First Coast Restaurant

You have to check out First Coast in Edinburgh for an amazing local meal. The food is absolutely outstanding, with the chefs brilliantly showcasing fresh Scottish ingredients in every single dish – it's both sophisticated and incredibly delicious. What makes the place even better is the exceptional service - the staff are super friendly and accommodating. The vibe is cozy and perfect for a great night out, though honestly, the music could be a bit more in sync with the relaxed atmosphere. But that’s a tiny detail in what is otherwise a top-tier culinary experience that you won't want to miss.

Fantastic little spot tucked away from the main tourist drag in Edinburgh; my friend and I went quite early (5:15) and were the only people in the restaurant but it quickly filled up and the ambiance was lovely. Food was really great — I had the chicken and my friend had the lobster burger. Would also recommend the bread with olive oil to start (generous portion!)

Great food. Had the scallops and fried squid to start and the steak and seafood pasta for mains. Delicious and the scallops were perfectly cooked. Fantastic service as well

The food was delicious and well-seasoned! They also made the steak the way my partner and I liked. Service was great and friendly as well. I highly recommend the foods in the photos of this review. Also, this is another place in Scotland where the chips are perfectly crispy on the outside yet it is soft when you bite into it. How is this possible? I am a tourist here in Scotland and wish my hometown made chips like this.

This is a small beautifully designed restaurant. The food is outstanding. The service was great, and I could not have been happier with the lovely dinner I had.

A magnificent place for a family dinner. We visited at Christmas and were very pleased with the meal; everything from the starter to the dessert was excellent! Although the venison was particularly good!"

Food and service is very good love the haggis and the pan fry squid appetizer definitely recommend to try. Love the sauce from the squid and that the chef there was super nice to written down the recipe.

First time here and I'm so pleased with the food and service! We were unaware that they had a limited menu for lunch, so we chose from what was available. Yet, the service size and flavors did not disappoint! My husband and I both chose the same dish. I can’t eat potatoes and asked if they could change them for one of the side dishes, and they did at no extra charge. I was very pleased with the flavors, my husband too, and the overall experience. The prices are very reasonable! The building inside is pretty with some rock walls (they seem to be real rocks) and they simple yet nice decoration. The two boys working today were very attentive and always checking that things were okay. They advised my husband on a drink he wanted to have, too. We would be happy to go back when in Edinburgh again. We would try to go for dinner, though, so we could try different dishes.

We dined just after they opened for diner service on a Monday. As the first (and only for a minute there!) diners, the service was great. We started with the olives + bread and carpaccio. Carpaccio was hard to eat because it appeared to be a single piece rather than sliced, which I'm used to. Between the four of us we had the steak, hake fillet, risotto, and potato and leek soup. Everything was solid. Nothing blew us away but it was a great meal overall. And OMG the sticky pudding for dessert was incredible! Highly recommend.

We were a group of 7 and got a table in the back room for which I was thankful for, as the rest of the restaurant was mega busy and very loud. Sadly it was the pathway to and from the toilets and occasionally it got a bit busy! The Christmas menu was £26/head for a 3 course dinner including coffee or tea. The booking was a bit disappointing, but maybe mainly due to my own naivety and being asked for a deposit of £10 pp and the amount later being deducted from the bill. I ordered a starter which was an excellent mix of lentils, goats cheese and walnuts. The main was a steak, but instead of medium rare I got medium and of such a bit too dry for my liking. All the usual sauces of mustard, ketchup and mayo did not do the trick. Dessert was a toffee pudding and just right for my tasting. Whilst I had a bit of a disappointment when talking to a staff member on the phone, during the evening, the staff was really friendly. The interior looks a bit too simple for me, although there was a lovely painting on the wall, which had my attention all night :-) Would I recommend this place? Yes sure, but sadly for myself I do not feel the enthusiasm to go back anytime soon.

