The best 8 new restaurants and bars in Edinburgh - including Mara and Manahatta

This October, New York-inspired cocktail bar Manahatta is set to bring a taste of the Big Apple to Edinburgh. Located on Rose Street, the new bar will make its Scottish debut, offering guests a New York vibe right in the heart of the city.

Set to officially open on Saturday 26 October, this new city centre hotspot promises to bring ‘big city buzz’ to Edinburgh’s lively nightlife scene.

The new location will feature striking design elements across two floors (ground level and basement). Both floors will have impressive art-deco-inspired arched back bars and bold lighting that channels the essence of New York streets. A mirrored disco ball, reminiscent of Times Square's famous ball drop, adds a touch of glamour and an elevated DJ booth looks over the sprawling dancefloor - setting the perfect scene for gatherings and parties.

The new Edinburgh location will launch with the brand’s popular 'LIVE & LOUD Piano Night’ taking place every Thursday. Guests will be able to enjoy live music performances and get involved in the fun by sharing their musical requests - creating an upbeat atmosphere that’s perfect for dancing the night away.

Manahatta Edinburgh’s cocktail menu has drinks including the Diamonds are Forever sharer, which consists of Bacardí Carta Blanca, watermelon, kiwi, cranberry, apple, lime, soda poured straight from a giant diamond as well as refreshing signature cocktails from the Six in The City menu.

Manahatta Edinburgh will also serve dishes such as the NY club bagel, Karaage chicken bowl and bao buns and steak frites. Lunch time deals and small plates are also available.

The Edinburgh launch will see the arrival of Manahatta’s Boozy Brunch in the capital which will run until 8pm daily and includes a package of six drinks. 

Inspired by the lifestyle and culture of the party peninsula in Mexico, Cabo brings a taste of the Pacific coast to Scotland.

Located in what was Superico at 99 Hanover Street, the new restaurant has made the most of the JA!COCO! designed space. 

Cabo’s 70-seater venue has a dynamic fusion of Baja Californian, Japanese, and Mexican cuisines. The menu, designed for casual sharing, includes ceviche platters, hand-pressed soft shell tacos, and 80-day dry-aged Millers of Speyside Scotch steak..

Now open seven days a week from lunch until late, the venue offers an all-day casual dining experience, transitioning from a vibrant dining space to a lively late-night bar. Expect live DJs setting the mood from Thursday to Sunday.

Located at 58 Shore, in the heart of the picturesque and historic harbour area of Scotland’s capital city, Mara enjoys an enviable uninterrupted waterfront aspect. 

Split across two levels, the 2,400 sq ft space is an exciting new addition to Leith’s thriving food and drink scene, and includes a large outdoor seated area to enjoy the views of what is regularly voted one of the UK’s coolest places to live.

As well as occupying a lovely location, Mara, which means sea in Gaelic, offers flavoursome small plates and sharing boards, including IJ Mellis charcuterie and Mara Mezze boards, with star ingredients such as artisan Scottish cheese and honey, Great Glen venison bresaola, black garlic chorizo, Tuscan finocchiona salami, Aleppo chilli hummus, muhammara, and house pickles; perfect for convivial get togethers. 

Also on the menu are moreish plates of low n slow lamb, seafood tacos, pork and Thai basil wontons in pho broth with kaffir lime, mussels in Malaysian laksa broth, burrata with fig, pistachio and crispy prosciutto, glazed halloumi skewers, classic jerk BBQ wings with mango salsa and pina colada hot sauce, and beef short rib nuggets with buttery confit garlic.

A well curated drinks offering complements Mara’s food, with a rotational wine list spanning red, white, rosé, orange and natural – and an exciting Mara Wine Club soon to be launched – along with the best of Scottish craft beers sitting beside the popular draught big hitters, and an inspired Low and No offering too. 

Bringing a distinctly mythological depiction to the drinks menu are cocktails such as The Pictish Beast, The Kelpie, The Selkie, The Faerie, Nessie, The Banshee, Cailleach (The Witch) plus of course, The Unicorn.

This new restaurant, located in Marchmont, has recently opened and serves Scottish cuisine with bold flavours. 

The 20 cover, independent restaurant is the first venture between Alan Keery, head chef, and Sarah Baldry, pastry chef. The pair first worked together at Edinburgh institution Wedgwood the Restaurant. 

Featuring modern Scottish, ingredient-led dishes with Scandi influences, seasonal favourites include foraged chanterelles with cultured cream, pine, black garlic; sea trout with onion, buttermilk and sweet cicely; dry-aged sirloin with celeriac, beetroot, sea sandwort; and caramelised honey with plum, tarragon and oat.

Nàdair will serve its five-course tasting menu every Wednesday - Saturday from 6pm - 9:15pm for £65 per person, with paired wines for £45. A set lunch menu is available on Saturdays from 12pm - 2:15pm and Sundays 12pm - 2:30pm.

