Edinburgh’s 2023 food trends

Borough is a contemporary bistro located in the Leith area and seems to be a great place to start cultivating this new year mindset due to its airy, plant-filled setting and delicious seasonal menu that uses locally sourced ingredients. The venue is a teaser of what restaurants might be like in a few years to come; as we prioritise our wellbeing more, the focus might be on healthy and minimalist meals. Examples from the menu include mushroom broth, smoked haddock, crown prince pumpkin and many other delicious dishes.

In 2023, expect the trend of eating healthy to continue and one of the best ways to boost your immune system is by trying a plant-based diet. Seeds For The Soul is a restaurant that offers a variety of vegan options, such as cauliflower with garlic mayo and sriracha or spinach gyoza. You can even get a tasty burger with vegan cheese and bacon. Apart from spreading the love for vegan food, it aims to keep our planet clean by recycling waste and providing biodegradable cutlery and takeaway boxes. It’s great to see that more and more restaurants are starting to operate in a way that helps protect our natural environment.

Paradise Palms is a fun hangout spot with an on-site record store, bar and restaurant that is also environmentally-friendly. The venue uses renewable energy, sources ingredients from local suppliers and makes sure to reduce waste and recycle where possible, which is the ethos we believe more restaurants will follow in 2023. The award-winning kitchen provides a variety of dishes inspired by Americana and diner classics, all being either vegan or vegetarian: fries, burgers, BBQ platters, mac and cheese, and so much more.

The award-winning Scottish Café & Restaurant is an inspiration to venues that hope to learn how to cultivate sustainability. The restaurant aims to be environmentally-friendly by following three objectives: to use locally produced ingredients, minimise water use and production, and either re-use or recycle all the materials. On top of that, the venue is passionate about spreading awareness about the impact a person has on the environment, whilst providing tasty seasonal dishes. Currently, the seasonal lunch menu includes options such as parsnip soup with maple syrup and rosemary chestnuts as a starter and roasted hake, leek tart and roast turkey for the main.

One of the main trends for 2023 is improving our mental health, which is why foraged food is becoming a more popular way to gather ingredients. Foraging can be sustainable and not only allows you to reduce your carbon footprint, but also helps you become more connected to your surroundings and be present in the moment. Forage & Chatter offers locally sourced dishes, some of which are foraged. On the current menu, you can find pumpkin tagliatelle, halibut in oyster sauce, sirloin steak and pork loin dishes. When you see how tasty they are, you might even become inspired to try foraging food yourself.