Howies Waterloo Place is a Scottish restaurant in a Georgian building at the foot of Calton Hill. Built in 1815, the high ceilinged dining room feels light and spacious despite its central location near Waverley Station. Lunch and dinner are served every day, and a private room supports celebrations and business gatherings.
Seasonal Scottish produce guides the menu. The kitchen works with daily fish and casserole specials, cured salmon, grass fed beef, local shellfish, game, regional cheese and vegetables from across Scotland. Haggis, neeps and tatties provide a familiar introduction, while changing fish, meat and vegetable dishes reflect current availability.
Fixed price lunch and early evening menus make the restaurant useful before a train, a theatre visit or a longer night in the city. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free choices are available, although recipes change and guests with allergies should consult the current information. Homemade puddings bring fruit, chocolate and traditional comfort into the final course.
Scottish craft beer, East Lothian cider, Edinburgh gin and other local spirits give the drinks list the same regional emphasis as the food. Wine and alcohol free choices broaden the pairings. Howies Waterloo Place offers an accessible version of Scottish dining, combining recognisable ingredients, warm service and a striking historic room.
Address: 29 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3BQ, United Kingdom
Howies Waterloo Place Menu
Focaccia, Dips and Olives
Freshly baked rosemary focaccia
with butter or extra virgin olive oil
Homemade houmous
Homemade black olive tapenade
Chef’s marinated Mediterranean mixed olives
Recommended Sides
Isle of Mull cheddar mac and cheese
Garlic and herb butter sautéed veg
Sea salt skin on fries
Mixed leaf salad
With mustard and lemon dressing
New season garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes
Roast carrots with spiced almonds
Starters
Cullen skink
Scottish smoked haddock, leek, potato and cream chowder. Served with freshly baked rosemary focaccia
Award winning traditional haggis
With neeps, tatties and thyme jus
Vegan haggis, neeps and tatties
With a chive cream sauce
Belhaven Scottish smoked salmon
Pickled fennel, lemon aioli, homemade crowdie and chive bread
Seasonal soup of the day
With freshly baked rosemary focaccia. Ask your server for today’s tasty option
Chicken liver pâté
With a spiced sweet onion chutney and focaccia toasts
Stuffed aubergine salad
Whipped vegan feta, tomato, red pepper, rocket, olive oil and garlic dressing, toasted sunflower seeds
Kames of Oban cold smoked trout rillettes
Crème fraîche, lemon and tarragon, focaccia toasts
Mains
Catch of the day
Please ask your server for today’s fresh Scottish fish and garnish
Perthshire wild venison casserole
Slowly cooked with red wine, carrots, beetroot, fresh herbs. Served with sea salt roast potatoes. May contain shot
Pan-seared Scottish salmon
With pommes anna, mint crushed peas, tartare hollandaise, crispy shallots
Miso roast sweet potato
Soy glazed bok choy, ginger and coriander yoghurt, crispy chilli
Roast haunch of wild Scottish venison
Smoked applewood cheddar and caramelised onion tartlet, truffle mash, glazed heritage carrot, jus
Chargrilled chicken breast
With edamame bean, sweetcorn and kale succotash, bacon jam, spiced BBQ jus
Howies classic Caesar salad
Baby gem, Parmesan Reggiano, anchovies, homemade Caesar dressing and focaccia croutons
From the Grill
All steaks are served with skin on fries and mixed leaf salad. Add peppercorn sauce or garlic and herb butter for +2.50 each. We work with Gilmour butchers from the Scottish Borders who only use grass fed cattle from local farms.
Scottish grass-fed, 35-day, dry-aged 225g / 8oz ribeye steak
Scottish grass-fed, 35-day, dry-aged 170g / 6oz fillet steak
Scottish Belhaven Lobster
Served hot with garlic butter, skin on fries and mixed leaf salad
Puddings
Howies famous banoffee pie
Biscuit base, toffee, banana, whipped cream and toasted almonds
Sticky toffee pudding
Sea salt toffee sauce with Mackie’s traditional ice cream
Howies chocolate sundae
With homemade brownie pieces, toasted pecans, Mackie’s ice cream and topped with whipped cream and warm fudge sauce
Fresh Scottish Blacketyside strawberries
With whipped cream, ice cream or lemon sorbet
Chocolate cremeux
Crunchy homemade granola with raspberry gel and raspberry sorbet
Two scoops of Mackie’s ice cream
Please ask your server for today’s flavours
Affogato
Two scoops of Mackie’s vanilla ice cream, served alongside a shot of espresso
Duo of Langshaw’s sorbets
Please ask your server for today’s flavours
Iain Mellis Scottish Cheeses