First visit. This was with a group of 7 on a Saturday during an early December. It was fairly busy and space was at a premium. We got a nice table close to the kitchen but located in the 'runway' for waiters and washroom users. This saw on occasion a chef with fresh carcasses passing right behind the seats in the aisle, or a waitress with a full plate of clearings/dishes. This required constant awareness of myself as a guest knowing who is behind me, carrying what, so I don't make any sudden movements with my arms or chair. This impacted my fun time being with friends ever so slightly. The food was very tasty, but the preparation and delivery was some of a let down. I had a starter of minced beef and onions, well prepared, a bit small. I ordered steak, medium rare. It was cooked medium. The charcoal taste was nice. I wanted roasted potatoes instead of fat chips. (the roast potatoes were on the menu for a pork belly dish, so they did have them) This was rejected as the steak dish comes out with either new baby potatoes or fat chips according to the waiter. No gravy or sauce available. But we were provided with ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. As the steak was a bit dry, I'd have preferred it if there was a gravy/sauce available, but hey-ho. For afters, I selected a cheese course. The blue cheese was lighter than it looked to my annoyance, but still with the right amount piled on the oatcake, very pleasant. In all I was pleased with the flavours, and I can see that if it was a little less busier, they'd would be able to address some the issue I mentioned above. Currently, I cannot recommend going here, but no need to avoid.

I can't believe First Coast hasn't been reviewed more. It's one of the best places to eat in Edinburgh! With its nautical decor and lovely restaurant space, it stands out for the better on Dalry Road. The staff are friendly, attentive and although it's normally fairly busy, there's a relaxed atmosphere. Their menu is impeccable and also slightly more unusual than some of the Scottish fayre you find served up in Scotland's capital. They do a great sirloin steak in here made with Aberdeen Angus, but there are also some more unusual options that you don't see on menu's often, such as Middle Eastern platters. It is highly acclaimed by Edinburgh critics and with its veggie, Thai and other such exotic options, a very unusual and great dining experience. Not to be missed.

Before an Edinburgh Fringe event, we enjoyed a lovely modern meal at this neighbourhood bistro. I loved the aubergine app with mint pesto - bright colours and flavours and a rich mouth feel. Roast aubergine, apricot chutney, feta & pine nuts. Heavenly. I also enjoyed a gnudi dish, which packed a lot of veggies and flavour. Very good service and a decent drink selection made this experience even better!

Foods are great, dessert is fantastic ! Staffs r friendly too : ) one of my favourite restaurant in Edinburgh!

Very home-y kitchen. Nice how the menu changes often. If you come early they even have a totally separate daily menu. The flavour was very rich and a true explosion of flavours of all the dishes we tried. Definitely worth it and what a restaurant should be like! Very much worth it and I'll be taking more foodies here :) They have a mailing list where they invite you for special themed nights etc.

Eaten here twice now, both times choosing a starter and main from the specials list, all have been superb. Wait staff is friendly and efficient.

These guys are a little off the beaten track in Edinburgh but totally worth hunting out. Went for dinner with a large group of friends and they accommodated us beautifully. Service was great, food was wonderful, will definitely return. Totally recommended.

Reading the other reviews, I wonder if I came on an off night? Fully impressed with the menu, I came along for a Yelp Eats meal. First Coast was quite full for a mid-week meal, and being located something off the beaten path I took this to be a good sign. People definitely make a point of coming here. Starving, I opted for a starter and a main. That, and I saw the option for black pudding, chorizo and bean stew and thought it sounded fantastic. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. It was served up very plainly without even a garnish, and while the taste was fine, it wasn't any more than fine. The black pudding wasn't whole as I'd pictured it but was fully incorporated into the stew so they could well have missed it out and, with so many other rich flavours, you wouldn't even know. I normally love a chorizo and bean stew, but this particular combo was just a bit too salty and far too rich for my taste in a starter. I chose the coley and lentils as my main (which, by the way came some 40 minutes after we finished our starters, which came out like a flash... very strange and inconsistant). The coley was very generous and was cooked and seasoned well. By "generous" I mean that the portion was massive. It was disproportionaly massive, compared with the other main meal offerings on the menu. The lentils were fine, but I focused my limited belly space in attempting to take down as much of the tasty fish as I could. Beyond the food, the staff were brilliant. Definitely some of the nicest wait staff I've come across here and that's saying a lot. Even with a full restaurant and a number of large tables, they handled it all smoothly and professionally. Overall, I don't see myself coming here again. There are just too many nice places to eat in Edinburgh, and while the food was completely passable, it definitely didn't rock my world.

