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Ondine

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RuinMyTrip guide to Ondine

Official Review

Written by RuinMyTrip Editorial from published research and official sources, not from a personal trip. It is not a traveler review and is never counted in the community rating. How we research.

What it is

A seafood restaurant on the first floor of a George IV Bridge building in Edinburgh's Old Town, cooking Scottish shellfish and day-boat fish around a horseshoe crustacean bar.

Why travelers eat here

Because Scotland lands some of the best shellfish in Europe and most of it leaves the country. This is where it stays.

What is genuinely good

Excellent oysters and langoustines, a crustacean bar worth sitting at, a short menu that changes with the landings, and a first-floor room that stays calm.

Downsides

Prices climb fast. Easy to miss from the street. Very busy through the August festival.

Best for

Anyone who likes shellfish, and anyone wanting one properly good meal without leaving the Old Town.

Consider eating elsewhere if

You do not eat seafood. The menu has alternatives and none of them are the reason to come.

Practical advice

Book, especially in August. Ask for the crustacean bar rather than a table. The set lunch is the cheaper way in if the a la carte prices give you pause.

Prices and reservations

A la carte, with oysters from 30 pounds for six. A set lunch and pre-theatre menu are usually available at lower prices. Reservations online.

Getting there

A five-minute walk from Waverley station up Cockburn Street, or two minutes from the Royal Mile at the George IV Bridge junction.

Where it sits

George IV Bridge in the Old Town, beside the National Library and a short walk from Greyfriars Kirkyard and the Grassmarket.

How long to allow

An hour and a half.

The RuinMyTrip verdict

The best seafood in Edinburgh. Book the crustacean bar, order oysters and langoustines, and take the set lunch if the evening prices are too much.

Sources

Every figure above was checked against these before publication. If one has since changed, tell us and we will correct it.

  • Six Cumbrae oysters with firecracker dressing are 30 pounds. source
  • Crispy oysters with buffalo hot sauce are 35 pounds. source

From the RuinMyTrip team

Written by RuinMyTrip Editorial from published research and official sources, not from a personal trip. It is not a traveler review and is never counted in the community rating. How we research.

★★★★★ Official Review

Thirty Pounds for Six Oysters, Two Minutes From the Royal Mile

Ondine charges 30 pounds for six Cumbrae oysters with firecracker dressing and 35 pounds for crispy oysters with buffalo hot sauce, which tells you most of what you need to know about both the kitchen and the bill. It is a seafood restaurant on the first floor of a building on George IV Bridge, a two-minute walk from the Royal Mile, and it has been the serious fish option in Edinburgh for well over a decade.…

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