Maison Bleue

A fantastic spot located on one of Edinburgh's most iconic streets! The atmosphere is inviting, and the food is absolutely delicious. The staff are incredibly friendly and always willing to assist with anything you need. One thing to note: the menu displayed outside appears to reflect lunch prices, as the dinner prices were noticeably higher. However, the experience was well worth it, and I highly recommend this place!

French restaurant in the middle of Edinburgh. I had a quick onion soup and a creme brulee for dessert (in a budget). Still both plates were delicious. Definitely recommend!

Such a wonderful, cozy restaurant to pop into on a cold rainy day. So many veg options too! Got the sweet potato cinnamon soup and the mac & cheese and got the perfect food coma after. Did an americano after to fix that. The holiday/Christmas decorations were absolutely stunning the commute to the bathroom (a couple floors up) and in general I was pleasantly surprised at how much seating was available! We were able to come in and be seated quite quickly on a Sunday afternoon without a reservation. Great place to come while you’re popping in and out of shops in Victoria street Will absolutely return during my next visit to Edinburgh!

Cozy restaurant with a lovely atmosphere. Mussels and chicken legs were amazing. Minute steak was cooked more medium than we preferred, but still tasty. Complimentary bread and butter at the table was a nice touch.

Lovely French restaurant, set in the heart of Edinburgh in a quirky old building in Victoria St. Lovely tasty food, reasonable choice of wines all reasonably priced. The staff very friendly and accommodating. Only downside is the toilets are at the top of the building (3 flights up), you need to be fit.

We popped in for dinner on a Saturday night. The service was friendly and perfectly efficient for our first floor table over looking the street (good for people watching). Our starters of Surprise Squid and mussels were excellent, as was my slow cooked OX Cheek. However, my wife's cod, whilst deliciously fresh was accompanied by a tasteless risotto type dish. The puddings on offer were only those they had "in stock" - either a bad choice ofwords or a bad sign...

Had a reservation here for Christmas Eve dinner. Showed up a few min early and were promptly seated. Drinks were great and food was good too. Local steak and local fish. Only took one star off service because the service is typically European (meaning they leave you alone more than they would in America) which isn't a bad thing, just different.

Atmosphere nice but that's about it. Food was fine, nothing special. You could definitely find tastier and better quality food elsewhere. Steak was a cheap cut, the potatoes unseasoned, and salad out of a bag with no dressing. Our waitress was inattentive, forgetting our bread and cutlery. When we tried to pay she was gone, in the end after 20 minutes+ of waiting and trying to get someone's attention, we paid as we left at the till. It's a small place so not sure why they couldn't see us. Plus a 10% service charge on the bill which we don't feel was justified

Awesome place. Had the 2 Course lunch with tomato burrata salad. The sticky toffee puddingcwas best that I've had. Deep serving of caramel sauce and scoop of ice cream. Sticky toffee was piping hot! Curry was fantastic with lemongrass and lovely veggies. So good!! The onion soup was excellent. Great dining experience!

Excellent service provided by Jessica!!! Charming French restaurant located on Victoria Street amidst boutiques and cafes. Lovely area!! Food tasted deliciously!!! exquisite!! Beautiful presentation! Jessica was our wonderful and fun server. Our compliments to Jessica and the Chef and their entire staff!!! Good idea to have reservations!

My favorite spot I've stopped at. The food was phenomenal- French onion soup and calamari- with all the drink options you could want. The vibe feels very Hogwarts common room-y in the best way and everyone who works here is so lovely. You can come in to eat or just drink (alcohol or tea/coffee). Highly recommend!

When an establishment refuses to let you use their toilet, saying that "toilets are for customers only", it says a lot about what you can expect. Yes, this is petty. But when there's no one in your restaurant, perhaps letting people in to use your toilet would be give folks a chance to look at your offerings.

