Business lunch Edinburgh

Got someone important from head office to impress? Want to treat a new client? Or are you just wanting something a bit different from the sad supermarket sandwich? We can help. We hoiked up our socks and hiked up and down Edinburgh’s hills to compile this list of the best places you can hit up for a business lunch.

Overlooking George Street in the New Town, and above another favourite Spanish restaurant, is a Spanish fish restaurant, named after the Andalusian port city. Impress your corporate date with Mejillones, fresh shetland mussels served with crusty bread or fries, and the fabulously fried goodness of the hand cut chips tossed in Manchego and truffle oil. Luxurious and delicious. If you’ve been stuck in meetings all morning, you’re probably starving, stave off the hunger with something “Para la mesa” (for the table), such as the Aceitunas Gordal picantes, the large green Spanish Gordal olives marinated with a hint of chill, we’re big into big olives at ResDiary.

One of the best places for a casual business lunch is The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant, an award winning gallery cafe located within the Scottish National Gallery overlooking the beautiful Princes Street Gardens. They serve fresh seasonal Scottish produce using small local suppliers and growers. Here you can try all your Scottish favourites, from Cullen Skink to Haggis to Mac & Cheese, this place has it all. If you’re lucky enough to experience Edinburgh in the sun, sit out on the large terrace for al fresco lunch (make it a long one).

Rated 10/10 by Joanna Blythman for the Sunday Herald, this is one of the best places you can go for a business lunch in Edinburgh. Victor and Carina Contini’s flagship Italian restaurant is housed in a grand former Georgian banking hall on George Street. Modern Italian dishes showcase the very best of Scottish and Italian produce. If you’re looking for a light lunch, choose their Mozzarella salad, but if it’s been a long week or a busy morning or you’re just feeling it, try their classic pasta, homemade fresh everyday. We would recommend the Contini classic that’s been on their menu since 2004, the Contadino, Fresh orecchiette with Italian picante sausage, dried porcini mushrooms, rocket, fresh cream (CREAM) and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. Have we enticed you?

Housed in a 600-year old building, Howies Victoria lies in the heart of Edinburgh’s medieval Old Town. Just a short walk from The Royal Mile and The Grassmarket, Howies Victoria is the perfect spot for a business lunch. Howies has been a stalwart in the Edinburgh restaurant scene since 1990. They have a few locations, Waterloo Place, Victoria Street, and their sister restaurant Scott’s Kitchen on Victoria Terrace. So you’re bound to find a table somewhere if it’s a last minute lunch. They pride themselves on making the most of Scotland’s incredible natural larder. Try their venison from their own estate in Perthshire and succulent salmon from the Shetland isles.