The Palmerston

Best meal of our vacation. The vibe was perfect. Quiet, but unpretentious. Filled with neighborhood locals impressing their friends. Waiter was funny but professional. You can tell everything is locally sourced and super fresh. Zucchini appeared twice on their menu, and was as good as it gets. Even fried as an appetizer, the actual flavor of the vegetable was prominent. I had lamb, the wife had pasta. Both were excellent. They had some unique cocktails that were well thought out. I saw people eat quickly and leave, and other tables linger for a long time. It's that kind of place where you have the kind of meal you want.

We had an amazing time here. Beautiful space, genuinely caring staff, and incredible food. The rabbit with polenta and beans was a brilliant twist on an Italian classic, while the pig’s head was an explosion of flavor. The ham with corn felt like a refined take on a Saturday family dish—in the best way. The fig tart was good too, though I’m always a bit underwhelmed when, after such excellent food, dessert ends up being the usual tarts, ice creams, and sorbets. Still, an absolutely fantastic restaurant!

Had been meaning to try The Palmerston for ages – it feels like a bit of an Edinburgh institution now – so finally went for Sunday lunch. Definitely worth booking ahead. We started with the burrata with broccoli and a rabbit tagine. Both were genuinely great – loads of flavour and felt really well put together - highlight if the meal. For mains, I had the pork schnitzel. It was tasty and the herb crust was lovely, but it was a touch on the dry side – still enjoyable, but after the starts were so good it was a little less exciting. The space itself has a nice relaxed feel, with tons of natural light coming through the windows, which makes it a really pleasant place to sit for a slow lunch. Overall: very glad we finally went. Would definitely go back, maybe to try something different for the main next time.

Absolutely gorgeous place. Gorgeous food, a wonderful bar selection with barely any mainstream bottles on display, shelves of fermenting and steeping ingredients and a warm bistro atmosphere. Welcoming staff with a bit of a chip on the shoulder vibe. Only downside was sitting at a table in the back room where periodically glass bottles were being smash-thrown into a bin. Gorgeous space. Would come back.

We've eaten here many many times and never had a bad experience. Loved the monkfish with leeks & mussels, also the apple & walnut trifle. Big thanks to our waiter (Archie), but then we know the staff here are always brilliant ! Only negative ... rather noisy at first, much easier to chat when it quietened down later on !

A long time coming, I've been wanting to try The Palmerston for ages and it didn't disappoint. Went for the set 3 course lunch menu which for £24 was very good value for money. The food is rustic, filling and full of flavour. The pork Ragu was the highlight, there's Italian restaurants out there that don't get near that depth of flavour. The service was excellent and the cocktails are really good and well priced, especially for the area. The main menu sounded excellent and the pies look amazing, I'll need to come back to try them

Overall we add a lovely dinner at The Palmerston. Service was excellent and they did their best to accommode us with our restrictions. On top we had a good chat with on of the waiters. We like the place and the vibes, casual. Place can be a bit noisy but it’s part of it. Food wise, for sure we enjoyed the dishes and appreciated the food but we did had a tiny issue with the seasoning … unfortunately on first plate (burrata and peas) didn’t have any making it tasteless and at the opposite the turbot was over. Well It happens sometimes… Anyway we had a great time and we will recommend this place !

A comfortable, rustic atmosphere that does comfortable and rustic so well. The three of us shared three appetizers, three mains, and three desserts and it was all delicious. In particular, it was the best goat I’ve ever had. Not gamey at all. The squid was tender and delicious. The slow roast pork loin - we could have ordered two more for dessert. The desserts were all delicious, particularly the malt ice cream with honeycomb. Finished with a glass of Sauternes. Very nice and highly recommended. A place to go if you want to dress casually, and feel like you are going to your grandmother’s farm who picks the finest from her own farm.