Liberty Avila
Across our hotel and have had a couple of meals here. Their take on Haggis pretty good. They have a vegan option of it too. Also, their Banoffee is pretty good. Make a reservation because they get busy. We pretty much walk in but it can be either rushed or a little bit of a wait.
Chantelle Yee
We were recommended this spot to try Scottish food like haggis by our walking tour guide. So glad we managed to get seats without a booking! Be prepared to wait if you didn’t make a reservation.
This was one of our favourite meals over our trip. The award winning haggis was delicious! We also enjoyed their steak and desserts.
Chhavi Banswal
Few places have veg haggis on the menu but this one seems to be already booked out weeks in advance.
However, their staff was kind enough to accommodate my last-minute request for a table for one. I really wanted to try traditional Scottish food and I was not disappointed.
Their service is great, the food is delicious too.
Michael Lees
Beautiful restaurant with outstanding service. I was drawn in by their lunch special offer of two courses for £18.
I didn't have a reservation but they opened up a table for me. The waitress was superb and was very happy to discuss the menu options.
The food was fantastic, the best lunch I've had in a while.
I would strongly recommend you make a reservation as this is a very popular place, with good reason.
Philippa Ho
LOVED this meal. Very popular with large groups and tourists- can see why, the food was GREAT. So definitely book ahead of time as many people got turned away for walk-in tables. Smoked salmon starter 👍🏽 Catch of the Day was Hake 👍🏽 Black Pudding 👍🏽 nice atmosphere and vibe. Would highly recommend :) Gluten free options available and menu is very clear about dietary requirements.
Gabriela Silva
What a treat! Honestly, food was impeccable, really tasty and perfect portions, all really well balanced. We had the fish of the day, which was salmon, and the venison. The staff was soo lovely. We don’t have much of a sweet tooth but oh boy, this was one of the best deserts I ever had, the chocolate bit was to die for. 10/10.
AL C
I come from Taiwan and I appreciate the friendly service you provided.
Highly recommend haggis with Glengoyne 10yr as an accompaniment. The Hake and venison are very well cooked. Don't forget to ask your waiter what their catch of the day is. It was surprisingly delicious to me and I hope you could enjoy the same experience as I did.
Ina G.
We managed to get seats here without reservations which was very nice. The hostess was friendly and the manager checked on us and was very polite. The food came out quick and was tasty! The risotto I had was a little over done, but the flavour was excellent and the fish was great. The bread was just ok. The star was the sticky toffee pudding, which was one of the best I had during my visit to Scotland.
Chang Yi Tong
Ordered the two course lunch menu. Starters and mains were alright, wasnt a wow factor. The dessert however was fantastic, ordered the toffee pudding and it was the best i ever had. Would definitely recommend everyone try their dessert!
pedro fernandez
Great food and amazing service! The staff was super nice and the food was soooo good! We ordered the award winning haggis, the catch of the day and a delicious rib eye steak. The whiskey flights are a must’”! Make sure you book ahead as the restaurant fills up!
Abhas Wadhwa
On our trip this place we choose to try haggies.<br/>We tried both regular one and vegetarian as well.<br/>Both were awesome in taste and presentation as well.
Shake It Off
Been recommended to visit this place by locals, especially to taste original Scottish food. Had haggies-tatties-neppies for starters, good but not extra-ordinary for our liking. Our mains were pigeon breast and salmon. Quite fulfilling, but way too many peas in the pigeon; fortunately the salmon was cooked nicely. Warm rhubarb and ice cream was a nice closing. Good picking for experiencing Scottish restaurant and meals.
Spencer Kat
Was my second time at Howies. Ever since I was first introduced to this lovely place I had meant to come back again. Had a lovely Cullen Skink. The catch of the day was take and it was done beautifully. The bread was so good, albeit a bit oily, I could eat it all day. Will definitely come back again.