My husband and I first time visited scottland from the US. This place was our first random pick after a long day of traveling from London. Very good drink choices and food. And prices are very reasonable considering it is french food in the touristy area. I would recommend this place to all my friends and families if visiting Enidburg

So many great bites, but the best bite surprised us - the haggis balls! They were a flavorful meet filling fried into a perfectly crisp croquette served over puréed parsnip with a beef gravy. Marvelous! The ox cheeks were deliciously tender and unctuous with a puréed parsnip and gravy. The coconut green curry chicken was above average. The coconut milk steamed mussels and fresh as can be sea scallops were perfect! Drinks - spot on and well worthy of a return trip for these alone. Rhubarb ginger gin fizz in a champagne flute topped off with Prosecco helped remind us it was still summer. The espresso martini was light, frothy, not cloyingly sweet, and our favorite rendition of this popular drink as we've ever had. Dessert - it had to be sticky toffee pudding, and we practically needed to roll ourselves out of there at the end. Ambience - lovely! A great outdoor table on Victoria street. A 3rd floor walk up ancient stone steps to the bathroom was a treat because the restaurant was so beautiful, and nicely passed the time with our 3-yr old. The service, so very nice and accommodating. All around, a memorable and very satisfying meal!

Good food, friendly service, cozy restaurant - what's not to like? The place looks small, but is on 3 or 4 floors, seating more than you'd expect. That said, each floor has not that many tables, making for a pleasant/cozy atmosphere, that is only improved by the stone columns and arches all over the place. The food is french/moroccan, and really quite good - it's got little unexpected touches of flavor that give it extra-oomph that separates the familiar from the "wow, this is *great*". The staff is friendly to a fault, never rushing you (we occupied a table out front for the best part of 4 hours), and more than happy to discuss, well, anything with you. It's a little haven from the tourist madhouse that is the local area - you should take advantage of it!

Service was iffy but overall I had a great meal here. I started with the fried haggis balls, and it was my first time trying haggis so I was a little hesitant, but I thought it was incredible. Or maybe I just like anything fried. Anyway, I had the chicken and lamb sausage skewers for my main, and the chicken was really amazing - soft and buttery with great flavor. Didn't get much from the lamb except extreme spiciness, but it was tasty. The cous cous was a little bland next to the flavorful meats but the ratatouille was great. The haggis was the standout dish for sure. My waiter was a bit inattentive but the food came pretty quickly. The restaurant's layout is very cool and is spread out over a few floors, with fun decor and neon signs.

Delicious meal!! Amazing cream of mushroom soup to start. I had salmon with lentils, soooo goood. Husband had ox cheeks which he described as melting in his mouth. Great ratatouille and chips!! Highly recommend. Service was excellent!

On the pricy end and slightly mediocre. Superb service though! We had a 3 course dinner, and personally I found each course very average. The haggis ball locked flavour, tagine was now authentic, and the creme brûlée was way too thick. My friend had the calamari as entree which the menu said is a must try with the special source but it's really just some very normal calamari, Beef cheeks were decent but way too salty, and the choc tarte just wasn't too special. All in all was nice to go with friends but really the food didn't worth £35+ per person...

Stopped here for lunch because they had open windows, seating in the sun, and a starter and main lunch special for £7,50. I started with the escargots and then had the duck confit with mashed potatoes on top. Both were good but not "wow, this is so fantastic." Service was pleasant and not too slow. Toilets were up several flights of stairs which may be an issue for some.

We were accommodated for a Saturday mid-afternoon lunch without reservation. Hectic but mindful service welcomed us. Offered our choice of available table, we were quickly seated. Ordered off the set lunch menu and had mussels for starters, then the rib-eye and coq au vin. Fresh mussels in a light flavourful broth were tender to the bite. Presentation was right on. First bite of the Coq au vin was properly good. The sauce was well made, deserving of a traditional dish. A bit disappointed with the rest of the dish as the latter two drumsticks were overly braised, to a slight burn and dryness. The steak which was requested rare, looked drab in need of a hotter skillet for its quick sizzle. But I was told the taste of it was much better than it appeared, and had a good flavour to it. Most of the staff were friendly with quick service, albeit with a rush and clamour to it all. But ambiance and presentation helps this establishment make it a bit more than three stars..3.2?(insert: dry chuckle) Always seems busy this place~ makes sense.. would give it a *yay for coming back

