4 Edinburgh restaurants among UK's Top 100, including 'nigh on perfect' neighbourhood eatery

With over three decades’ experience, the SquareMeal team reviews hundreds of the UK’s best restaurants every year.

Designed to be a snapshot of must-visit restaurants, the annual Top 100 list combines these expert reviews with input from thousands upon thousands of readers to compile the final rankings, ensuring that the list reflects hundreds of real-life experiences as well as the professional opinions of the website’s critics.

The guide says: “Narrowing down the UK dining scene to just 100 outstanding restaurants always proves to be a formidable challenge - it’s a job that takes many months of meticulous planning, excruciating deliberation, and collaboration with you, our readers.

“We take great care in ensuring that this list represents the cream of the crop, and that requires the input of SquareMeal readers. Our Top 100 Restaurants lists combine in-house critic experiences with thousands of public votes from diners up and down the country.

“As a result, you’ll see some of the UK’s most famous restaurants rubbing shoulders with lesser-known local spots, and a host of exciting new openings. We think this list represents the hundred most exciting places to go and eat in 2024, with every corner of the UK covered.”

This year’s UK Restaurant of the Year is Restaurant Sat Bains, a two Michelin-starred fine dining powerhouse that has been at the top of the UK restaurant game for 25 years.

Closer to home, a quartet of Edinburgh restaurants have earned spots in the Top 100, with one local venue narrowly missing out on the Top 10.

Lyla, on Royal Terrace, is the highest of the Capital's three entries in 11th place. The fourth venture from Stuart Ralston, SquareMeal says Lyla offers “a culinary journey to its diners, starting with snacks and aperitifs upstairs before descending for a ten-course tasting menu”.

In 29th place is The Little Chartroom on Bonnington Road. SquareMeal reckons Roberta Hall-McCarron’s bistro is “a nigh on perfect neighbourhood restaurant”, with “a menu full of dishes that you just want to dive into head first”.

Montrose, from the team behind Edinburgh’s beloved Timberyard, is 33rd on the list, while chef Scott Smith’s Broughton Street eatery Fhior is just behind in 34th spot.

You can see the full Top 100 restaurants on SquareMeal's website.