Côte Edinburgh — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

Côte Brasserie exudes the charm and elegance of a quintessential French bistro, bringing a slice of Parisian life to the heart of Edinburgh. Their drinks menu will have you licking your lips in anticipation. Their cocktails sound incredible, almost like dessert – try the Cinnamon Bun Espresso Martini or the Chocolate Old Fashioned (both £10.95). As someone who loves a good mocktail, I must say Côte excels in this area. I tried the French Macaron-tini (£9.95), and it was superb – a well-balanced, albeit sweet, mocktail. It was also very pretty! Cote Brasserie have introduced some new dishes and we didn’t hesitate to try them out. Warm Baked Beetroot (£7.95) - dressed beetroot wedges on lemon and herb aioli with julienned pear, pistachio dukka and pickled shallots topped with crispy panisse. A delightful dish where the beetroot was earthy and sweet, enhanced by the warmth of baking helping to intensify those natural sugars. The pistachio dukkah brings a nutty, savoury crunch which complements the softness of the beets and creaminess of the aioli. Brulée Camembert (£10.25) - caramelised cheese, grape chutney, walnuts and toasted sourdough baguette. This offers a delectable blend of all the textures and flavours you want from a cheese. The cheese is ooey gooey, with a cheese pull that will make anyone smile. The chutney and the walnuts were just perfect accompaniments. We tried a new dish and a classic staple from their menu. Butternut Squash Tarte Tatin (£15.95) - sage, salted caramel and red onion tarte tatin topped with whipped goat’s cheese and toasted almonds, with a green salad. This offered a delightful harmony of sweet, savoury and nutty flavours. The pastry was still crisp underneath and the butternut squash was soft and sweet. The goats cheese really tied it all together. Confit Duck a l’Orange (£20.50) - On a bed of braised red cabbage with a bitter orange sauce and gratin dauphinois. The duck was cooked to perfection, falling off the bone. The orange flavour was consistent throughout and it was beautifully presented. Great dish. We ordered the Truffled Cauliflower au Gratin (£5.50) - roasted cauliflower, truffle cheese sauce and a rosemary crumb, and the French Beans Amandine (£4.75) - with confit shallots, crispy onions and toasted flaked almonds. A side of Gratin Dauphinois come with the duck main too. The green beans were served just how I like them, retaining some crunch. The dauphinois potatoes were nice and creamy but the cauliflower was a let down. Still nice, I just couldn’t taste the truffle and the portion size was small. The photos of their desserts on their online menu, will leave your drooling. Cafe Gourmande (£8.95) - a selection of mini desserts. Raspberry macaron, pistachio profiterole and a warm butter madeleine with an espresso. I am such a fan of madeleines, that I opted for this simple selection and a coffee plus it was only 288 calories! Passion Fruit and Lime Leaf Creme Brulee (£8.50) - a traditional burnt French custard infused with passion fruit and lime leaf, served with vanilla-poached pineapple. This is another new menu item and it looked gorgeous and quite festive. Beautiful layers of flavour with the passion fruit shining through. I need to give their “Vitrine a Fromage” a moment. Located in the front half of the restaurant just opposite the bar area, sits this display case of mouth watering, drool worthy cheeses. From Brie aux Truffes to Roquefort Miraval to Chavre Buchette Frais Cendres to Delice de Bourgogne. They have a serious cheese showcase and I so want to return here, grab a glass of wine and just sit and eat cheese! Overall, Côte Brasserie ranks among the top dining spots in Edinburgh. It exudes an incredibly cosy and welcoming atmosphere, with friendly staff always on hand to offer guidance on menu and drink selections. The restaurant is priced in the medium range, and for the most part, the portion sizes are generally good – you'll leave feeling satisfied without being...

Disappointing Brunch Experience – Poor Service Overshadowed Decent Food

We were excited to try brunch at this restaurant in Edinburgh, but sadly, our experience was far from welcoming. Despite the stylish décor and a promising menu, the service left us genuinely disappointed.