Clava Brie, St Andrews Cheddar and Kintyre blue, with grapes, homemade Howies chutney and Scottish oatcakes
Two Courses
per person Sunday to Thursday order by 6.30pm
Two courses
Lunch Menu – Starters
Lunch menu, two courses 19.95 per person
Award winning traditional haggis
With neeps, tatties and thyme jus (also available as a main)
Vegan haggis, neeps and tatties
With a chive cream sauce (also available as a main)
Cullen skink
Scottish smoked haddock, leek, potato and cream chowder. Served with freshly baked rosemary focaccia (also available as a main)
Chicken liver pâté
With spiced sweet onion chutney and focaccia toasts
Seasonal soup of the day
With freshly baked rosemary focaccia. Ask your server for today’s tasty option
Belhaven Scottish smoked salmon
Pickled fennel, lemon aioli, homemade crowdie and chive bread
Kames of Oban cold smoked trout rillettes
Crème fraîche, lemon and tarragon, focaccia toasts
Stuffed aubergine salad
Whipped vegan feta, tomato, red pepper, rocket, garlic olive oil dressing, toasted sunflower seeds
Lunch Menu – Mains
Catch of the day
Please ask your server for today’s fresh Scottish fish and garnish
Perthshire wild venison casserole
Slowly cooked with red wine, carrots, beetroot, fresh herbs. May contain shot
Pan-seared Scottish salmon
With pommes anna, mint crushed peas, tartare hollandaise and crispy shallots
Miso roast sweet potato
Soy glazed bok choy, ginger and coriander yoghurt, crispy chilli
Classic steak frites
Scottish grass fed, 21 day, dry-aged, 6oz sirloin from Gilmour’s butchers. Served with skin-on fries and homemade garlic and herb butter
Gilmour’s grass-fed 170g/6oz beef burger
With Howies homemade burger sauce and baby gem lettuce in an artisan bun with coleslaw and skin on fries
Chargrilled chicken breast
With edamame bean, sweetcorn and kale succotash, bacon jam and BBQ jus
Howies classic Caesar salad
Baby gem, Parmesan Reggiano, anchovies, homemade Caesar dressing and focaccia croutons
Lunch Menu – From the Grill
We work with Gilmour butchers from the Scottish Borders who only use grass fed cattle from local farms.
Scottish grass-fed, 35-day, dry-aged, 8oz/225g ribeye steak
Served with skin on fries and mixed leaf salad
Lunch Menu – Scottish Belhaven Lobster
Scottish Belhaven Lobster
Served hot with garlic butter, skin on fries and mixed leaf salad
Lunch Menu – Puddings
Howies famous banoffee pie
Biscuit base, toffee, banana, whipped cream and toasted almonds
Sticky toffee pudding
Sea salt toffee sauce with Mackie’s traditional ice cream
Howies chocolate sundae
With homemade brownie pieces, toasted pecans, Mackie’s ice cream and topped with whipped cream and warm fudge sauce
Fresh Scottish Blacketyside strawberries
With whipped cream, ice cream or lemon sorbet
Chocolate cremeux
Crunchy homemade granola with raspberry gel and raspberrry sorbet
Two scoops of Mackie’s ice cream
Please ask your server for today’s flavours
Affogato
Two scoops of Mackie’s vanilla ice cream, served alongside a shot of espresso
Duo of Langshaw’s sorbets
Please ask your server for today’s flavours
Iain Mellis Scottish Cheeses
Clava Brie, St Andrews Cheddar and Kintyre blue, with grapes, homemade Howies chutney and Scottish oatcakes
Seasonal Aperitifs
Hugo Spritz
Edinburgh Gin Elderflower liqueur, Prosecco, topped with soda
Peach and Strawberry Fizz
Edinburgh Classic Gin, Lucky Liqueurs Peach, strawberries, lemon juice, gomme and soda
Flora No Dora
Tanqueray 0.0% Gin, raspberry, lime, topped with ginger beer
Elderflower Freetz
Fresh apple juice, elderflower cordial, grapefruit bitters, lemon juice and soda
After Dinner Drinks
Tiramisu Martini
Coldsnap Vodka, Baileys, Tiramisu syrup, espresso and cream
Penicillin
Glengoyne 12 yo whisky, lemon juice, honey and ginger
Strawberry Cheesecake
Strawberries, Mozart White Chocolate Liqueur, vanilla, lemon syrup, shortbread crumbs
The Glengoyne whisky flight (3 x 25ml serves)
Glengoyne 12 yo, Glengoyne 15 yo, Glengoyne White Oak
Lunch Menu – Seasonal Aperitifs
Hugo Spritz
Edinburgh Gin Elderflower liqueur, Prosecco, topped with soda
Peach and Strawberry Fizz
Edinburgh Classic Gin, Lucky Liqueurs Peach, strawberries, lemon juice, gomme and soda
Flora No Dora
Tanqueray 0.0% Gin, raspberry, lime, topped with ginger beer
Elderflower Freetz
Fresh apple juice, elderflower cordial, grapefruit bitters, lemon juice and soda
Lunch Menu – After Lunch Drinks
Tiramisu Martini
Coldsnap Vodka, Baileys, Tiramisu syrup, espresso and cream
Penicillin
Glengoyne 12 yo whisky, lemon juice, honey and ginger
Strawberry Cheesecake
Strawberries, Mozart White Chocolate Liqueur, vanilla, lemon syrup, shortbread crumbs
The Glengoyne whisky flight (3 x 25ml serves)
Glengoyne 12 yo, Glengoyne 15 yo, Glengoyne White Oak