If you fancy a beautifully-cooked steak paired with a premium glass of wine, then Gaucho Edinburgh might be the dinner spot for you. Having opened in 1994, they claim to be the first Scottish sustainable restaurant.

This is because they serve Argentina’s best free-to-roam, grass-fed, Aberdeen Angus beef, which is famous for its intense marbling. In fact, they are known for their selection of ‘Sustainable Steaks,’ which we think beef lovers would enjoy.

We are also quite impressed with their dedication to help the environment. They even  partnered with the ‘Not For Sale’ charity to support carbon offsetting and reforestation projects in the Amazon!

Next, we also loved the aesthetic appeal of their restaurant. We think their sleek and modern design would be ideal for dates, special family occasions, or even important business meetings.

You also have the option to book their lovely private dining room, which is separated from the main dining area by glass walls. This black and silver-themed room has a unique wall design – it’s completely covered by vintage wine bottle!

A downside, of course, is that since they serve premium beef, they are slightly pricier compared to other restaurants.

We also heard reports of rude servers. We were dismayed to hear that some customers felt rushed and ignored by the staff..

Lastly, they only have one main dish each for chicken and seafood. Thus, if you are going as a group, some might not enjoy the dinner as much if they do not like beef.

For those who love classic Thai dishes with vegan and gluten options, then Chaophraya Thai Restaurant might be worth a try. Founded in 2004 by real life partners, Khun Kim and Martin, their place has become one of the best dinner spots in Edinburgh.

Not only do they have vegan and gluten-free options, which other restaurants do not offer, they also have delicious lamb, duck, and king prawn dishes. These include their Royal Lamb Massaman, Salt and Pepper King Prawns, and Tamarind Roast Duck.

While we adore their contemporary yet glamorous approach to design, we are more impressed with their amazing rooftop views. We think dinner guests would really enjoy the twinkling lights of Edinburgh Castle and the Firth of Forth.

Their website is also open for bookings 24/7 , which could be highly convenient for some. With just a few clicks on their phone, one can easily secure a reservation.

We also like the fact that they are wheelchair-accessible. In fact, one needs to simply enter the requirements in the booking notes, and the restaurant will be happy to organise a suitable table, which we think is commendable.

Another commendable thing about them is that they accept Blue Light Card bookings. Meaning, they offer a 10% discount from Sundays to Thursdays for NHS, forces, and police and rescue teams.

Sadly, their dishes are priced higher than the dishes in other Thai restaurants. After doing a little digging, we learned that even though their food tasted good, customers apparently felt they could get the same quality of Thai food at cheaper places.

Also, several customers complained about the toilets. Apparently, the floors and toilets themselves were dirty, with some of the latter not working at all – which is such a shame.

Maison Bleue is another go-to Edinburgh-based restaurant that is famous for their lovely dinner options. Having opened in 1998, they are known for offering traditional French, North African, and Scottish dishes, which sets them apart from other restaurants.

Some examples of these traditional dishes that are not being served in other restaurants are snails, ox cheeks à la bordelaise, and fish and seafood gumbo, 

Fun fact: they served Leonardo di Caprio when he was in town for the Scottish Business Awards! Word has it that he ordered mac and cheese with wild mushroom and black truffle shavings, and apparently enjoyed it very much.

For those looking for special promos, they do have a couple for you. You can opt for their three-course meal for only £32.50 or you can get the Early Bird Menu before 6 PM, which includes two courses for £22.50.

Do note that the ribeye steak is not included in these special promos.

As for the venue, not only do we like its bright blue facade, we also like its charming and cosy interior. It has wooden tables and flooring, which add warmth to the place, along with elegant, tufted chairs and stunning stone archways.

Unfortunately, if you are vegan or vegetarian, this is not the dinner spot for you.

Also, we heard reports of their long wait times. Some were said to have waited for a whole hour before being served their first course.

We were also disappointed to hear about some of their lapses in terms of food quality. Apparently, customers have pointed out that their steaks were dry and their scallops were overcooked.

We think Educated Flea is the perfect dinner spot for those craving yummy Indian food with gluten-free options. That’s because this restaurant is famous for their Indian-inspired menu.

Some of their famous Indian-inspired dinner dishes are lamb rump with madeira jus, braised pork shoulder with butterbean cassoulet, and sea trout fillet with parsnip risotto.

Also, their whole menu is 99% gluten-free, and they are also happy to adjust any dish for other intolerances or allergies, which we appreciate. For vegans, you’re in luck since they are also known for their delicious vegan dishes. 

We also think those planning to go out in a group would enjoy their various sharing platters. They have a beef option and a vegan option, and both of them are best sellers.

Sides are a huge part of Indian cuisine, and they have an extensive ‘side bar’ menu which has ten options. For those who love sides, their artisan sourdough, butter, oil & shallot vinegar is highly recommended.

However, for those who love beef but are dining alone, this might not be the place for you since they only have one beef dish in their dinner menu, and it is a sharing platter.

They are also closed three days a week, so those planning a dinner night out from Mondays to Wednesdays would need to go somewhere else.

Since they are in high demand, you might also have difficulty securing a booking. Some customers even reported that they gave three different dates while booking, but these dates were all fully booked, which forced them to go elsewhere.

If you are a fan of fresh, Italian and Mediterranean-inspired dishes, then Terra Marique might be worth a visit. The owners are both from Italy, but have lived in Edinburgh for 10 years before setting up shop.

Their head chef, Maddalena Fozzi, also has 20 years of industry experience, so we think she is quite used to serving delicious, quality dishes.

The restaurant’s name, ‘Terra Marique.’ is actually Latin for ‘land and the sea.’ They chose this name since their menu features “land” and “sea” dishes such as their slow cooker beef stew, grilled pork ribs, pan-fried cod, and sauteed mussels.

They also pride themselves on having a seasonal menu, meaning they change their menu four times a year. This is because they want to guarantee the freshness of the products in each season, and we think customers would highly appreciate this.

We also like their competitively priced dishes such as their pasta dishes from £13-£18 and their main dishes priced at £21-£24. These same dishes are priced somewhat higher in other restaurants.

Sadly, they rarely feature lamb or duck in their dinner options, so this is not the place for lamb or duck lovers. Also, they do not offer vegan or pescatarian options.

In addition, we heard reports of issues such as meatballs being raw in the middle and meals being served cold. However, the restaurant was quick to remedy these issues by comping the meals or preparing new ones, which their customers appreciated.