Five of the best places to eat steak in Edinburgh

FINDING a good steak can sometimes feel like a quest for the Holy Grail but these five steakhouses in Edinburgh have been garnering rave reviews from their meat-loving patrons.

Recently opened Leith Chop House on Constitution Street has been garnering rave reviews for its steaks cooked over an open flame on their charcoal grill. Sirloin, rump, rib eye fillet, chateaubriand, Porterhouse or ribs to share – all are dry-aged for a minimum of 35 days, come from just three artisan suppliers and can be customised with béarnaise, hollandaise, peppercorn sauce, bone marrow gravy, chimichurri or brown butter, but it’s the sides that really make Chop House stand out – choose from cabbage and bacon, kimchi or roasted beetroot slaw, mac and cheese, chips fried in dripping, bread with bone marrow butter or baked beans with smoked pork belly.

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Smoke Stack on Broughton Street is all about simplicity, thankfully eschewing any kind of “philosophy” in favour of just cooking beef really very nicely, in unpretentious surroundings to match.

That’s not to say they don’t take their steaks seriously – they are members of the Scotch Beef Club and all their cuts come from the Club’s butchers and are aged for at least 21 days, and they will happily advise which to go for according to how you like your steak done.

Buffalo (they’ve dropped the Grill) is a good option for a slightly lower budget, although still using only 21-day hung Scottish beef. Choose from T-bone, rib eye or rump – which they’ll cut according to how you like it cooked, or there’s a teriyaki-marinated version too, plus surf ‘n’ turf. Sauces include blue cheese, green peppercorn or Marsala, wild mushroom and tarragon – and Buffalo is a good option for those accompanying a carnivore but not so keen on the beef themselves, with a big variety of veggie and salad options on the menu.

Steak boutique Kyloe at the West End of Princes Street serves only Scottish beef dry-aged for a minimum of 28 days, with fillet, rib eye, rump, sirloin or a next-level 60-day aged rump on offer, as well as cuts to share including chateaubriand, côte de boeuf, sirloin on the bone, Wellington and Porterhouse – there are even special appearances from “guest breeds”.

Marinades, rubs, sauces and toppings abound too, such as red wine and blue cheese, bone marrow gravy, chipotle chilli and smoked paprika and cumin.

Sitting on Picardy Place, Steak – gets straight to the point. Whether served on a pre-heated lava stone that allows you to control how well done you take your meat or straight up, there’s really only one thing to order here (despite the presence of lobster, venison, poussin and a concessionary gnocchi on the menu).

Whether sirloin, fillet, rib eye, T-bone or a chateaubriand to share carved at your table, the beef is hand cut by Donald Russell, who also supplies the Queen with her steaks, and matured for between 21 and 35 days. Enjoy it unadulterated or add moules marinière, king prawns or a fried duck egg or one of any number of inventive sides, including creamed Brussels sprouts and raisins or smoked bacon and spring onion mac and cheese.

• Originally published in Scotsman Food + Drink