This is turning out to be a good start to the weekend - a wonderful lunch was had at the Maison Blueu. - As they have a promotion it was the best time to taste their cooking. - They offer 1998 prices until July 2013 - meaning you pay £7.50 for a Starter and a Main course. We were cheerfully greeted and promptly seated on arrival. There is an upstairs too, but we were sitting on street level. The meal was fabulous! After the fresh crusty bread with vinegar and oil, I had the Eouf Cocotte with cream of blue cheese (Roquefort) and leek a fondue. Anita had the Haggis Balls. For main I chose the Duck Confit (Shepherd's Pie stylee) and Anita had the Salmon Darne. My duck was cooked to perfection and was falling apart underneath the roughly mashed potatoes that had a little hint of cheese(?) lightly drizzled with a tangy Burgundy jus - very tasty and I savoured it. Anita was enjoying her salmon with gusto and she was finished even before I was halfway my duck. The licking the lips and nods indicated she really enjoyed it! - So I let her taste mine too. Which got another approving nod - Anita A say 'yes' to both dishes served up as main course. However - here is the niggly bit, the wine we wanted (Malbec) was not available.. so we had the Cotes du Rhone - at a whopping £6.25 a 125ml glass I was a little disappointed with that price - so. our 2 people dine for £15 was about doubled with the wine we took. How does that math work? - Anyhow - it was our choice to drink wine and we could have easily not taken it. But it is ruddy expensive! So they lose a star on not having affordable nice glasses of wine

With hardly two hours to kill between shows, the boy and I dashed up to Grassmarket from the Royal Lyceum, starving and desperate. I mentioned that I've been wanting to try Maison Bleue, from the look of their menu, and we squeaked in just in time to catch the tail end of the pre-theatre menu. (Well, more like inter-theatre menu in our case, but I digress.) £12 for two courses? Don't mind if I do. Of course, I quickly ruined the deal by ordering a £25 bottle of Australian Shiraz Tempranillo while the boy was in the loo - luckily he wasn't too upset once he tried the wine because it was quite delicious. Worth the price tag and then some. For our starters we had the smoked salmon & mackerel rilettes and the steamed Shetland mussels - both great, although the crostini for my rilettes were a little on the tooth-breakingly hard side. No matter. For mains I opted for the chicken tagine while the boy went with the steak. Again, both great, although I did wish my tagine was a little less authentic in that it had boneless chicken. Again, no matter - the flavors were worth it. Pleasantly stuffed, we lingered too long over our wine and had to book it back to the Lyceum, squeaking in just before curtain. The moral of this story is: don't do like we did - give yourself plenty of time to enjoy Maison Bleue, because it deserves to be enjoyed.

Nestled in the vaults underneath the Royal Mile, Maison Bleue is my favourite french restaurant in Edinburgh. Everything is French; the wine, the menu, the chic elegance of the décor, even down to the waiter's accent. I went to sample their early Pre-Theatre student menu offering 3 courses for £15, and the quality of the food and service offered excellent value for money. I started with a tower of roast aubergine, red pepper and goat's cheese which was crispy yet gooey, and perfectly seasoned. My partner opted for the Haggis balls served with Clapshots and a whisky jus, which somehow managed to perfectly combine the french and scottish flavours, to end up with a very tasty result. My partner definitely won when it came to the main course. Although my confit of duck was deliciously crunchy on the outside yet tender underneath, and although the puy lentils and lardons did make a great combination of flavours and textures, the venison medallions the my partner ordered were beyond perfect. By the time we'd reached the desserts stage, all i had room for was the kiwi and coconut sorbet. As someone who doesn't usually like sorbet, I was very pleasantly surprised and I would definitely order this again if I were to go back. For those with bigger stomachs, my partner's brulée sticky toffee pudding looked and smelled fantastic. On weekends I'd recommend booking, but during the week the wait is never normally that long, and the bar area set in the alcoves of the vaults is a lovely place to have a drink in the meantime.

