A characterful Old Town hotel with a genuinely appealing bistro, strong breakfast, and standout service in many visits, but pricing, room-size quirks, and occasional service/charging issues keep it from feeling effortless.
Hotel du Vin Edinburgh delivers solid food quality and attentive service anchored by its historic Old Town setting with distinctive architecture and courtyards. Consistency across visits prevents a higher grade, with food quality and service occasionally dipping below expectations, though the polished dining experience and strong design appeal keep it firmly in the upper tier.
Hotel du Vin Edinburgh feels like one of those places that wins people over with atmosphere first and food second — except here, the food mostly keeps up. Guests repeatedly talk about the beautiful old building, the sheltered courtyard, and the sense of being somewhere a little more special than a standard city-center hotel. One reviewer summed up the mood nicely by describing it as a place with ‘tons of character’ and a surprisingly quiet refuge in the middle of Edinburgh. The cooking leans classic French bistro with hotel-friendly crowd-pleasers: onion soup, moules frites, steak, cassoulet, crème brûlée, afternoon tea, and a breakfast program that gets far more love than average. This is not adventurous or trend-chasing food; it’s polished, familiar, and best when it’s fresh, hot, and well-seasoned. The upside is broad appeal. The downside is that when the kitchen slips, diners notice quickly — especially at these prices, and especially once sides and service charge are added. Families can do well here, and the menu proves it: breakfast has toast, pastries, cereal, fruit, eggs, and easy options like avocado on toast; dinner includes burgers, steak frites, salad, and desserts that even picky eaters can handle. Reviewers also mention baby gear, a child-friendly mocktail, and helpful staff, so it’s not just a ‘kids tolerated’ situation. Still, this is an upscale bistro-hotel, not a playground for adventurous eaters, so expect polished comfort food rather than a dedicated children’s menu.
Area vibe: Historic, tourist-heavy district centred on medieval streets and landmarks
Safety: Generally busy and well-lit; usual caution late at night in quieter lanes
What's nearby: Close to University of Edinburgh, Royal Mile, National Museum, theatres and tram/bus links
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