Set just a short distance from Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town, Monboddo is an all-day restaurant and bar serving coffee, lunch, dinner and drinks. You’ll find it within the DoubleTree Hilton Edinburgh hotel, though it boasts its own entrance on Bread Street. While most visit for drinks and food, it also works well as an alternative work-from-home location, thanks to speedy WiFi and ample plug sockets, alongside coffee, tea and light morning food options.
Inside, you’ll find a modern restaurant, complete with high-backed lounge seating, more intimate booth tables and high-top tables suited to drinks meet-ups. By day, it’s bright and colourful, but as night falls the bar becomes the centrepiece, with its blue glowing shelving and striking light feature.
The Monboddo menu, meanwhile, opens with varied starters such as Scottish haggis croquettes with mustard mash and crispy leeks, heritage tomato salad with a basil consommé, and a classic chicken Caesar. Main dishes include Paolozzi beer-battered fish and chips with minted peas, tiger prawn linguine, and an 8oz sirloin steak with roasted tomato, garlic-buttered Portobello mushrooms and chunky chips.
The menu also covers a small selection of burgers, including a vegan jackfruit burger with apricot and ginger relish, alongside a classic Aberdeen Angus beef burger and a Southern-style chicken version. Guests can also expect pizza options, with toppings like pepperoni and chicken alongside a classic Margherita.
At lunchtime, the Monbroddo menu broadens to include a range of sandwiches such as Scottish smoked salmon baguettes, New York pastrami on toasted sourdough, and the Monboddo club. Alternatively, if you’re coming for a few snacks, the bar menu offers smaller plates like loaded fries, chicken wings and olives. To finish, there are classic desserts, including chocolate sundaes, ice cream and sticky toffee pudding.