How is First Coast not review more??? Ok, so this is my favourite restaurant anywhere in the world and I've eaten here about ten times. Basically everything here is good, you can trust the chef to sent you anything and it will be good. I ate chicken liver for the first time here, anything with black pudding is good and if the have a steak special (fillet and red wine jus) then order it! The menu changes week by week. o and the smoke haddock chowder and the vanilla parfait were fantastic!

The menu here rotates quite often which is great cause you'll always find something new and I recommend taking risks, trying new and unusual food! I was very pleasantly surprised by my dishes. I had the, thai marinated beef salad with peppers, cucumber & mango. It was delish and had a very spicy scottish bonnet sauce and crispy onions sprinkled on top. The meat was cooked perfectly and was very good quality. For my main I chose the most adventurous dish, deep fried cauliflower with a pistachio dukkah and preserved lemon cous cous . It's hard to imagine this dish and it will probably not look like anything you can imagine (in a very good way.). This was one amazing dish. The cauliflower was deep fried to perfection and the couscous and dukkah complimented each other very well. Every bite was a new taste sensation! Definitely one of the tastiest dishes I have had in a very very very long time! The service was fab and very accommodating to my toddler which is always a plus. Definitely recommend making this place a regular. Or at least a tasty date night out ;)

So, I did make another trip to First Coast and my conclusion is... it's nice, but I'm not overwhelmed, hence deduction of one star. On my second trip, the same issue I had taken from my first, was repeated once more. Service remains good, even when the restaurant is busy, but other parts of the business disappoint. This time, we returned for the Scottish Menu, in celebration of St Andrews Day. The starter was a collection of treats including marag gheal (white pudding), venison (or vegetarian) haggis, cullen skink and grilled mussels with (scottish) cheddar. All in all, I thought the starter was a hit, with the highlight being the cullen skink. Everything was well flavoured and delicious. For our mains, the boy had the beef and oyster pie. Turns out it was a singular oyster. For me, I had the kale and crowdie bridie - in effect, a cheese and kale pasty, delivered on a mustard sauce - the sauce was seriously mustardy and unpleasant - and given the bridie sat on said sauce, not much escaping it. On the side, clapshot (swede and potato mash), burnt onions and stovies (lamb and potato). Obviously no lamb and potato for the dining vegetarian, and no replacement either, which I felt a little cheated over - after all, I still paid for my uneaten portion of stovies. It's a small gripe, but extends a little further - the menu was printed without really paying attention to the vegetarians amongst us - the starter section didn't indicate it was a collection of starters (the boy only wanted soup... but did enjoy the overall selection) and didn't indicate any vegetarian alternatives. The mains, well to be honest, a pasty is a pasty, and I could have bought very similar out of a bakery for a fraction of the cost. The sides - well, I had clapshot and the onions, which was more of a garnish than anything else. The boy's pie looked very lonely, and his skirlie untouched (oats with added bacon in this case). Lamb stovies went down a little better. Another gripe I have is timing. While I appreciate starters and mains appear to be freshly prepared, it takes a long time, especially on a busy night. The wait between starter and main reached painful proportions - I don't believe it shold take that long - but it felt that perhaps preparation didn't start til after we had finished our first course. The medley of desserts - I didn't really feel there was much to say - echlefechan tart crust was rock hard, with flavours not to my taste; cranachan was pleasant enough. Clootie dumpling and sherry trifle - I just don't like either, and First Coast's version didn't convince me to change my mind. So overall, I think First Coast has less promise than I hoped, downgraded as a result. Flickers of the good stuff are shown, but marred by inconsistency across courses.

I am a fan of Scottish bistros. And I do love First Coast. The staff are always so friendly, the restaurant so warm and welcoming, the menu so varied. It's the foodie jewel in Dalry's crown and I know I will always get a good meal here. If you go earlier in the evening you'll get a deal on two courses for £12 or something similar. I think three courses is in the £15 range. It's great value for money as the food is fresh, well-presented and tastes lovely. Food combinations are inventive and interesting; you're never quite sure what First Coast will deliver to you other than it will be really tasty.

I was a little scptical coming here, I wasnt really sure what to expect. I was in the end I have to say might impressed. Friendly service with a good selection of beers to start with, I was happy to get a bottle of Joker IPA. To the food, coley, parmesan & creme fraiche, baby potato & basil salad. Delicious. Well cooked fish, some nice texture in the dish and critically it was well seasoned. Lovely local diner doing some great food. The menu is a little confusing, not sure what cuisine they are actually going for but its good and I will be back.

