The City Restaurant is a family run restaurant on Nicolson Street near Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre. Open daily from late morning, it combines the familiarity of a traditional fish and chip shop with the seating and wider choice of a casual restaurant. Families, couples and groups can book or visit without a reservation.
Fish and chips remain central, with battered and breaded haddock joined by chippy favourites such as sausages and other suppers. Homemade chips, mushy peas and familiar sauces keep that part of the menu firmly rooted in Scottish comfort food. Haggis bites and macaroni cheese add further local and homely choices.
Burgers, stone baked pizza, baked pasta, salads and starters broaden the selection for a group that does not all want fish. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free choices are available, including a gluten free haddock option. A children’s menu helps younger diners, while anyone with an allergy should confirm current ingredients and preparation with the team.
Beer, wine, soft drinks, milkshakes, coffee and desserts allow the restaurant to cover both quick lunches and longer evening meals. Takeaway and delivery sit alongside table service. The City Restaurant’s appeal is its accessibility: generous familiar dishes, a central location and enough variety to satisfy several generations around one table.
Address: 35 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9BE, United Kingdom
The City Restaurant Menu
Starters & Light Bites
Lentil Soup
Served with bread. (V, GF)
Bread & Olives
Seasoned green and black olives with breads. (V)
Haggis Bon Bons
Panko breaded haggis balls served with Whisky sauce.
Tempura King Prawns Starter
Tempura battered king prawns (5) served with sweet chilli dip.
Salt and Pepper Squid Starter
Battered squid pieces with a garlic mayo dip.
Caprese Salad
Mozzarella Di Bufala, cherry tomatoes with balsamic and olive oil dressing. (V)
Fish Cake Starter
Smoked haddock with mozzarella & spring onion filling coated in breadcrumbs, on a bed of mash potatoes served with tartare sauce.
Garlic Pizza
Pizza base with garlic and herb butter. (V)
Fish & Chips
All our fish dishes are served with our homemade chips and mushy peas. Gluten free option available with batter cooked in separate vegetable oil.
Battered Fish & Chips – Haddock
Our traditional.
Battered Fish & Chips – Seabass
Skin on.
Breaded Fish & Chips – Haddock
Lightly battered and coated in panko breadcrumbs.
Breaded Fish & Chips – Seabass
Skin on. Lightly battered and coated in panko breadcrumbs.
Gluten Free Fish & Chips – Haddock
Using a crisp rice and potato flour batter.
Gluten Free Fish & Chips – Seabass
Skin on. Using a crisp rice and potato flour batter.
Fish Butty
Battered haddock mini fillets in a toasted brioche bun with tartare sauce and lettuce. (GFA)
Scampi
Wholetail scampi in crispy breadcrumbs.
Salt and Pepper Squid
Battered squid pieces with a garlic mayo dip.
Tempura King Prawns
King prawns in tempura batter (7) served with chilli dip.
Fish Cakes
Two smoked haddock with mozzarella & spring onion filling coated in breadcrumbs.
Grilled Seabass
Fillet of seabass served on seasoned mashed potatoes, with garlic & herb butter and mushy peas. (GF)
Tasty Burgers
We use 6oz patties from our local craft butchers, 100% beef with seasoning, burgers are cooked well done, served in a brioche bun with lettuce and pickled gherkin. Served with chips. Extra fillings: Grilled onions, pineapple, haggis, bacon, prosciutto, grilled egg, vegetarian haggis £1.00; BBQ pulled pork £2.50. Change your chips to: Cheesy chips £1.50, Sweet potato fries £1.50, Onion rings £2.00.
Classic Burger
Bacon, Monterey Jack cheese & burger sauce. (GFA)
Grilled Onion Burger
Beef burger with Monterey Jack cheese, grilled onions & burger sauce. (GFA)
Gorgonzola Burger
Gorgonzola cheese, bacon & caramelized red onion chutney.
Chipotle Burger
Beef burger with jalapeños, chipotle mayo, Monterey Jack cheese and bacon. (Spicy)
Kilted Burger
Topped with Hornigs haggis, bacon and pepper cream sauce.
BBQ Pulled Pork Burger
Beef burger with pulled pork in bbq sauce, Monterey Jack cheese and bacon.
Hawaiian Burger
Monterey Jack cheese, bacon, grilled pineapple, fried egg & burger sauce. (GFA)
City Burger
Filled with two Aberdeen Angus burgers, double Monterey Jack cheese, battered onion ring, bacon & burger sauce. (GFA)
Chicken Fillet Burger
Battered chicken breast fillets topped with Monterey Jack cheese & mayo.
Vegetarian Burger
Mixed vegetable burger with Monterey Jack cheese & mayo. (V)
Falafel & Spinach Burger
Grilled falafel burger with grilled onions & mayo. (GFA, VGA)
Stone Baked Pizza
Made fresh with our homemade dough and seasoned tomato sauce. Approx size is 12″/30cm. Extra toppings: Onion, mushroom, peppers, capers, jalapeños, pineapple, black olives £1.50; Pancetta, smoked sausage, pepperoni, chicken, boiled ham, haggis, anchovies, Parma ham £2.50.