Located in the popular Victoria Street I was rather looking forward to my spontaneous date here. Granted this was a while ago. Being a Saturday night, and we had not booked a table(I know dumb for this popular street but it was a very last minute arrangement) we had to wait for a bit in their small lounge they have as you walk in. We were eventually seated at a table upstairs which sadly was right where the door where orders were coming in and out from. The interior of this restaurant is quite dark and "heavy" I suppose to match the old building. It is a cool building but the tables are tiny and there is no leg room at all. The sound levels are quite high as well, because of the echo bouncing off. Our waitress brought everything at once, starters and mains which was a bit annoying. The humus was nothing impressive but I did like my North African style tangine. The house wine is not very good so I would suggest perhaps one of the other options they have. Because of its atmospheric gloominess I would suggest coming here for dinner rather than lunch. Also their student deal of a three course dinner on Tuesdays for 15 pounds has me tempted to try this place again soon.

Fantastic food and a nice staff. My husband and I tried a variety of foods with the 3 course meal and liked it all. The decor is French shabby chic and it's got a good vibe. I highly recommend.

After looking for a place to eat before going to the tattoo, we booked a table for five so the group wouldn't go hungry while watching the show later on in the evening. I'm not too sure about the staff; the service was abrupt and rude at times. But it didn't put me off the food. The food spoke for itself. I had steak and chips. It was to my satisfaction. However, the creme brulee let it down. It was chilled and I like mine warm or a least room temperature. Like I said, the waitress (one in particular) was having a serious fail in service standards. There wasn't any warmth in the bill payment part and not really much of a" thank you for coming. On that thought, I'm not sure if I'd go back or anyone of our group would go back either.

Had a lovely late lunch during the Fringe. The prix fixe three course package was good. It was a cool, rainy day, so we appreciated the break in such a welcoming atmosphere. I strongly recommend the pate. The apple tarte was tasty, but not overly sweet.

This restaurant is located in the most beautiful street in Edinburgh!! Love the location and it is very romantic when you are eating and looking out to the street. We had a slightly wait when getting into the restaurant but the waiting area is very delightful and artistic. We ordered lamp for me and beef conduit for my bf and both tasted amazing!!! I don't know French food too well but it at least fitted out Chinese stomach and I guess it's a great complement because we are big on food too! The blue wall outside of the store is beautiful as I've heard Victoria Street is JK Rowling's inspiration of Diagon Alley! It is such a great pleasure and experience to have dined in this restaurant, made our Edinburgh trip more significant!!

Wow. Favourite restaurant in Edinburgh hands down. I used to come here all the time when I lived in Edinburgh years ago but that was before my Yelp days! My oh my. The haggis balls for starter....get them!!!! The special fish dish for main was INCREDIBLE (see pic) amazingly beautiful restaurant and top class food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The ambience is amazing,cozy couches in beautiful colors,sturdy wooden tables, great lighting, candles everywhere. It's romantic and sexy all in one. PERFECT date spot. On to the food .... Haggis balls fried beautifully with the yummiest sauce I was soaking it up with the bread. The ceviche was very good but a lot of work for not a lot of fish .... I wouldn't get it again. For the main course I got the root risotto which was so creamy and just the perfect amount for such a rich dish so so so good. My hubs got the venison served with green beans, and potatoes. The venison deserves a review of its own it was cooked perfectly not to gamey and it just melted in your mouth. It actually was really good with the risotto so we were glad we had ordered both! Great wine list as well as scotch! Lots around the area for after dinner drinks as we'll! LOVED it and would recommend highly!