This place always seemed like a little enigma to me, I couldn't work out what kind of place it was while passing. I decided to venture in on my lunch break to find out. I think this place is supposed to be a British food restaurant, with most of the dishes centered round our main produced. But they do offer the odd continental dish. I don't know what country my Spicy Pork Shoulder and Egg Noodles came from, but I know it was great! The meat was well cooked and very juicy and the noodles were firm. The price was great too, 2 course meal for £11 at lunch. Bargin!

Visited here on New Year's Eve and all 3 courses of the set menu were amazing! Had a wonderful experience and hope to visit again soon!

Had a nice meal here. The ambiance was bustling, though it didn't look it from the outside. Service was pretty good given the rush of the customers. All of us seemed to like our dishes, from my Thai-inspired spicy choice to my friend's bison burger. The surrounding area didn't leave me with very high expectations (because it was deserted at night, not because it was unsafe), but I was pleasantly surprised!

Fantastic selection, great tasting food. This is not authentic Scottish but was a great break after a week in Scotland with well prepared food, good service and a nice wine list. Highly recommend!

For seven straight weeks, twice a week, I worked in Morningside, Edinburgh. Consequently, for seven straight weeks, twice a week, I made the pleasant, brisk walk from Haymarket to Morningside Road. And back again in the evening. That's 24 times I walked along Dalry Road and 24 times I passed First Coast. It's bright blue and white sign had certainly caught my eye and, during my evening trips back, the windows had often steamed up, the restaurant beginning to burst with life; candles and a steady stream of shadowy figures; the general hustle and bustle that has you curious to know what's inside. Entering into First Coast, I felt like I'd stumbled into a village bistro. The interior was homely and inviting, with painting hanging on the walls, candles on the tables and a genuinely warm welcome. It's, therefore, no surprise that First Coast is named after a tiny village in Wester Ross. Despite not having booked a table, we were sorted with a table for two in no time. But, a word of warning, I imagine that it would be near impossible to say the same a few hours later. We walked past later and it was full to the brim. A side note: our table was right next to the bathroom, which during peak time, I imagine wouldn't be the best as the space between the table and the bathroom is quite a narrow one. Regardless, this was just a teeny part of our First Coast experience, and a pernickety one at that. We were presented with menus printed on paper, which can mean just one thing; an ever-changing menu and fresh, local produce. And, of course! If you click the menu tab on First Coast's website, it states that 'our menu is updated on a regular basis.' This time round, we were spoiled for choice. Just how could I not have seafood in a restaurant with a name like 'First Coast!' The Kerala seafood curry was delicious. With mussels on top, a fresh seafood mix and a delectably flavoursome and creamy sauce. The portion size did leave me craving more but the up-side was that there was room for dessert. Cue several minutes of drooling before finally settling on the rosewater and pomegranate creme brulee; quite possibly the best decision I've ever made. A sweet, rich charred top with a creamy, floral filling and fresh pomegranate seeds. I savoured every mouthful because I didn't want it to end! This is the kind of dessert I'll be dreaming about for a very long time. Part of the reason I'm so excited to return to First Coast is to try an entirely different menu. This time round, I felt encouraged to try things I wouldn't normally since they weren't permanent options.. - It was all delicious! All in all, lovely!

I thought this place was lovely! A fellow Yelper wanted to meet for dinner and I was excited to try a new place. The ambiance and decor is very nice and casual but warm and friendly, it seems like a great place to take friends, family, or even a date. We did the 2 course deal (for £12.50 if you come before 6:30) and I started with beef roly poly. I did not know what roly poly was until I ordered it but I loved it! Delicious dough with beef mince in the middle with a nice gravy...mm mm I will definitely be ordering this again. For the main I got the Thai chicken salad which was amazingly flavorful, fresh, and healthy. The chicken was marinated and so moist. I will surely be back here to sample other dishes on the menu!

Describes itself as a quality neighbourhood bistro, but this undersells it a little. Good food in comfortable setting.