Margherita
Classic mozzarella & seasoned tomato sauce. (V)
Funghi
Closed cup mushrooms. (V)
Pepperoni
Spicy neapolitan sausage.
The Scotsman
Hornigs haggis. (VA)
Quattro Formaggi
Mozzarella, gorgonzola, grana padano & mild cheddar.
Pollo
Chicken, closed cup mushrooms & red onions.
Hawaiian Pizza
Boiled ham & sweet pineapple.
Vegetariana
Mixed peppers, closed cup mushrooms, black olives & red onion. (V)
Puttanesca
Anchovies, capers & black olives.
Ponte Melfa
Pepperoni sausage, closed cup mushrooms & red onion.
Diavolo
Pepperoni sausage, smoked pancetta, jalapeños peppers.
Carne
Smoked pancetta, pepperoni sausage, smoked sausage, boiled ham & chicken.
The Italian
Parma ham, artichoke, sun blushed tomatoes & grana padano.
Home Comforts & Grill
Haggis, Neeps and Tatties
A Scottish traditional dish of haggis, turnips and mashed potatoes served with whisky sauce. (VA)
Sausage & Mash
Pork sausages on seasoned mashed potatoes, topped with grilled onions and gravy.
Steak Pie
Traditional seasoned beef steak filling with puff pastry, served with homemade chips, garden peas and gravy.
Caesar Salad
Grilled chicken, grana padano with Caesar salad dressing and toasted garlic bread. Add anchovies £2.50.
Italian Salad
Prosciutto, artichoke, gorgonzola cheese, sun blush tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala on a mixed salad with grana padano shavings, balsamic and olive oil dressing. Served with white bloomer and malt bread.
Lasagne
Pasta layers with minced beef in tomato and béchamel sauce, topped with mozzarella. Served with garlic bread.
Macaroni Cheese
Pasta shells in a creamy homemade cheese sauce baked with cheddar cheese. Add crispy smoked pancetta £2.50. (V)
Cannelloni
Pasta rolls with spinach and ricotta filling, tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella. Served with garlic bread. (V)
Gammon Steak
Grilled smoked gammon topped with pineapple & fried egg served with garnish, chips and garden peas. (GF)
Sausage, Bacon, Egg & Chips
Two rashers of bacon, two pork sausages and a fried egg, served with chips and garden peas.
City Omelette
Made with 3 eggs and parsley. Choice from 3 fillings; cheese, mushroom, bacon, onion, ham, chicken. Served with chips and garden peas. (VA, GF)
Ribeye Steak
10oz/280g of Scottish beef and a minimum of 36 days matured. Chargrilled and served with our house chips, garden salad and pepper cream sauce.
Chippy Classics
All served with our house chips.
Small ½ Chicken (Fried On The Bone)
Chicken Goujons (Mini Chicken Breast Fillets In Batter)
Battered Haggis Supper
Battered Pork Sausages Supper
White Pudding Supper
Black Pudding Supper
Smoked Sausage Supper
Battered Hamburgers Supper
Battered King Rib Supper
Mince Pie Supper
Cheese & Tomato Fried Pizza Supper
½ Cheese & Tomato Fried Pizza Supper
City Sides
Mozzarella Sticks with Marinara Sauce
(V)
Mac & Cheese Side
(V)
Battered Onion Rings
(V)
Battered Mushrooms
(V)
Garlic Bread
Garlic Bread & Mozzarella
(V)
Garden Salad
(V, GF)
Bread & Butter
Chips & Condiments
House chips
(V, GF)
Cheesy Chips
Chips topped with melted cheddar cheese. (V, GF)
Chili Chips
Melted Cheddar cheese, jalapeños and chipotle mayo. (V, GF)
Curry Cheesy Chips
Chips, cheddar cheese, topped with curry sauce. (V)
Sweet Potato Fries
(V, GF)
Curry Sauce
(V)
Mushy Peas
(V, GF)
Gravy
(V)
Coleslaw
(V, GF)
Pickled Onion
(V, GF)
Pickled Egg
(V, GF)
Desserts
Made with S.Lucas of Musselburgh ice cream, our local family run and award-winning supplier. Ice cream flavours: Vanilla (GF), Rum & Raisin (GF), Strawberry (GF), Mint Choc-Chip (GF), Espresso (GF), Chocolate (GF), Biscoff Caramel, Oreo & Cream, Vegan Choc & Cherry (VG, GF).
Mixed Ice Cream
Three scoops of ice cream. Please choose from our list of flavours. (GFA)
Honeycomb Cheesecake
Smooth and creamy vanilla cheesecake on a crunchy biscuit base filled with honeycomb nuggets and topped with more crunchy chocolate honeycomb nuggets and golden honeycomb shards.
Vegan Amarena Cheesecake
Creamy cheesecake topped with amarena cherries. (VG, GF)
Deep Fried Mars Bar
Mars bar in batter, served with vanilla ice-cream.
Banana Split
Classic dessert of banana with vanilla & Belgian chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles. (GFA)
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sponge pudding with indulgent toffee sauce and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Brownie
Warm triple chocolate brownie, chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.
