the better meals I ate in Scotland. The restaurant itself… not so much. We made a reservation (essential!) and went for dinner on a Friday night, and loved the food, but not much else.
Setting:3 stars. Really cool space, but they were blaring rap music so loudly that I could barely hear anyone speaking. People walking in seemed rather baffled as well — it was just weird for the setting. Also, FULL of hen parties on a Friday night.
Service: 2 stars. When we went to ask about our reservation, we were told we were early (we were there 5 minutes early) and we should not have asked until it was exactly time. The hostess told us not to ask again, but to go wait, and she would find us. She was rude and brusque, but I figured it was late, loud, and she was tired. But then, she never bothered to get us. We watched her chat with friends for 20 minutes and pointedly ignore us… finally, we got frustrated and went upstairs, where the waiter was like «oh, there you are, we’ve had your table ready, what were you doing???» Ok then. Once we were seated our waitress was helpful enough, but when we got the bill she manually zeroed out the tip line. I wasn’t sure if that was because she wanted to force us to give her a cash tip, or didn’t want any tip… but I was confused. Maybe it’s a cultural thing?
Food: So this is the redeeming part. I had the burger, and my husband had the ribeye. Both were cooked perfectly, and they were amazing. We’d had a lot of lack luster food, so this was a pleasant surprise. Both entrees were quite salty, but it worked. 5 stars.
TLDR: sure, stop by if they aren’t busy, but not my scene on a Friday night. Loud, rude staff, but good food.

Five stars solely for the very kind bartender who took the time to help me choose a single-​malt whisky I really enjoyed based on my laughably unspecific preferences. She took the time to explain the flavors and origins of each thing she pulled for me. They have a HUGE selection here, and I was able to try something I’d never have ordered on my own. Thank you bartender!
While the bar itself isn’t touristy, it is mere steps away from the Royal Mile, so the clientele is an interesting mix of regulars and tourists. I can’t comment on the food, but I was there early (5:30ish on a Wednesday) and there were already people waiting for tables.

Just got to town & tried this place based on others reviews. We were not disappointed! Loved the atmosphere. Modern rustic. Great food. Really friendly service too. Just take your time because the pace is slow here! Overall a stellar first meal in Scotland.

Food was outstanding, service was mediocre, but the environment so noisy that we couldn’t have a conversation.

Simple pub food. Everything was good to okay. Sorta expensive for what it is.
Service was a little overwhelmed on Saturday and struggling.
Super loud music. Not the best place for talking.

This place is busy! We came here due to recommendation from almost everyone we spoke to in town. The drink menu is extensive and the two I had were delicious. The outdoor seating area is very nice and relaxed since the restaurant is located in an alley/​courtyard area of sorts. The restaurant itself is extremely dark. The service is pretty slow and not too friendly (a symptom of the busy business I guess). The food is pretty good. Everything is slightly under seasoned (a trend we’ve noticed in this city) but not so much so the food is bland. This is a great place if you’re not in a hurry and just want to snack, drink, and relax. Definitely a place worth trying again. Plus its location to our hotel and the Royal Mile makes it very convenient.

So in the interest of full disclosure, I was not feeling the best when I came to The Devil’s Advocate. In fact, I was feeling some gastro-​intestinal discomfort in the form of indigestion of my lunch… it felt like stabbing knife jabs in my stomach. BUT we were meeting friends, and no way in hell was I missing a meal in Scotland during my 11 day trip.
So I trooped over there (slightly late). The restaurant was nice enough to have already seated my friends at the table despite being VERY full.
Feeling ok enough to nibble on some appetizers, I ordered the grilled halloumi and watermelon salad with pesto, and the grilled polenta with poached egg and hollandaise.
Omg drool. So even with a less than intense hunger, these two appetizers were so good. The polenta dish? Please! Who doesn’t like a creamy perfectly poached egg yolk mixed with hollandaise sauce dripping into their grilled polenta? Who?! And grilled halloumi? My first time having it, and the mild yet nutty flavor and its firm texture went really well with the watermelon and pesto. Yum!
So unfortunately, did not try any drinks or entrees, but for the nice service and the two delicious appetizers, I would definitely recommend this place.
And I guess earmark it for a return trip… if I ever get to return to Scotland!

Coming from a Southern California girl, this place is pretty hipster. However, the staff were very friendly and it was in a great location. Food was slightly above average.

Having sampled over 10 restaurants, pubs, and bars during my stay in Edinburgh, this was my favorite! Admittedly, we did not dine here, but I loved the ambiance and excellent whisky collection. This is a place that has a much more hip, modern vibe than most of its neighbor pubs in the Old Town area. The ambiance reminded me of a quintessential hip New York bar, but of course the scotch whisky selection is far better! In fact, we liked it so much here that we came back for a second visit in the span of 3 days.
We shared some snack platters along with our drinks, and the food was delicious. I know a place is good when I love their olives, because I typically do not enjoy olives… the ones here, however, were to die for. Their prosciutto was excellent as well. I cannot speak to the dinner food, but I would not hesitate to try it the next time I’m in Edinburgh.
They serve beers on tap in either full or half pints, which is handy in case you’re not in the mood to guzzle a full pint. I had one cocktail while I was here, a whisky one, and it was amazing.

First stop in Edinburgh after checking into our hotel. Super cute place. Quaint, cozy with just enough historical ambiance to be cool but not pretentious.
They seated us right away for dinner even without reservations. We got there at 6pm on a Tuesday night. Maybe we were just lucky.
Very friendly and warm staff. Food was awesome. Probably one of our best meals thus far in the UK. I had the delcious perfectly seasoned succulent pork belly. Fat never tasted so good.
My friend had the lamb dish. Perfectly prepared and paired with fresh tomatoes and potatoes.
Whiskey selection is wide and far (local to the States to Japan). Pages and pages of it. Loved it.
Would definitely recommend this to friends near and far. Just make reservations ahead.

