Purslane Restaurant — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

We came for dinner as a couple and I will only rate the food here because I am aware that the importance given to certain things, such as tablets instead of paper menus, Laguiole-style knives with plastic handles and not natural materials, or placemats instead of a tablecloth, and a plastic bottle and not a glass one, is highly subjective. We are used to gourmet restaurants in France and I must say that the 5-course meal served on 08/27/2025 did not fully satisfy us. We found that the 3 amuse-bouches would have benefited from being more refined in their flavor and less fatty. Then the dishes were very well presented but we found that they lacked refinement and flavor. These are good products without a doubt and the venison was very good, but in a gourmet restaurant, we are looking for more than just good, well-presented food; given the small portions, we are looking for pronounced, delicate flavors and finesse in the mouth. We didn't have any cheese or wine during the meal. Finally, the pre-dessert and dessert were very sweet, with again a beautiful presentation but without any particular taste pleasure. I'm sorry I couldn't share this review with you in the restaurant and I hope that this remark will be well received and considered constructive. Thank you again for the welcome and the service, we had a good...

My brother in law found this gem of a restaurant last year and wanted me to experience it for myself. I am so very pleased he did. I have eaten in some of the supposedly best restaurants (2 Michelin ones this week alone) and Purslane just does fine dining so much better than most. Our 5 course taking menu was actually expanded into 10 small but perfect culinary delights. The Michelin chefs should look past their rosettes, certificates, over priced menus and impossibly complicated descriptions and see how it should be done. The service was impeccable, the food amongst the best I have ever tasted, the paired wines were precise and different. The selection of wines was diverse and dared to be different whilst enhancing the food. The day after eating here we ate in a Michelin starred establishment and were so disappointed. We were constantly comparing Purslane who doesn't chase accolades but delivers quietly and confidently what the customer actually wants. A superb gastronomic experience which is actually great value. The owner should be proud of this physically small but well run establishment. So small, it does not have the wall space nor the nterest for...

Attended here in a large group, for such a small restaurant they did their best to accommodate us all. The service was excellent with all the staff seemingly beavering about us making sure our drinks were full and our food was good. The food was excellent, they even catered for my vegan diet with the chef himself coming out to speak to me about what they could offer me. I started with the tomato and artichoke terrine which was delicately flavoured and quite excellent. My terrible memory wont allow me to give the full titles of the dishes I ate but I can assure you they were good. My main was a roasted cauliflower dish meant to be served with a cheese sauce but they served mine with a salsa verde and again it was excellent. Our party stayed quite late without the staff pushing us out the door. The food here is on par with other fine dining restaurants in Edinburgh, many burnished with a Michelin star, which I am sure Purslane will achieve if they keep the level of cooking and service provided...