A scenic Scottish dining room with strong special-occasion appeal, genuinely good views, and a menu that leans polished and upscale; it’s worth booking for the setting and signature dishes, but some diners report uneven cooking, occasional service lapses, and prices that can feel steep.
Twenty Princes Street delivers strong food quality anchored by excellent steaks and Scottish classics, paired with warm, attentive service that consistently impresses. Its iconic Princes Street setting with scenic window views elevates the experience considerably. Uneven execution on certain dishes and occasional service delays prevent a higher grade, though the restaurant remains a reliable destination for refined Scottish dining.
Twenty Princes Street is one of those Edinburgh dining rooms where the view does half the flirting for the restaurant. People come for window seats, castle outlooks, and polished special-occasion meals, and the strongest reviews absolutely lean into that: calm, classy, welcoming, and pleasantly theatrical without feeling fussy. The best nights sound genuinely memorable, with staff singled out for being warm, attentive, and just the right amount of present. On the plate, the kitchen is serving upscale Scottish comfort with a few modern flourishes rather than avant-garde chef tricks. Haggis, venison, roast, steak, seafood, and afternoon tea are the recurring crowd-pleasers, and the successful meals get described as tender, well-paced, and nicely presented. The menu is broad enough to satisfy mixed groups, but it’s still a grown-up room: this is better for a date, anniversary, or celebratory lunch than for a casual family pizza-and-chicken-nuggets mission. Kids can manage here if they’re happy with familiar items like burgers, chips, toasties, mac and cheese, or simple desserts, but the restaurant is not really built around children’s dining. For picky eaters, the adventurous Scottish menu may be a stretch; for older kids who’ll eat steak, salmon, or chips, it should be fine. The menu reality check is simple: there are enough recognizable options to work for families, but the experience is still clearly aimed at adults.
Area vibe: Elegant Georgian district known for shopping, galleries and neoclassical architecture.
Safety: Generally safe with good lighting and steady foot traffic into the evening, though can be quieter late at night.
What's nearby: Located on Princes Street near Waverley Station, overlooking Princes Street Gardens and close to shops, hotels and galleries.