Victor & Carina Contini The Scottish Cafe and Restaurant

Amazing!
I was charged with organizing this years office Christmas meal and let me tell you that keeping 40 odd people happy is no easy feat! Lucky for me, Contini’s was here to help.
Booking was easy as the restaurants set up a contact for dealing with Christmas parties so I knew already we were in good hands. The menu looked amazing and booking was a breeze.
On the day we arrived in time to find the tables decorated with crackers. The food was brought out at a good pace, leaning towards slow. The staff were fantastic and great care was taken to make sure anyone with dietary needs was looked after.
Now, the food. Fairly darn phenomenal given the number of us! Everything was cooked to perfection and wonderfully arranged. The hits of the day were the amazing turkey and ham, and the divine chocolate pot! Though the duck, salmon and clootie dumpling aren’t far behind.
Personally, I had the goose to start which was served with radish and an orange sauce. For mains I went with the duck, served with cabbage, potatoes and some delicious aniseed concoction. For afters I went with Clootie dumpling which was fantastically light (for dumping…) and tasty.
Everyone had a great time and there was so much room that our guffaws, hilarious secret Santa presents and general joviality didn’t infringe on other patrons which was a nice plus.
I would definitely recommend any of the Contini restaurants for a Christmas meal!

I was invited through to Edinburgh to meet an old friend. I hadnt heard of Contini’s so wasn’t quite sure what to expect. We were allocated a great seat by the window which was good for people watching, with a great view of Princes Gardens.
I decided to opt for one of the light bites and ordered the open brie and chutney sandwich. When ordering the waitress asked if I would like a small mug of soup to accompany my sandwich which was a good shout. My sandwich was beautifully presented with a side salad, fresh grated beetroot and a small mug of spiced celearic soup. The flavours were amazing and my sandwich was quickly devoured.
I have been on a clean eating programme at the moment, so this felt like a real treat and we decided to just go all out and get dessert too since it was our only day off. Anyways I opted for a slice of homemade carrot cake and a cappucino. This is the first time I have been presented with a coffee with the restaurants logo presented in chocolate ! My carrot cake was great but I did experience some food envy when my friends petit fours arrived.
I really enjoyed my experience here and will def be back :)

When it was announced that my annual uni Chemistry Ball was to be held in the National Galleries, I had visions of us wining and dining along aside the artworks; a risky premise, I thought.
Of course, what I had forgotten was that there is a great wee café and restaurant underneath the galleries, which was where our ball was held. Previous venues included The George Hotel and Ghillie Dhu, so expectations were high.
Upon arrival (in quite a surreptitious manner — we had to be let in the side entrance by a member of council staff as the only entry, via Princes St Gardens, is otherwise locked up after 6pm) we were warmly greeted with glasses of Prosecco. So far, so good.
After a half hour cocktail reception we were allowed into the main restaurant area for our meal. With regards to décor, this place is classy and cosy; there are clear Scottish influences without being overwhelmed with tartan. I particularly liked the wee beakers that doubled up as candle holders — it’s always the small details that impress me.
What I was most excited about, though, was the food (as per the norm). It was clear that this restaurant was all about promoting local produce, as there was a big board at the front explaining where all the key ingredients from the meal had come from.
By half 7, my tummy was rumbling, so I was delighted at the plentiful bread supply at the table with some oil dip. Maybe could have done with some butter or balsamic vinegar as well, if I was being picky. The bread was fresh and tasty and kept me going until the starter of fishcakes were served.
I’m not usually a fishcake-​y person, but these were little round servings of haddock heaven complimented well with a lemon mayonnaise. Light and tasty — the perfect way to start a meal.
The beef that followed was also a winning choice. Only recently have I discovered how much more flavoursome red meat is when it’s not cooked thoroughly. This cut, accompanied with a rich herby butter and tenderstem broccoli, was beautiful. And all this was atop of a lovely rosti. Simple, fresh, well-​cooked.
By the time dessert came, I was a bit full. Still, I was excited for the chocolate and orange pudding. And it looked lovely– a wine-​glass full of chocolateness, topped with some pretty little flowery things (red cress? Is that a thing? I’m not quite sure what it was) and crunched honeycomb.
But I really struggled to get through it, and this is someone who has a mouthful of sweet teeth. It tasted delicious, don’t get me wrong. It was, however, very rich — almost like eating a slightly melted cup of Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Maybe if it had been in the form of a torte, with a bit of biscuit base action, it would have been a bit more stomachable.
Overall, though, a gorgeous meal in a sophisticated setting (and I take my hat off the the staff, who were discreet and efficient). Set us up for a night of ceilidh-​ing and, latterly, boogie-​ing, and was a lovely location for what was my final Chemistry Ball.