After building up an appetite walking around the city, I stumbled upon this place and decided to give it a go. The service was great and all the wait staff was very nice and attentive. My server took care to verify that everything I ordered was indeed dairy-free. She was very nice and checked on me several times to ensure I was enjoying my food. The space is great and I loved the decor - old wood tables, big comfy chairs, a winding spiral staircase up to the bathrooms...I thought it was bohemian but not trashy. I'd take a date there, or go have dinner with a few friends. I started with the haggis balls in whisky sauce (without the mashed potatoes due to dairy). This was my first time eating haggis and it was really good. Highly recommended. I then had the ribeye steak and it was very good; not as good as a ribeye I'd make at home and nothing like a juicy steak from (insert favorite upscale American steak house here) but it was still worth it. Overall: highly recommended. I'll go back for sure.

Maison Bleue (blue house) on Victoria Street described themselves as French, North African and traditional Scottish restaurant, although most of my meal seemed to be mainly from French origin. We took advantage of their 1998 prices offer, which is a very thrifty lunch menu £7.50 for two courses. Served from 12-5pm until July 2013. Absolute bargain! The restaurant is a labyrinth of small rooms on three floors in an Old Town building, with striking blue frontage and charming flower boxes. It's full of character. The ground floor is lowly lit and intimate (maybe too intimate, the tables are pretty closely positioned) but up the original spiral staircase you'll find another lighter open dining area and if you're by the window you'll get a lovely view onto on Victoria street. Toilets are on the top floor, next to the kitchen... Walk slowly by you might get a glimpse of the chef making your main. The decor is understated, warm, comfortable, stone arches, mellow tunes played at a low level, rustic aged wood and thistles on the table. I went for the steamed mussels with saffron potatoes and a hint of lemongrass for starters. The mussels were big, fat and cooked to perfection. No grit, no dodgy unopened shells, just lovely! Could have down with some bread to mop up the sauce but you can order that as an extra. My mains was darne of Scottish salmon with a creamy white wine, lemon and dill sauce, which was nice but a little too salty. Even my partner agreed and he throws salt on everything! A small disappointment but the starters definitely made up for it. Taking Rayan D's advice on the extortionate wine prices, I avoided the wine list and selected a small bottle of Peroni for under £4. One small minor point though, for a meal at 4.30pm on a Saturday, the staff did appear overly stress for a relatively quite dining period and as a result seemed stressed, unable to break a smile and rushed.

Exploring Edinburgh on the night of arrival for the first time, we came upon this little place on the way up the hill to the castle, and boy are we glad we did. We were looking for something a little different (and not too expensive), We were a bit tired of the typical pub grub found throughout the UK (and certainly in Edinburgh) and this place certainly complied nicely The dining room is set up with a slightly off-beat decor. There is a mixture of plush and traditional seating. The lighting is on the dark side, but it helps to enhance the atmosphere of the place. Alternative/pop music is played at soothing levels, further enhancing the ambiance of the restaurant. As for the food, it was very good. I had a mussels as an appetizer and it was just what I was looking for. The venison casserole I had as my main was delicious. It was quite hearty and felt just right on a damp afternoon. The staff was very pleasant and were extremely accommodating, making a god meal even better. I would come here again.

second visit, fist time i gave 5 star, Now place has lost all stars. We had 3 course dinner meny again 27,50. Calamares-bad and to spicy Haggis balls-Was ok - Todays special-Fish, dry dont possible to eat-shame on the chef?? Duck-Dry and other shit on the plate was also bad. Didnt want any dessert, but they let us pay anyway fullprice. Staff was friendly and nice. But the place has lost it and im sorry for that, 70 sterling of waiste for me.