Roo
I actually didn’t have meal there. The reason why I didn’t eat there was that all the staff was rude.<br/>It must have been a busy time but none of the waiting staff greeted me at all just like I was invisible. Actually, one staff said ‘hi’ to me with no facial expressions because I was staring at her but she’s got back to her work without serving me, so I didn’t have chance to ask if a table is available. I was totally ignored by 4 staff while I was waiting at the entrance. Seriously, was I invisible??? Most of them were even trying not to give me an eye contact. The place was recommended by someone, so my expectation was high but I was disappointed with the lack of customer service, so I left to go somewhere that I can get decent service.
Karl AbiKaram
Very interesting dishes, flavourful and very well presented. Staff is experienced enough to guide you perfectly through the menu and make you travel throughout the difference tastes they offer.
Triska
Stumbled upon this delightful place in the Old Town. Was the busiest restaurant on the street and we took it as a positive sign. The menu was excellent, local flavours and more adventurous dishes. The venison casserole, which was the dish of the day was fantastic, the meat was incredibly tender. I had the butternut squash tagine - although it was a tad too sweet, the flavours worked really well together. The banoffie pie was an absolute delight and service was good. Highly recommend a visit.
Scottish Food Review
For the past three years, in what may be the greatest comeback since Lazarus, Howie’s has returned, extolling the virtue of decent home cooked Scottish produce.
Kartika Nindya Putri
I went to Howies near the Calton Hill. Homey ambiance for your perfect dinner. The staff was so welcoming. I ordered salmon for my starter which was very tasty. My main course was pasta, that was also nice but the portion was too big for me. Anw, if you find a comfort place to have a dinner, you should try Howies.
TheMeneghinGirl
Cosy scottish restaurant in the heart of old town. It's not a place for turist and i love the atmosphere. Staff was Very welcoming. Food was delicious, i had an amazing lamb casseruole which was a day special and the banoffee pie, try it!!!
Urban Traveller
Howies has been opened for quite some time. This great restaurant is situated in the heart of Old Town, on my favourite street in the city! I was excited when I've got an opportunity to finally try it. As we found out from the marketing manager Katie, the restaurant has been opened for over 25 years always focusing on local, Scottish produce depending on seasonality. They just launched their winter menu but they're always serving daily specials. On Tuesday they had a fillet of coley (catch of the day), lamb caserrole and mussels with wine, garlic and cream. Before I ordered my starter I had a raspberry prosecco cocktail which was very tasty. We were also offered some fresh made bread, balsamic vinegar, olives and humous. All of that was a nice touch! I was recommended to order the mussels from Shetlands because now is a season for them. And it was a great choice! They were meaty and fresh and I loved the sauce they came in. I enjoyed every bit of it and finished them all even though the pot was quite big for a starter. As for the main, I went for the Seared Loin of Glen Lyon Venison which came with red cabbage and dauphinoise potatoes. The combination of these three things made the dish perfect! Definitely a kind of meal that belongs among my favourites! Perfect for cold evenings! The blend of flavours was amazing and the meat was cooked to perfection - tender and melting in my mouth! I would definitely recommend this dish for all meat lover out there! As for the dessert I had Affogato which I've never had before! Two scoops of vanilla ice cream in espresso and I ordered Amaretto to go with it. The combination was great and this is now very high up on my list of favourite desserts. My meal was accompanied by white wine with the mussels and red wine with venison. Both were lovely and I can highly recommend ordering wine here! Even though they allow you to BYOB as well. Overall, this was such a great dinner! The chefs are doing an amazing food here and if you like Scottish seasonal produce you should definitely visit Howies! Trendy, locally sourced dishes served in a lovely atmosphere of a very cosy restaurant! Perfect for dates or just meals with friends!