Sotto takes its name from the Italian for ‘under’, referencing the wine cellar hidden under Stockbridge high street that will store its extensive collection. A destination spot for Italian wine in Edinburgh, Sotto will offer a thoughtfully-curated selection of over 200 wines, mixing modern and traditional styles and showcasing every region of Italy. 

Sotto is the first venture by Edinburgh-born sommelier James Clark, who has spent his hospitality career at some of the city’s best restaurants, including Divino Enoteca and The Palmerston, as well as at East End Cellars and his brother in law’s winery, Poppelvej, in Adelaide, South Australia. 

Set over two floors, Sotto comprises an upstairs Enoteca (wine bar) and a downstairs Trattoria led by Calabrian head chef Francesco Ascrizzi, who brings experience working at some of Edinburgh’s most-respected Italian restaurants, including Divino Enoteca, Mono and Tipo. 

The restaurant’s menu will combine seasonal British produce with classical Italian cookery, with dishes changing regularly to celebrate the best ingredients of both countries and the diversity of Italy’s culinary regions. The à la carte menu starts with Ascrizzi’s takes on classic Italian snacks and antipasti, from ‘Gnocco fritto’ with Culatello to ‘Olives Ascolana’ (fried olives stuffed with pork) and Aberdeen Angus carpaccio with radicchio, beetroot and gorgonzola. These are followed by homemade pastas including Tagliatelle with porcini, and Mezze maniche with venison ragù, and secondi including Lamb shoulder with artichokes and lentils and Sole with caper butter and salsa verde. To finish, guests can enjoy the likes of Marsala poached pear with sweet ricotta and cannoli, or ‘Zuppa Inglese’ with Alchermes liqueur and crema pasticciera. Guests will also have the option to order ‘Fai Tu’ - literally ‘you do you’ - which will bring four courses of feasting-style dishes to share, as chosen by the chef.

Open from 10am, the restaurant will act as an espresso bar in the weekday mornings, and an Italian-influenced brunch menu will be served on weekends, with dishes including Truffle polenta with wild mushrooms and fontina cheese; ‘Frittata di pasta’ with Tropea onions, potato and Scamorza, and Brioche with gelato.

At the upstairs wine bar, guests can enjoy bottles from Sotto’s cellar - with many poured by the glass - as well as coffee, aperitivi, cocktails and light snacks. Guests will be able to purchase wine to take away, as well as a range of homemade pickles and chutneys under the label Sott’Olio - deriving from the method of preserving ingredients ‘under oil’ - and a small curated selection of Italian pantry goods. 

Sotto will open on 4 October.

This contemporary Punjabi bar and kitchen serving street-food-inspired dishes has recently opened in Edinburgh.

Singh Street, located on Bruntsfield Place offers a range of dishes including curries, small plates and a brunch menu that includes Punjabi omelettes, bacon and egg Naan rolls, and baked eggs and masala beans.

Set across two floors, the 100-cover restaurant is located on the site that was once operated by the Chop House.

Open from 10am to 10pm, diners to the new restaurant can try out dishes that blend Scottish and Punjabi cuisines, including Masala fish and chips, Tandoori chicken, haggis Keema, slow braised mutton with Kashmiri chilli, a wide selection on Naans and many more dishes. 

Situated on Queensferry Street, this relatively new restaurant is the second site in the city that has a themed, changing tasting menu.

Speaking on the arrival of the second Edinburgh venue, founder, CEO and chef, Nico Simeone, said: “We've been lucky to call Edinburgh part of our Six by Nico community since 2018, and we're really excited to be opening a second restaurant, right in the heart.

"The existing venue was the only second location for the group and so, Edinburgh will always have a place in our hearts. The community and support we have had here has been amazing.

"We hope this affords people the chance to experience Six by Nico. The Chippie first appeared back in 2017, so it’s great to be bringing back our much-loved debut menu consisting of the crowd favourite Irn Bru sorbet. We look forward to welcoming guests both new and regulars from today who we have come to know.”

The menu theme changes every six weeks, and has included the original Chippie menu of a modern twist on classic dishes. 

Scottish chef Sean Clark and business partner (and former wine merchant) Paul O'Donoghue opened their first joint venture Under The Table earlier this year in Edinburgh.

Under the Table is a modern bistro inspired and influenced by Scotland’s larder and the elegantly casual but bustling restaurants of Europe. 

Located on Dundas St, directly underneath The Table, the 50 cover bistro will offer a fixed price lunch menu and an a la carte dinner menu, including a relaxed Sunday lunch offering. 

Each dish on the menu is a celebration of carefully considered local and seasonal produce and changes often to ensure customers are experiencing only the best ingredients sourced from the restaurant's carefully curated local suppliers.

An extensive wine list which has been tailored by Paul, perfectly complements the menu and will sit front and centre at Under The Table. 

The kitchen is led by head chef Alberto Giaccone who brings with him over two decades of experience from Michelin star restaurants and luxury resorts where he perfected Italian and French cuisine techniques.