Maison Bleue is a nice eatery set over two levels in a charming, old and (as the name would suggest) blue building on Victoria Street. The food is French in style with a Scottish twist, meaning you'll find both haggis and snails on the menu. When this place was launched they tried to encourage people to eat in a different way, the menu consisted of lots of little tapas style dishes (les bouchées), everyone was meant to order a few of these and share. The idea doesn't seem to have lasted and now there is a more standard starter-main-dessert menu set-up. When I was last here the service was a bit haphazard and the waitresses seemed to be all over the place. The food was alright but nothing particularly special, as we were taking advantage of a pre-theatre (2 courses for £6.90) it was good value, but I wouldn't have paid the a la carte menu prices. In my opinion there are nicer places to eat in this area, but if you're nearby at lunch time or in the early evening have a look to see if there are any special deals on.

This is a fantastic restaurant that offers an amazing student deal that I urge people to take advantage of! I've been here three times on various special occasions and never been disappointed. The interior is all part of the experience, 'atmospheric gloominess' is probably a good way to put it (reference from Anna F!) but the experience is anything but gloom! The wait staff are attentive and the food is fantastic. An odd mix of French, Scottish and North African food means that haggis, snails and tagines all feature on the menu. I wasn't brave enough for the snails either time I went but I can vouch for the haggis and tagine. It was in Maison Bleue that I had the best cheesecake I've ever eaten, it is the standard to which I hold all other cheesecakes and none has ever matched it!

Sunday night of the May long weekend and we didn't have a reservation. After being turned away at a couple of places, we stumbled upon la Maison Bleu and thought that the menu looked interesting. After a short wait in their comfy lounge, they managed to squeeze us in. Yes the tables are pretty close to one another, but the old stone structure seems to absorb the noise. The service was very friendly, prompt and efficient. No sign of a smell that other reviewers referred to. The food was very good. I had the venison which was very tasty. One thing I have discovered in Scotland, however, is that when the waiter asks you how you'd like it done, always order it one degree rarer than you would in North America - so if you want medium, order medium rare. I don't know what you should do if you want it rare. In spite of the French name, the decor and aspects of the menu suggest a North African than Parisian experience. Perhaps Algerian? All in all, a good choice and I'm glad that the other places we had tried had no room for us.

We came here last time we were in Edinburgh, and remembered the lovely food we had and so when we saw they had some lunch deals we decided to pop in again. I like that it's a little dark inside, and there are candles out even during the daytime, one of the only problems I have here is the stale bread they give you before the meal! why!? but the food is lovely! I had tagliatelle with aubergines and it was very good the one concern I did have was that it was a little oily. My boyfriend had the Salmon which was a little on the small side but fine for lunch I suppose. The dessert choices were read out to us which was a little awkward because the waiter just kept listing things and then I forgot what he said, so you just go with what sticks really and so I had a sticky toffee pudding which was also really good! It cost us around £20 for 2 courses each and drinks which really isn't bad!

The place is well located but the french touch was unfortunately not there... The food was nice but not great same for the service... The atmosphere however was nice and intimate which is what we were looking for. That being said, the place is a little too expensive for what it offers.

We went to Maison Bleue for my husband's birthday. We were seated upstairs, by a window, which I enjoyed. Being 8 months pregnant, the tables were a little too close together. When I tried to get up and go to the toilet I was bumping into everyone with my belly! The food was great. Everything that my husband and I wanted ended up being on the preset 25 pound 3 course menu, so we both went with that and saved a few pounds. The staff were very attentive and always filled up our drink glasses, which doesn't happen that often in Scotland! This is definitely the place to go for a nice romantic meal with some good food.

My friends and I were hungry for lunch and tried Maison Bleue, much to my eventual disappointment. As a vegetarian, the options were lacking and boring (ratatouille was subpar and flavorless, the salad overdressed), while the other dishes were uninspired and poorly executed (the chicken was dry and flavorless, same for the other meats). The arrive was generally terrible and infrequent. The food is overpriced.

Soft lighting and candles, mellow tunes played at a pleasing level, helpful charming staff, a menu fit to serve and please all wrapped up in a soothing interior, Maison Bleue is ideal for a romantic dinner or indeed with anyone at anytime. An all round winner!