Didn't stumble on First Coast, by accident but was introduced by a good friend who had been many times before. My first impressions were great. I knew this food had been specialy prepared for me with care. What type of food did I experience? Well I am not sure. A Scottish restaurant with more than a hint of oriental and spice. What could be better. Introduced others to the delights of First Coast and they keep bringing me back. So tomorrow I am introducing a new comer. I will enjoy and I have no doubt she will be enchanted.

A fantastic find a little away from the tourist area, had the hake and fresh greens as a side, was so good and also not a tourist price. Good wine selection too by the glass or bottle plus daily specials, do glad I found this place.

We mostly use First Coast for work occasions like Christmas, someone leaving or a birthday. The food is excellent and they'll email or fax you their current menu so you can choose before you go. This can be really helpful if you're on a tight timescale. We all agree that the wine list is good and not too pricey. The food is well presented and just a little different from what you might find on a lunch menu in Dalry. I sometimes find the place a little cold, and I put that down to the stone walls.

I visited First Coast a wee while ago after hearing good things from friend and colleagues about the restaurant. Although the service was great, I was very disappointed with my food. The squid I ordered for a starter was not cooked and rather than a delicious, slightly rubbery texture, had a soft and squishy texture that was not at all pleasant. I ordered a chicken salad for my main course and although it was OK it was not what I was expecting given the description on the menu and I did not like it at all! Although I wouldn't wish to judge the entire restaurant by my poor choices and would recommend that you make up your own mind, I certainly won't be returning any time soon.

It was date night and Andrew provided excellent service. I also pre-booked a table with an amicable operator. He even let me enjoy their special prices menu even though I came in past the time. The recommended dishes were quite spicy, which were a surprise. I will definitely come again for special occasions.

I really like First Coast. Their staff is attentive, the prices reasonable and the menu has a lot of great stuff on it that it makes it hard to choose what you want. They'll take reservations if you want to bring in a group on Friday night, and it's easy to have a conversation without feeling overwhelmed by restaurant noise.

Absolutely delicious! A little out of the most visited part of town, I feel lucky to have found this gem of a restaurant. The atmosphere was fun and inviting. The food was perfectly prepared and well priced. Can't go wrong...

First Coast is unassuming from the outside. In fact, if we hadn't been staying in a nearby apartment complex we may have missed it all together. That would have been a big loss as it was by far the best restaurant we ate at in Edinburgh during our 10 day stay. Once you step over the threshold you begin to realize this is a special eating establishment. The decor reflects its name. The walls are a tranquil blue and white and the overall decor is clean, calm and modern. The wait staff is friendly, accommodating.

The oxtail with mash was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten! Great atmosphere, fast service that actually pays attention (there was roughly one waitress per table), and varied menu. Everything we ordered was great from soup, varied mains to desert. Highly recommended.

The hotel we stayed at recommend First Coast and I totally agree, it is a very nice place to dine, great food and a very warm and friendly service. Would love to go back next time we are in Edinburgh

Randomly went here as it was close to the hotel and the Italian across the road was fully booked - how lucky for us !! I started with the oxtail gnocchi and was not sure what to expect but the oxtail sauce on the toasted (?) gnocchi was delicious with a deep rich flavour. The portion size was perfect - just enough for you to enjoy but just small enough to leave you wanting more. My main was venison which was perfectly cooked and melted in the mouth with another richly flavoured sauce and vegetable cooked just enough. After two wonderful course I had to try pud. I went for the ice cream, liqueur and espresso combo which did what I expected. A very lucky find and I'll be back when I am next in town

There are so many good reviews here that I almost feel I was in a different eatery. Perhaps I need to give it another chance, yet, I found it average in every respect so I doubt I will return.

My fav restaurant in Ed. Great for veggies and fish/meat lovers. Staff are always friendly and the food never disappoints. I think the value for money is fab and I especially love their puds. Great place to take visitors

Always has a good, well thought out menu, nice friendly staff, and the food is usually pretty good- definitely worth a visit.

Delicious restaurant. Visited on a busy Friday night so service was a bit slow, but kept us happy with lovely sour dough bread. The food was delicious, I had Thai fish cakes to start which were cooked to perfection, followed by chicken in Creme Fresh. Bit on the pricey side, but worth it for the quality of the food.

Consistently brilliant food with great and unusual taste combinations! Can't speak too highly of the staff and the bill is always totally reasonable! Our default restaurant and as good as you will get anywhere in Edinburgh!