The Devil's Advocate — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

Cool vibe, casual dress or smart casual seemed fine. Booking was essential. We tried for dinner at like 6 or 7pm on a Tuesday and it was fully booked. Booked for a table Wednesday in the only alot available at 6pm.

Key points: good vibe, incredible food, OK drinks, 10% serive included in your bill, VERY slow table service and somewhat aloof servers....that was the oddest part.

Price seemed reasonable and quality of everything was top notch. The food was absolutely spot on, flavours and textures and even portion size were perfectly balanced. The menu is seasonal, true to Scottish roots and incredibly fresh and seems to have a modern take on things. I would have stayed for more or seconds! How could something as simple as steamed veggies be so delicious!

We also had a couple of drinks. The cocktails I did feel were a little over the top with flavours; the flavour profiles of the drinks weren't as well balanced as the food. I somehow ended up with a double gin shot in mine so it felt very heavy on the alcohol for a 200ml glass. I tried my partner's and againm very heavy on the alcohol. Not a bad thing if thats what youre looking for but they werent an easy drink. Still nice, but not what I would go back there for. Prices were the same as other cocktails in the city in places of a similar vibe. The wine we had was good and very drinkable and again a reasonable price. For whisky drinkers there are over 300 options apparently but it strikes me as the place where you need to know your stuff as the staff didn't seem up for offering insight.

As I said, it was busy and we were on a Wednesday night...but the service was so slow. Food came out relatively quickly though. Drinks were somewhat slow for what they were. And trying to catch the eye of the waiter was excruciating...it was almost like they didn't want to talk to you and when they did it was quite short and cold. Not rude, just not friendly and warm. Now...Maybe it was just busy but it felt like it might be just the vibe. It also took 20 minutes to get our cheque after asking for it....we finished a glass of wine in that time!

Overall, would highly recommend for modern food, comfortable seating, nice atmosphere. I'd say put up with the delays and the tenor of the staff. It could just have been an off day really. If I could, I'd go back in a heartbeat....but I'd book...

A wonderful, atmospheric, cosy local pub with cheerful, friendly and welcoming staff. Bookings not required but it can get busy so if you are intending to visit at peak times or you have a large group 6 or more, maybe book ahead. I really appreciated that our waitress gave us comfy seats (being 50++) We ate here for lunch twice on our recent trip to Scotland as it was so good! Because Europe is 23 hrs flying from Australia we research everything including cafes and pubs so we get the most out of our holidays. The Devils Advocate actually exceeded our expectations. We felt welcomed almost like beloved regulars. For pub food it's very good and portions are very generous. Our 1st lunch we shared the smoked fish plate with hot and cold smoked salmon, mackerel pate, fresh pickles and satisfyingly chewy bread. It's worth visiting for this taste of Scotland alone. My husband enjoyed the fish and chips; fresh, moist inside, beautifully crisp batter, great chips. I chose the linguine with parsley lemon pesto, broad beans and crispy capers. The pasta was perfectly Al dente, the delicious pesto sauce perfectly balanced and the serving enormous. It defeated me! Our waitress told me it's rare anyone finishes a serve. This dish equaled pasta I've enjoyed in good trattorias in Italy. Wine pours were generous, and enjoyable. It's not a restaurant so it's good honest wine amazingly reasonably prced but don't expect fabulous. Our 2nd visit was a late lunch where we shared entrees; deep fried crumbed Haggis; my husband is a big haggis convert!soup of the day and a side dish which should be listed as a dish in its own right it's that good - tempura brocoli with miso and toasted seeds. Again serves so huge I didn't finish. Like everywhere in Edinburgh you will have to climb up and down steps to get to this place but it's absolutely worth it. Staff won't rush you here; you can linger comfortably over your pint, whisky ( good selection available) or food. Highly recommended. Would definitely go back if ever in...

Disappointing experience for families with young children! We visited on a Saturday for lunch and booked a table online for 4 adults, specifically noting in the reservation that we required a baby chair. We were told upon arrival that our booking was only set up for four adults.

At one point, we were temporarily using a baby chair as a placeholder while waiting for a fourth adult to arrive. When she did, the baby chair was abruptly pulled away from our table — without a single word of explanation or courtesy. No "please", no "excuse me" — just taken, in a way that felt unnecessary and rude.

We were offered the option to sit outside — in the cold (it was a rainy and windy day, and in spite of being a covered area, the cold and wind would've still been uncomfortable), with two babies. Unsurprisingly, we declined.

This was all handled by one young woman who seemed to be managing both reservations and table service — the same staff member throughout — and unfortunately, her manner lacked any warmth or attentiveness.

What made it worse was that three nearby tables sat empty for most of the time we were there — enough space for at least six or eight adults. We were never offered the chance to move, even briefly, to accommodate our needs. We were told space was an issue, but there was plenty of room behind us, where even two adults could easily pass at the same time.

Overall, there was zero effort made to accommodate a young family. No flexibility, no empathy, and no basic courtesy. We only stayed because of the weather and because the babies needed feeding in a warm environment.

To top it off, the bill came with a discretionary tip already loaded into the card machine — no discussion, no option presented, just assumed.

A very disappointing experience that left us feeling unwelcome and undervalued. Unfortunately, we would not recommend this place to families or anyone expecting a bit of understanding or...