TartanSpoon
The lovely people at Zomato invited me to attend a Foodie Bloggers event at Howies, Victoria Street; and what a wonderful night it turned out to be.<br/><br/>I got to meet more fellow food bloggers, eat delicious food, drink beautiful wine and sit in the company of some great people. What more could you ask for on a night out.<br/><br/>I’ve dined at Howies, both Victoria Street and their flagship restaurant at Waterloo Place before. Both deliver what they say on the tin : Scottish. Seasonal. Of the land.<br/><br/>Katie, marketing manager and Lara, the general manager gave us an introduction to Howies. Howies have been around for over 25 years and have 3 restaurants; two in Edinburgh and one in Aberdeen. They gave us some background information, explained the specials and highlighted their two most popular dishes : the venison and the banoffee pie.<br/><br/>On arrival I was handed a lovely Raspberry Prosecco Cocktail and started to nibble away at the appetisers which were : freshly baked bread (baked every morning on the premises), balsamic & olive oil, house mix olives, humous and tapenade. Bread was light and fluffy easily soaking up the balsamic and olive oil and the perfect vehicle with which to eat the humous.<br/><br/>Moving swiftly onto the starters, it was a tough decision which dish to choose. They are all Scottish, homely dishes. They are familiar dishes and ideally you’d have one of each! Some of the dishes available are : Cullen Skink, Scottish Hot Smoked Salmon, Haggis Neeps & Tatties. I eventually settled on the Mussels with white wine, garlic and cream. I love seafood so champion Scottish Seafood where I can. The mussels were nice. There were quite a few of them that hadn’t opened and the sauce for me was a little thin – but that’s me just being picky! I do wish I hadn’t eaten the bread so that I could have use it to mop up the sauce.<br/><br/>Next the mains and again a very tough choice. Some of the choices on the menu include : Scottish Chicken Breast stuffed with spinach & garlic cream cheese, served with creamed cabbage, Lyonnaise potatoes & chicken pan jus; OR Stuffed Butternut Squash Tagine served with a coriander yoghurt dressing & flatbread (the Moroccan spices in this smelled amazing!). I opted for the most popular dish; Seared Loin of Glen Lyon Venison, braised red cabbage, dauphinoise potatoes & rich red wine jus.<br/><br/>I can see why this is one of their most popular dishes. The venison was succulent, so very tender and cooked to perfection. The potatoes accompanied this dish perfectly and the presentation was spot on. I have to pass my compliments onto Chef Simon and his team. Simply stunning!<br/><br/>After a wee break and a few more glasses of red wine – Corney & Barrow Rouge, France 2014, it was onto dessert. I’m not a great fan of bananas so choose the Affogato with Baileys. Light creamy ice cream in strong coffee with a swirl of Baileys Cream served ice cold. It was the finishing touch to a wonderful meal.<br/><br/>And to top it all off we got a lovely wee goodie bag to take home. Thank you Howies and Zomato for a really lovely night.<br/><br/>They are a very friendly bunch and they definitely DO deliver great Scottish food that’s value for money!
Edinburgh Feasts
The kind folks at Zomato had invited me to a meet up this week at Howies on Victoria Street. Howies has been a staple of Edinburgh for 25 years but don't think of that as a symbol of them being set in their ways. Howies' grounding is of a love of good food and locally sourced food at that. The staff and owner's knowledge of where the food comes from is important to them and is very apparent. Howies' aim is to offer accessible, good food. They want their restaurants to be open and available for everyone to enjoy, from young to old. They offer BYOB and also have a very reasonably priced lunch menu.
Kim Kjaerside
I visited Howies Restaurant on Victoria Street on Friday 11th Sep during a family visit. This was the first time in a while that we had been and what a pleasure visiting. From the moment we arrived till the moment we left the team were welcoming and always at hand with answers to any queries. Both the service and food I feel has vastly improved in the last couple of years. The knowledge by the staff about the food served is genuine and there seems to be a passion for making sure each table was made to feel special. A big thanks to the team and we'll be back soon!
Foodiemelbourne
Stumbled upon this place and was drawn in by their lunch special- two courses for £10.99. This was such good value! So many entrees and mains to choose from. I tried the haggis, but the main of herb crusted salmon with potatoes and spinach was the highlight. Very generous serving sizes. <br/><br/>The staff were a stand out also. After experiencing a bit of bad service in Great Britain so far, the waiters here were friendly, attentive and polite without being pushy. A great spot for lunch in Old Town!
R
Many diners, including us, were tourists. The service was great and the dining room is lovely and comfortable. The food was all good, and beautifully presented, but not avante garde or surprising (which is fine because that's not everybody's thing). Potato leek soup was so-so. Wood pigeon breast salad was flavorful and pleasant. (Mostly I'm excited I can now say I've eaten pigeon). Mackerel main course was straightforward. The asparagus stuffed pepper that came with it was the best part. The Butternut squash tagine had complex spice flavoring, with tasty results. Overall B+ / A-.