Went here for lunch one day when couldn't get in anywhere else (Festival time) they had a good concept on the menu and did their best not to let us get away but this was a busy time and we probably waited a wee bit too long. The food was good it was a french take on Tapas basically, but the coffee was not great and despite 2 attempts the staff didn't seem to know what we were talking about. More training required. None the less I would be happy to try it again maybe for dinner next time.

This is my favourite restaurant in Edinburgh! Being a poor student I was initially drawn in by the amazing Tuesday £15 student set menu offer (usually £25 for non students- so still an amazing deal) and it was the beginning of a long and happy relationship with this lovely little restaurant! The staff are friendly and helpful, and if you have to wait for a table, there's a lovely chic seating area for you to snuggle in while you wait. I think the decor is gorgeous, sort of rustic and cosy, with some big vintage looking mirrors making the place feel a bit bigger. The seating is over two floors, but they could perhaps do with a couple less tables, as for such a romantic setting, some are quite close! They do have a couple of long tables upstairs though which have done perfectly for seating around 10-12 for birthday dinners I've attended there. From the set menu, my favourites have been the haggis balls or melted Camembert in a filo dish for starter (if there are two of you, get both, they are both lovely!) and in the past I've had both the venison and the fish for mains, and neither have disappointed. If you have any room for dessert, the cheeseboard is always great :) This is my 'take to' restaurant when I have friends visiting, and I must say I've never noticed any unpleasant smells as some have mentioned-but maybe I've just been seated in the right place!

The food was quite good and the wine as well. The service was odd though. We were told as soon as we entered that we could not order just wine. Ok, glad we got that straight. Then we were asked to wait in the entrance area (which was quite nice). Shortly after a server took our order, wine, food, etc. He returned a minute later, with the wine and showed us to our table. About 10 minutes after that everything showed up; salads, entres, water and all? So, great food but not a great place to dine I guess.

Visiting from the United Sates . . . We stopped in for lunch. It was fabulous!!! Had the Haggis and the soup de jour. wonderful and the waiter had excellent wine recommendations. While we only had a small sampling of the menu, what we did sample was magnificent. We would definitely come again. Ciao

Lunch is an outstanding deal! Two courses for 10£. The haggis balls had been recommended and they did not disappoint. The calamari was excellent - perfect texture and flavor. We also had the salmon, ribeye, and mussels - each of us were happy with our selection. The atmosphere is so nice and the waitstaff are terrific. Would go again for sure.

This place is wonderful! The food is delicious, the staff attentive, the decor is beautiful and they were also wonderful with our young child. What a lovely find in The Grassmarket; a more trendy young atmosphere. The only strange thing is the smell that sometimes comes in from the cheese shop below.

A great atmosphere with fantastic food. They have a great set menu for lunch and dinner. The only negative thing about the place is how close you are to the other tables.

Cute little French tavern on Victoria street. The service is very good. they have a good selection of wines. The prices are very reasonable and I've been here for the set lunch multiple times. The jalapeno fritters to start and haggis are not bad. The mussels are very fresh. As for dessert, it is difficult to find good creme brulee in Edinburgh. Theirs is light, and worth a try. I'd recommend this place for a light lunch.

There is a rule in Edinburgh that French restaurants must have a name that is formed from an easily-recognized noun followed by a colour, and Maison Bleue is no exception. The place is a labyrinth of small rooms in an Old Town building, where the ground floor rooms are a bit dingy (or intimate, if you prefer). Go upstairs for more fresh air and if you're by the window a lovely view onto on Victoria street. I found the food to be a little on the pretentious side, particularly with the starters whose presentation was just too fiddly. The tagine I had for my main course was good, but I wasn't bowled over. It's worth saying my impressions were perhaps negatively coloured by the service. We'd been seated and had barely had change to look over the menu when the waiter returned to say there'd been a mistake and our table was booked. We were returned to the waiting area and left languishing for a good ten minutes before being shown upstairs. Now everyone makes mistakes, but in my book that kind of treatment warrants an offer of free drinks or a plate of amuse-gueules at least: something to occupy us during the wait and make up for the inconvenience. No such luck here. Rather unhappy with the service, and while the food was good, it wasn't good enough to tempt me to try the place again.