My husband & I went here during a recent trip to Edinburgh on the tail-​end of our honeymoon based on Unilocal reviews & laughed b/​c we realized it is a sister restaurant (and almost the exact same menu) to Centotre which we literally went to the day before also due to the strong Unilocal reviews. Regardless, we had a very pleasant meal (my husband ordered the same dish as the previous day (Scottish Breakfast) and I ordered the Smoked Salmon w/​2 poached eggs & a bagel which was delicious. The Bloody Mary’s were also very tasty.
Only disappointment was that the heat was not working when we were there & unfortunately, it was a VERY cold & windy morning. To top it off, we were seated by the windows & ended up eating our entire meal in our jackets b/​c it was so cold. Seemed odd to me that no one that worked there acknowledged the issue & we only found out b/​c we overheard management talking to each other.
Overall though, great location (central to shopping, the castle, museums & gardens) and a great meal.

So, I came here on an early Saturday and stayed after reading «One of Scotland’s best Sunday breakfasts as recommended by Peter Irvine in ‘Scotland the Best 2012′». Really, Peter Irvine? Remind me to NOT trust your opinion again please.
While the service is top notch and the location is nice and super clean, the food selection leaves you a bit disappointed. I mean sure, being a vegan in Scotland is just STUPID but even so, if I did enjoy meat and cheddar and such, I would have still been underwhelmed by this menu. So toast and jam it was! At least their homemade preserves? Amazing.
The manager was willing to make me a hot toddy at 10am and that is definitely worth my respect. Note to everyone: climbing a mountain, in the winter and wind, in a skirt, is not a good idea. At least I can say I tried living it up like my ancestors.

After an afternoon in the Scottish gallery, I was feeling quite faint from a sugar drop. Exiting from the shop, we saw a little counter outside the Scottish café selling cupcakes. The looked heavenly, and my boyfriend bought me one.
It was quite a bit bigger than usual cupcakes, and instead of buttercream, there was a thick double cream topping with numerous raspberries. It was really fresh, light, and hit the spot for sure. I’d love to return to try other flavours, yet alas, I didn’t see anything gluten free.
I have drank tea in the main café before, and it is very spacious, service is good, the menu is traditional, yet at the same time very modern… If you get me… No empire biscuits, but mounds of fresh scones with various jams, herbal teas, good coffee. I may come back in to try a savoury dish, as the Scottish café often seems packed and is very popular with tourists and locals alike.
It’s in a fantastic location, downstairs from the national gallery and princes street, overlooking Princes street gardens.

Was looking for somewhere to have breakfast while l was waiting for a friend who was on business here. The breakfast was nice but very expensive £10.95 and a cup of tea was just under £3.00. You could see the cooks walking through the restaurant to go outside for a smoke. Some of the staff where not very clean.

I have only been here once… and well frankly I was both drunk and hungover… and wearing a christmas hat. It was for a christmas party.
We had a good table, excellent service, lots of wine and beer and stuff. If I remember rightly the food was quite excellent and looked great. I spent some time slurring at a waitress and she seemed nice too. Afterwards I wanted to get more drunk so I think that’s basically a win for the venue!
I shall have to go back and check it out properly at some point although I hear coffee is rather dear, however I shall go for food.

Popped in enroute to the annual Turner exhibition. Nice and clean, decent cuppa, efficient staff and unadulterated joy that the humble Aberdeen buttery has found its place on a breakfast menu in the city. Was it a dream, or did they really charge £3.75 for a large coffee? Surely not.

Don’t have anything to compare the Scottish breakfast to — but it was damn good. Ambiance was comfortable and service was impeccable.

outdoor seating in the east princess st garden was great. the weather was awesome along with the service. the poached eggs with salmon was excellent.