Doctor Foodie
Howie is a very popular restaurant in old town.<br/>They serve traditional Scottish food .<br/>You get the recommendation from various places. I got my recommendation from timberbush tours and this Scottish lady advised us to do check it out .<br/>After reaching when we decided on the items to order we realised they have booking for another 3 hours . So we couldn't dine in.<br/>And later when we did it didn't disappoint.
Michelle Ann China Yu
We went all the way from London, England to Edinburgh, Scotland to have some good lunch! ? And that's HOWIES! Yes! 2 different countries.. 6 hours from England to Scotland ? But that won't stop us from eating ? So before we go to Scotland we already pre-ordered our meals.. Howies Waterloo is a Georgian Dining Hall which offers informal dining in a wonderful setting ?? Cozy place for a good lunch! ?? I ordered their Special Herb Crumbed Shetland Salmon ? My family ordered their Special Boz Scottish Dry Aged Ribeye steak and Free Range Scottish Chicken Breast ?? Everything we ordered was good. Happy Tummy! ???? Will definitely going back to Scotland for Howies! ?
Marty
Howies for a family lunch. Good service, great food, great find, great value for money ! Cullen skink was tremendous, lamb car resole good too. We were surprised it wasn't more busy. Would definitely recommend
Spotty
Lovely. We wanted to find some real food, not all the tourist overpriced junk that was on offer around the castle, and we were very happy to find this place. The flavoured breads pre dinner, the excellent mash potato and fresh cooked fish made it a wonderful lunch, in very comfy surroundings with some very good service too.
Eltonio19
Best value for money in Edinburgh!. I could not have been more impressed with the food here. Every ingredient of top quality, cooked to perfected andall with prices that would turn the cheeks of a gastro pub bright red!<br/><br/>Pound for pound as good a restaurant as I have been in.
Bec
Howies in Edinburgh. This restaurant is lovely, there was no need to book, we just walked in, but that was mid week. Staff were friendly and attentive and gave recommendations when asked. the food was wonderful and not too expensive for a fine dining experience.
Vindaloo Queen
Classy lunch, slick service and not an ounce of pretentiousness!
Ana Fortunato
The mussels are to die for (without cream sauce for me). The atmosphere and the service is very friendly.<br/>My bf ordered Mac&Cheese and didn't like :/<br/>They have a 2 course set lunch menu for £9.9 what it is quite cool.
Robin Machado
A cozy place for a good lunch, good deals on lunch too. They also have some great and friendly staff. A definite recommend. :)
SamGekko
Imagine having made a long overnight trip from London to Edinburgh, a bite here and a bite there and its lunchtime. You are hungry as hell, but you scout the streets for that one place you have heard so much about and want to kick off your hogging gala on that specific auspicious note. You hunt for it, for over an hour on an empty stomach, almost give up, and then find it - Voila! That's what Howies was for the three of us! Scrambling across the Royal Mile and its neighboring streets, getting to it finally seemed to be a victory in itself. Although the place wasn't particularly eye candy, we didn't let that dampen our spirits.<br/><br/>We got the ball rolling with a dash of Beer(PERONI) and Single Malt (SCAPA-unusual for some, usual for others ;) ). Traditional cullen skink, along with pan fried wood pigeon breat, and a portion of traditional haggis, neeps and tatties to start proceedings on the food front, and we were away. Following it up with the Main Course, we had the Chef's Catch of the Day - Seabrim fish, Scottish Rump Steak and Grilled Mackerel Fillet. <br/><br/>It was probably a case where the expectations are so high, the case for success is almost inevitably doomed. Somehow, Howies didn't make a lasting impression - not when I was there, and not now, when with all my globetrotting, it wouldn't really figure in my top places for food in Edinburgh. All in all though, Howies was a decent start to the food fest we had embarked upon in Scotland - neither did it WOW us, nor was it a disappointment. <br/><br/>The service was quite warm, and prompt for the crowd that filled the place for lunch. But all in all, it's a place that went just about well, 3 stars then, for Howies.
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