Great meal. Mix of Middle Eastern, French, and Scottish styles. The fried haggis balls and tempura frog legs were stand outs. Not sure why this place isn't getting more love here. Would definitely go here again.

This is a must. Once you've had your fill of potatoes, haggis, and sausage... or really before you have these other things that you almost can't avoid in the UK and Ireland... Go to this restaurant. I've been here twice in three years. It hasn't changed. It's still amazing. The wine is good. The food is fabulous. The atmosphere of the old stone and the winding stair case is so romantic. Anything you order will be worth it.

Situated on Victoria Street, Maison Bleue describes itself as a French-North African restaurant; I guess this is a fair description, it leans a lot more to the French side of things, aside from a little chilli powder on their squid starter. Between midday and 6.30pm they do a selection of different, well priced foods, including these tapas/mezze plates which are quite nice. In the evening they have a la carte, which is quite reasonably priced, and everything I've had there has been tasty. Particularly the steak. I'm a real steak fan. And the baked Camembert was GOOD too. I like cheese that is melted a lot also. The wine list is quite decent, they do a very nice picpoul by the glass, which I think is a very good white wine to have with food. A good choice if you're in the Victoria St/Grassmarket area.

Yummy! This place has very delicious food, some quality wines, and great service, but the thing that really makes this restaurant is the ambience. I don't know why, but getting the volume, tempo and feel of background music just right is something that most restaurants fail to do not so at Maison Bleue. They have it sorted. It's unobtrusive, and perfect for dining. The soft-lighting is perfect too, even if you are here with two others for a semi-business meal, rather than staring across the table into the eyes of a loved one on a romantic night out. Not being a french speaker, there were a few items on the menu I didn't know, but the friendly wait staff were very happy to help out. Between three, we shared the chef's recommended starter plates, which came as 6 separate items on two plates; I highly recommend the aubergine, halloumi and caramelised onion stacks. Mmm mmm. For the main, my companions both enjoyed (and recommended) monkfish cheeks cooked in Moroccan spices accompanied by Ratatouille, and my sea bream with shrimp risotto was yummy! One of my companions believes you can judge a restaurant by the quality of the Creme Brulee. and, well, next time I won't be sharing mine. The restaurant is handy to the grassmarket and royal mile, so is the perfect place for a tourist to finish off a day exploring the city, or for a local to kick off an evening out. The only thing I have to complain about is that you have to climb two flights of stairs to get to use the washroom but maybe that isn't a bad thing after indulging in creme brulee and a few glasses of vino? I thoroughly enjoyed the evening Maison Bleue should definitely be on everyones list of places to dine.

This is a delightful treat nestled in Victoria Street. I've eaten here a few times and I really like it. There's a lovely ambience created by the soft lighting and candles, background music and atmosphere created by staff and other diners. This place has been busy each time I've visited but not over-crowded. The decor is understated, warm and comfortable with lovely chunky wooded furniture. The food here is really good. Tasty, authentic and rich in flavour. There is a good wine list and an exceptional dessert menu to finish off.

Pretentious and annoying. I'm trying to remember what I ate, but find that my enduring feeling as I finally got to leave that restaurant was relief, and optimism at finding friendly faces outside this super hip place. I'll grant that we were there during a busy time, but everywhere else we went has been terrific. The people of this city are incredibly gracious and welcoming. Not at Maison Bleue! We were taken to a remote corner table and ignored for a long time. Our order was taken by a very inpatient waitress who had little to say when asked questions. Our request for a second round of drinks was forgotten and we had to flag down another staff member to ask for them again. Of course both we were billed for all the drinks. There are so many good options around. Don't waste your time here.