Wow! I might venture to say that this is a restaurant I’d tell people they HAVE to try when visiting Edinburgh.
We saw The Scottish Café the night before as we were walking by the park, but it was closed. The next day, as we were exploring the city, we decided we wanted to try it out since we planned to check out the museum as well.
Mum had the fried haddock, chips, and mushy peas. The fish was perfect and lightly fried. Chips were chunky and mushy peas were delightfully sweet. I had the egg sandwich, which was nice and loads better than any Tesco sandwich. It could have use some sauce, as it was a little dry.
What sealed the deal is that we stumbled here on Mother’s Day accidentally (Mother’s Day in the US is on a different day than in the UK…) Mum was given a free glass of prosseco, and we were seated promptly with a fantastic view of the park and gardens on a lovely sunny day in Edinburgh.
5 STARS, fa sho!

they use «ethically sourced direct trade 100% arabica coffee from brazil, roasted exclusively for the scottish café» (and centrotre which is an italian restaurant on george street run by the same folk).

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch at the Scottish Café. I thought the service was great and lunch menu had a fantastic variety for all tastes.
We were greeted on arrival by a lovely young man, who couldnt have been more welcoming. The one point I would make (not a negative point mind) was that this young chap had a tiny forehead; you may go as far to call it a threehead. Found this very strange!
All in all a superb experience and the petit fours were TO DIE FOR! You MUST try them.

Good interior design and really friendly staff. Great lunch time atmosphere and good food.

Oh. The Joy.
Not only is it inside a museum, all the food is incredibly fresh and appears to be mostly organic, if not local.
The colours inside are nice and earthen-​tone, the staff is very attentive, but not intrusively so. The ambiance is quiet, mellow, like a soft brook gliding through an autumn forest. Okay, I’ll stop, but are you with me here? Are you experiencing the joys of soft piano music, gentle hum of conversation and really, really good and honest food? If you are, good, if not, please walk down to this restaurant now and experience it.
I’ve only ever been in the day-​time, both times relatively early though the closer to lunch the busier it gets, but I love this place.
This may be one of the few café/​restaurants that I just enjoy the ambiance of because it is so … so soft, so mild.
A minor disclaimer: children are not a good idea here, at least not inside, unless they are extremely quiet. It’s a very quiet setting and since the ceilings are high, sound carries!
Fortunately, a lot of the patrons are nice old ladies, which invariable reminds me of Miss Marple, who come here to have their tea.
Ah, joy. No shouting, no harsh clinking cutlery sounds, just … tea. And perhaps a scone or two.

I stopped in here for their 2-​course lunch special for 17.95 GBP that includes a choice of starter, mains, or sweets. I had the smoked salmon salad and the strawberries with oat cakes. Everything was delicious. The restaurant overlooks the gardens and the atmosphere is very nice with pleasant music and free wifi. One of the best meals in a 2-​week trip to the UK.

After 30 minutes we were still waiting to have our order taken. Slow and poorly trained staff. Cannot comment on food since we did not wait more. Free wi-​fi. Good baby changing facilities.

Located on the ground floor of the National Gallery, The Scottish Café & Restaurant is a lovely café that offers incredibly fresh and flavoursome Scottish food. All the ingredients are sustainably produced and there’s a selection of everything from snacks and light meals to hale and hearty mains like organic chicken, lamb, steak and traditional cullen skunk. They also sell a tasty range of freshly baked layer cakes, cupcakes, old fashioned ice-​cream sundaes and afternoon tea.
Being a self-​confessed sweet-​tooth, I usually opt for a buttermilk fruit scone with strawberry jam or a bowl of their warming organic porridge with fresh berries and heather honey. Both cost under a fiver and usually give me the sugar-​rush I need to climb The Mount and explore the Royal Mile or Grassmarket.

As far as snack-​time views go, you can’t get much better than this. Assuming, that is, that you’re lucky enough to be eating here on one of the rare sunny days that Einburgh sees every year! It’s nestled in the lower floor of the National Galleries Complex in Princes Street Gardens, with big floor-​to-​ceiling windows along one wall, and plenty of outside tables.
I just popped in for a coffee whilst I was waiting for a friend, but I spied things like sandwiches, soups and croissants etc on the menu if you’re feeling peckish. There’s not too much detail you can go into when describing a coffee, but it was piping hot and there was lots of foam on top of my cappucino. Those are usually my two grumbles, but no complaints here.
I’ll definitely be adding this place to my list of places to catch up with friends, as it beats a soul-​less Costa Coffee or Starbucks any day.