We stopped at the Devil’s Advocate after a very long day of traveling. The place is in a very cool old building down a narrow path that cuts between buildings. The path is called «Advocate close.»
The place was very busy and we found a couple seats at the bar. I have very little experience with Scotch Whisky. The bartenders were very helpful with choosing some different whiskies for me to try. They had a huge selection and seemed to know about all of them. I asked for something in the range of 5 – 6 pounds. When I got the bill noticed the few that I tried were only 4 pounds. I was happy they didn’t go the other direction in price. There was about a 30 minute wait for a table for dinner. We asked if we could eat at the bar. With some checking with the manager, they were able to accommodate our request.
We started with a really good Salmon Salad and spilt an order of fish and chips. Overall we had a pretty good experience!

I really really wanted to give The Devil’s Advocate 5 full Stars. It has everything I love. An incredible atmosphere, a great Whiskey list and the best cocktails we had while in Edinburgh.
I had the Whole Sea Bass, which was wonderful. My daughter had the roasted chicken, it was also delicious. We ordered the Duck Fat Potatoes on the side. It was included with the Duck dish, but was well worth asking for them to provide separately.
The reason for the 4 Star review, the Top Sirloin Steak. It was well cooked, but had absolutely no flavor.
We’ll definitely be back. And I highly recommend The Devil’s Advocate. It will be a great spot to meet with friends and have some great drinks.

Love this place! It’s got a great feel — lots of wood and stone. The cocktail list is superb and they have a good selection of beers as well.
I ordered Jerusalem Artichoke soup and it was to die for. Pure deliciousness. Also had a side of roasted seasonal vegetables and they were divine.
This place seems to be pretty popular, so I recommend booking a reservation in advance.

I went here with friends for drinks and the atmosphere is lovely. It’s really intimate feeling and cozy. It really plays off the history of old town with the stone walls and candles.
The beers there are great. Not the type you have at every bar. The cocktails are great. It’s a bit pricey so a good place to go for a classy catch up or a relaxed yet snazzy date.

Eh wow. How friggin gorgeo is this place. First of all, if you’re going from the high road, you have to step through one of those little laneways that seems like it’s going nowhere but turns out to be like a portal into a whole other old Edinburgh world. Also the laneway is called Advocate’s Close which I thought was kinda cool. (Laneways and passageways and doors into streets — jeez Edinburgh you’re mad covert)
Anyway. Back to the Devil’s Advocate. The name is quite apt as it’s a tempting dark spot with lots of naked flames around (gorgeous candles. If hell is like this, sign me up tbh). It’s got that perfect mix of old and new — contemporary finishes over old, old stone. It envelopes you as soon as you go in and makes it rather difficult to leave.
They have an incredible selection of whiskeys. And knowledgeable and sound bar staff who can explain and recommend each and every one to you. I didn’t get to try the food but I bet it’s great.
It’s all bloody great. Go. You just might not ever leave…

Comment choisir un resto à Edinburgh? En cherchant sur Unilocal !
Car on né passé pas par hasard devant le Devil’s Advocate: il est situé dans une des nombreuses ruelles pentues perpendiculaires au Royal Mile.
Mais en rentrant, changement de décor, on oublie les pierres grises et humides du vieux Edinburgh, et on se retrouve dans une ambiance hyper moderne, déco industrielle et lumière indirecte.
La carte n’est pas longue. La toulousaine que je suis fait comme si elle n’avait pas vu le confit de canard et son «Toulouse sausage cassoulet» (…), et j’opte pour le burger d’agneau, betterave, fromage de chèvre et tzatziki, un vrai régal !
Le tout avec un service efficace, endroit au top !

For starters, you simply must walk down the alley from Lawnmarket so that you can enjoy the incredible view of The Scott Monument.
My traveling companion and I stopped in for a drink and dinner (what Americans would call «late lunch»). The décor is splendid and we felt a bit naughty walking in wearing tennis shoes and carrying bags of souvenirs, but we were quickly and enthusiastically seated upstairs.
I had the beet and tomato purée (soup) and finally warmed up after and afternoon of wandering around in «warm, sunny, Scotland.»
I had the lamb burger-​cooked to perfection with an excellent flavor profile of goat cheese, beet root, and middle Eastern spices.
My companion had the roast beef salad-​tender juicy chunks of med rare roast beef doused with olive oil on a fresh bed of sophisticated greens with a sprinkling of sharp cheese.
Unlike other diners, we stuck with beer, bit wet did try the desserts. Save room-​I had the lemon and my companion had the chocolaty mousse and we BOTH contemplated living the bowl!
We left by 5pm, but I would return for an excellent evening!

Ambiance, food, drinks, service — they all deserve top marks. A piece of quiet smack in the middle of the bustle, I would describe this spot as trendy, but without the pretentiousness that can usually come with it.
The cocktails were artfully prepared. I tried 2, and each had flavor combinations I had never experienced before. Delish!
For dinner I had the courgette soup, and the rare roast beef salad, which had so many layers of flavor and texture. Really good stuff. And the dessert — this lemon concoction that was neither mousse, nor custard, but something so smooth and delightful, I can’t even describe it. A great experience!

Ce Bar resto niché au fond d’une ruelle perpendiculaire à l’artère touristique vaut le détour.
On y vient pour son atmosphère moderne et épurée et une gastronomie traditionnelle revisitée.
Service très attentionné.
Parfait pour y amener une date :)