Affogato
Vanilla & espresso ice cream, espresso coffee & crushed biscoff biscuit.
City Sundaes
£7.95 each.
Knickerbocker Glory
Vanilla & strawberry ice cream, raspberry sauce, fresh strawberries, whipped cream and sprinkles. (GFA)
Biscoff Sundae
Chopped bananas, vanilla & biscoff ice cream, crushed biscoff, caramel sauce and whipped cream.
Eton Mess
Vanilla & strawberry ice-cream, crushed meringue, raspberry sauce, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. (GFA)
Chocolate Sundae
Vanilla & chocolate ice cream, crushed biscuits, chocolate brownie pieces, Hersheys chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
Coppa Amarena
Vanilla ice cream topped with rich amarena cherries and crushed biscoff biscuit.
Kids Menu
Available for children under 10 years old. Meal Deal: MAIN + TREAT + DRINK £9.95.
Fish & Chips with Peas
Pork Sausage, Beans & Chips
Chicken/Beef Burger & Chips
With cheese & lettuce.
Chicken Goujons, Chips & Peas
Macaroni Cheese
Margherita Pizza 8"
Pepperoni Pizza 8"
Chocolate Brownie
With chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
One Scoop Ice-Cream
Choose your flavour, sauce and toppings. Flavours: Vanilla – Oreo – Strawberry – Mint choc-chip, Vegan Choc & Cherry – Chocolate – Biscoff. Toppings: whipped cream, sprinkles, crushed biscuits. Sauces: chocolate, raspberry, toffee.
Orange Juice
Cloudy Apple Juice
Blackcurrant Fruit Shoot
Soft Drinks
Coca-Cola
Diet Coke
Coke Zero
Schweppes Lemonade
Milkshakes
A thick shake made with S.Lucas of Musselburgh ice-cream, whipped cream! Make it a hard shake add 25ml shot for £3.45. Jack Daniels Whiskey 40% ABV, Malibu 21% ABV.
Vanilla
(GF)
Biscoff
Strawberry
(GF)
Mint Choc-Chip
(GF)
White Wine
Prices: 175ml, 250ml, Btl.
Veldt Chenin Blanc (House Option)
South Africa. A really well-balanced wine: the aromas are reminiscent of melon and lychees with soft tropical fruit flavours dominating the palate and an elegant, refreshing acidity on the finish.
Pinot Grigio Dell'Italia
Italy. Primary fruit flavours of lime, lemon, pear, white nectarine and apple with faint honeyed notes, floral aromas and a balanced acidity.
Koralle Reserva Sauvignon Blanc
Chile. A vibrant combination of citrus aromas, including lime and orange, harmonized with sweet fruity notes of peach and pineapple.
The Fifth Quarter Vinho Verde
Portugal. A Vinho Verde with fresh and lively aromas of green apple, lime and mineral notes. On the palate, it is crisp, light and refreshing with a zippy acidity.
Red Wine
Prices: 175ml, 250ml, Btl.
Senso Sangiovese (House Option)
Italy. This delicious red is dry and medium-bodied, with blueberry and plum flavours.
Hanger & Flask Malbec
Argentina. Terrific nose of pure blueberry and blackberry fruits. Well-balanced, rich wine with lush fruit flavours of boysenberry and blackberry, along with vibrant acidity. Stays pure and focused, with delicate toast, mineral and spice notes on the fruit-filled finish.
Canalicchio Montepulciano
Italy. A famous ruby red wine from the Adriatic coast, near Pescara. The nice soft fruit nose is followed by a fairly full palate with gentle spice and a good, firm finish.
Alese Negroamaro Del Salento
A lush, full-bodied red with aromas of ripe black cherry, blackberry compote, and dried plum. The palate is sumptuous and smooth, layering rich cocoa and dark fruit with notes of tobacco and Mediterranean herbs. It finishes long and earthy with a soft, warm spice.
Beer & Cider
Birra Moretti (Draught)
4.6% ABV Italy.
West St Mungo Helles Lager
33cl NRB 4.9% ABV Scotland.
Jumpship Yardarm Lager
Alcohol free, gluten free. 33cl Can 0.5% ABV Scotland.
Peroni
Gluten free. 33cl NRB 5.1% ABV Italy.
Cocktails
Espresso Martini
Absolut vodka, Coffee liqueur and espresso.
Aperol Spritz
Aperol, Prosecco, Tonic.
Negroni
Bombay Saphire Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth.
Passion Fruit Martini
Absolut Vodka, Passion fruit & Mango puree, lime juice and orange juice.
Spirits
All measures are 25ml unless stated otherwise.
Absolut Vodka
40% ABV.
Grey Goose
40% ABV.
Boe Dark Fruits Vodka
40% ABV.
Coffee
Our freshly ground coffee is from Carraro 1927 coffee company. Composed of a blend of natural Arabica & Robusta beans roasted in Schio Vicenza, Italy. Oat Milk Supplement £0.50.
Americano
12oz.
Flat White
8oz.
Café Latte
12oz.