10 Italian Restaurants in Edinburgh You Should Be Eating At

When you think of Edinburgh, Italian food might not be the first thing that springs to mind, what with the beauty of Old Town, the endless sandstone buildings, the castle, the palace, Arthur’s seat… the list goes on. But, little known fact, Edinburgh has some of the best Italian restaurants in the UK and we’re here to help you find them.

So let’s just dive right in:

Nonna’s Kitchen

Owned by the same family who ran Patio for over 40 years, Nonna’s Kitchen offers a fantastic range of Italian classics. While specialising in fresh fish and seafood, Nonna’s Kitchen also offers a range of exclusive artisan-made pasta that will have you wondering why you’d ever go anywhere else. There’s also a fantastic range of pizzas and even a kids menu, meaning the whole family can dine and enjoy the great food.

Despite it’s modern decor, Nonna’s Kitchen offers a relaxed homely atmosphere that’s reminiscent of stepping into your own grandmother’s kitchen and sitting down for a family meal. Basically, no list of top Italian restaurants in Edinburgh would be complete without Nonna’s Kitchen.

Website

45 Morningside Rd, Edinburgh EH10 4AZ, UK

Contini

Contini offers an ever-evolving and changing seasonal menu that’s dedicated to using high-quality and locally-sourced sustainable ingredients, this ensuring guests only get the best possible Italian dishes. Its history of providing fantastic food to Scotland spans over 100 years, so you can be sure that you’re in good hands when you take a table at this New Town eatery.

Multi-award winning for good reason, Contini is the place for you if you’re in the mood for authentic Italian food made by an authentic Italian Scotch family.

Website

103 George St, Edinburgh EH2 3ES, UK

La Rusticana

This family-run restaurant has been providing a fantastic range of Italian dishes since it opened back in 1990. That’s almost 30 years ago and it’s still going strong as one of the city’s favourite places to get lunch and dinner. Located on Hanover Street, it’s a prime spot to get both the lunchtime business crowd as well as shoppers, tourists and nighttime diners.

The menu boasts a whole range of regional Italian classics including pizza, pasta, risotto, fresh fish and meat dishes, as well as a wine list that’s to die for. It’s cosy, it’s authentic and it’s delicious. Why wouldn’t you want to spend an evening at La Rusticana?

Website

90 Hanover St, Edinburgh EH2 1EL, UK

Frizzante Proseccheria

Frizzante is a multi-award winning restaurant that’s steeped in local culinary history. Run by the son of famed Italian chef and restaurateur Don Pasquale, Frizzante aims to continue the success of its forebears by providing locals with authentic Italian dishes, a friendly and charming atmosphere, fantastic service and value for money. It’s been a long-standing family motto that the real stars are the regular customers who come and eat time and time again.

You can also find a brief history of pasta making in Gragnano on display at the entrance, which is both fun and interesting. So if you’re looking for a spot that’s both charming in character and exceptional in quality, then we highly recommend you try Frizzante Proseccheria.

Website

95 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH3 9AW, UK

Vittoria

Vittoria on Bridges serves up a fantastic range of classic Italian dishes that’s made it one of the most popular restaurants in the city. But if you think that means they’re afraid to innovate, experiment and sometimes just go a bit crazy, then think again. I mean, where else are you going to get a haggis pizza on Burns Night?

Open daily from breakfast until dinner, there is never a bad time to swing by this charming modern Italian eatery. You can enjoy a quick business lunch or a leisurely afternoon feast, all while sipping wine or espresso and watching the city go by. Whatever you’re after, you won’t regret the time you spend at Vittoria.

Website

19 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EN, UK

Divino Enoteca

The beautiful union of a wine cellar and charming chic Italian restaurant, Divino Enoteca is not only one of the most popular Italian restaurants in Edinburgh. It also boasts a number of awards for food and wine, making it one of the best restaurants in Edinburgh as well. Located in the heart of Old Town, Divino Enoteca has soft mood lighting and an award-winning wine list that makes it a perfect venue for a romantic rendezvous (book for Valentine's Day!), as well as fun and sophisticated nights out with the gang.

Dining out is on another level at this elegant fine dining restaurant. The philosophy at Divino Enoteca is simple: delicious food and wine sourced with a keen focus on provenance and quality.  Also, there are over 40 different wines by the glass, what’s not to love?

Website

5 Merchant St, Edinburgh EH1 2QD, UK

La Piazza

Offering a more classic and casual Italian dining experience, La Piazza offers a wide range of dishes on the menu with an aim of appealing to everyone. The food is top quality, the friendly service is attentive and the atmosphere fun. We’re not really sure what else we can say about this place, it’s just a solid and lovely restaurant that’s 100% worth checking out. Bring a date, bring some friends or bring the family. You won’t regret it.

Website

97-99 Shandwick Pl, Edinburgh EH2 4SD, UK

La Favorita

Sister restaurant to Divino Enoteca, La Favorita offers a more relaxed dining out experience. Often called one of Britain’s best pizzerias and the winner of multiple awards, it’s no wonder why this restaurant continues to appear on lists like this one. They’re a hit with locals and tourists alike for their use of fresh flavours, authentic ingredients and a traditional log-fired pizza oven. La Favorita is hard to beat when you’re in the mood for a pizza.

Its stylish modern decor makes it great for date night, while it’s relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere means it’s also a perfect place to bring the kids.

Website

331-325 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 8SA, UK

Tempo Perso

An independent family-run Italian restaurant is not that uncommon in Edinburgh, but what sets Tempo Perso apart from the others is that many of their ingredients are imported directly from the owner Marcus Iacobelli’s own family farm in Italy. Now it’s hard to get more authentic family-run than that. Following the motto “simple is beautiful”, Tempo Perso further enhances its dishes with locally-sourced and top-quality Scottish ingredients. This combination of Italian and Scottish ingredients means every dish is both true to its roots and true to its new home. This all comes together to create a dining out experience that’s really not to be missed.

And that’s before we even get to the wines, which are in a word, spectacular. The selection is imported directly from Italy to create one of Scotland’s largest lists of Italian wines. Need we say more?

Website

208 Bruntsfield Pl, Edinburgh EH10 4DE, UK

Papilio

Papilio, which is actually an ancient Latin word for butterfly, is a charming locals restaurant dedicated to providing great food prepared with care, as well as friendly and personable service. With over 20 years of experience in creating delicious food, the team behind this Bruntsfield restaurant feel confident in their ability to provide great tasting Italian food to anyone and everyone who walks through their doors. When you look at the reactions from the customers, we feel safe in agreeing with them.

The menu boasts a wide range of classic and contemporary dishes, so no matter who you are or what you’re in the mood for, Papilio will have you covered. A trip to this restaurant is well worth it.

Website

Bruntsfield Pl, Edinburgh EH10 4ER, UK

Additional Italian Restaurants in Edinburgh worth checking out:

Bar NapoliNova Pizza Vegetarian KitchenQuattrozeroMamma’s American PizzaBarleoCafe DomenicoLa Campana – LivingstonRigatoni’s by the QueensThe Jolly RistorantePiccolino

Which is your favourite Italian in Edinburgh? Let us know in the comments below.