Fun restaurants in Edinburgh

Everyone knows that Tokyo is a bit mad. And if you’ve been to Tokyo, you’ll know that Harajuku is the craziest part of Tokyo, with outlandish fashion, bright colours, and huge flavours. And this atmosphere is what the team at Harajuku Kitchen are looking to bring to Edinburgh. Although the restaurants itself is pretty stripped back, it’s the food that pushes it into the fun restaurants in Edinburgh category. They have every kind of sushi you could imagine, with sushi rice bowls, noodle dishes, and tasty gyozas thrown in. Our favourite dish is the mochi; a Japanese rice cake filled with today’s flavour of ice cream. Yum.

At first glance, The Table may seem a tad refined to make it onto a “fun restaurants in Edinburgh” rundown. However, the food may be fine dining at its best, but the atmosphere and uniqueness of this restaurant really makes it stand out. You see, it only has ten seats, all situated round an open kitchen/bar, and the two chefs make each dish in front of you. No stuffy maitre’ds here, you’re greeted by the chefs, served by the chefs, and they talk you through each dish as it’s being made. Fair warning though, they’re usually booked up weeks or even months in advance so keep an eye out for reservations opening up.

Tequila, sombreros, and tacos? Sign us up please. Topolabamba is one of the most upbeat and exciting restaurants to open in Edinburgh in recent years, with its Mexican flair making it a favourite with locals and tourists. The bright decor and fun music draw people in from the streets and they often have a queue at the front door. Start off your night with their house margaritas, then move onto their tasty tapas dishes like jalapeno poppers, chorizo taquitos,
Queso fundido, or huevos rancheros. If you have room for dessert, try their famous churros or go for a caramelised pineapple, passion fruit, and coconut margarita. If you don’t leave here dancing out the door, we’ll eat our sombreros.

With food inspired by the street trucks of India, Tuk Tuk has been open in Edinburgh for almost two years, making it a pioneer of the recent Indian street food scene. This bright and colourful venue is great for warming you up on a cold Edinburgh night with its tapas-style dishes. The staff recommend 3-4 dishes per person so it’s great if you’re there with a group and fancy trying out lots of new things. Our favourites include the sag paneer, ginger garlic chicken, and the railway station lamb curry, while their desserts like the “thumbs up ice cream float” (cola of Bombay with ice cream) and the warm milk dumplings with cardamom and pistachio syrup are dishes of joy. With its bright interior, friendly staff, and sharing dishes, it’s no wonder this place is considered one of the most fun restaurants in Edinburgh.

With a beer palace, “the boudoir”, a cafe bar, a bothy, and a prosecco bar, there’s no shortage of spaces to visit at city centre Brewhemia. Built on the spirit of adventure, Brewhemia ensures that whenever you visit, there’s always something exciting happening. On Saturdays there’s a live haus band, Tuesdays host duelling piano maestros, and Sundays have a full day of music with afternoon choirs, and soul and blues in the evening. Their menu has something to suit everyone, with a focus on German cuisine providing whole sections devoted to bratwurst, currywurst, and kaiser wurst. Wash it all back with some great beer and revel in the atmosphere.

If you’re one of those people that doesn’t like change, Six by Nico may not be the place for you. It’s so named because every six weeks, the team here change the entire concept of the restaurant. So far in the Glasgow and Edinburgh venues, there has been the chippie, Disney, childhood, and more. Guests can enjoy six courses, straight out of chef/owner Nico’s mad imagination, with memorable dishes including a fizzy lifting drink, and big apple cheesecake, almost completely resembling an actual apple. Each menu is always a surprise and sometimes the marketing campaign is the most fun part of it all.