From the moment we walked in, there was no clear indication of what we should do—no staff acknowledged us or offered guidance. We stood at the entrance awkwardly, unsure whether to wait or seat ourselves. After being ignored for a while, we decided to find our own table. Just two minutes later, a staff member rushed over and scolded us bluntly for seating ourselves, saying we should have waited to be guided. Of course, we apologized immediately, but it was frustrating—especially since we had been left completely unattended and only received a cold side-glance from another staff member before that.

When the same waiter brought us the menus (we were a group of four), he placed two of them gently, but threw the other two—including mine—onto the table without a word. Throughout the ordering process, he seemed annoyed, bordering on aggressive. As we were ordering one by one, he snapped at us, telling us to “wait until I’ve entered this one” in a very harsh tone. No mention was made of how long the food would take or any other usual pleasantries.

He then came back with cutlery and napkins. He placed the items properly for three of us, but when it came to me, he threw the napkin across the table toward me, rather than setting it down properly. Honestly, his attitude wasn’t just unfriendly—it didn’t even meet the minimum standard of decent customer service.

It’s hard to tell whether his behavior was just bad service or if there was something deeper going on—possibly even racial bias. I can’t say for sure, but the way he singled me out in subtle ways made me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

To make things worse, our table hadn’t been cleaned properly—there were still visible crumbs scattered across the surface. It gave the impression that basic hygiene and attentiveness were just not priorities here.

As for the food: it took quite a while to arrive, but once it did, it was decent. Nothing spectacular, but enjoyable enough. Unfortunately, the poor service completely overshadowed the meal.

By the end of our visit, the waiter seemed slightly more polite as we were leaving—but by then, the damage was already done. First impressions matter, and ours was ruined from the start.

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If you’re coming here hoping for a relaxed, enjoyable brunch experience, be warned: the food might be okay, but the service can turn what should be a pleasant meal into a frustrating one. With so many amazing brunch spots in Edinburgh, I’d recommend spending your time (and...

My partner booked a table here for our anniversary. We asked a range of friends, family, and colleagues also in the hospitality industry, for recommendations for where to go and were told we have to try here. We were seated promptly and were given menus. When our server arrived, we asked for some water and ordered some drinks. A glass of champagne and a cocktail. Despite being a quiet Monday night, it took 12 minutes for our drinks to arrive and longer for our waiter to return. We then ordered our food, 2 steaks, a sirloin and a ribeye. When ordering, we took the recommendations for temperatures. Sirloin medium rare and the ribeye medium. When our steaks arrived, the ribeye was perfect and my sirloin was overcooked. Rather than medium rare, it was further than medium and closer to medium well. We were not checked on as we were eating our main courses and could not find a waiter, so I ate it and moved on disappointed. Even as our plates were cleared, nothing was checked on, and our waiter moved past us quickly, not even asking if we wanted anything else or offering desert menus. 10 minutes pass, and with no sign of a waiter, we see someone coming towards us with what looks like desert menus, and they get slapped onto our table in passing. With trying to continue to have faith after all the wonderful recommendations, we look at desert menus. We ordered desert, a creme brule and a chocolate fondant, and within ordering, they were out in 2 minutes. Working in a restraunt that also serves a chocolate fondant, I know it takes around 13 minutes to cook, not 2. So I was very surprised to have it arrive in 2. And even more surprised to see a little doughnut shaped cake that had had chocolate sauce poured in the hole and microwaved. After the arrival of the sub-par deserts, we just wanted to leave. Never mind that my partner had made the reservation under a special occasion, and it was our anniversary, and there was no acknowledgement whatsoever. We asked for the bill, which came with a service charge added on, which I have NEVER in my life removed. This was the first time. We paid quickly booked an Uber and left. We had planned to continue the evening and have a nice rest of our anniversary with a couple of drinks, but after the considerable disappointment we just wanted to go home. Anyone that I so excitedly told about my anniversary plans before the evening, who have asked since- I told them and said that it is not worth it and I will not be returning. Overall massively...