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!

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.

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.

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

It was fine. The drinks were OK, the bartender paid minimal attention to our service and they got our order wrong. The roast pork loin was 50% uncooked fat. I thought they might say something when she looked at our plate as she cleared the entrees but she didn’t. The beet salad was very good. The sticky toffee pudding was dry.

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 !

Great spot in Edinburgh with excellent food and a nice atmosphere. Reservations are required (no walk-ins). The brisket pie was huge and delicious, the salad and aubergine starter were both great, and the panna cotta dessert was lovely. We first heard about The Palmerston through Top Jaw, and it lived up to the recommendation. The atmosphere feels like a date spot, with most tables filled by couples. We would have loved to try their pastries, but they were closed on Monday. Definitely a place we’d return to on our next visit.