Avery

About Avery

Nine courses, £149, one Michelin star earned within a year of opening. Rodney Wages, an American chef who held a star in San Francisco, moved Avery and his family to Edinburgh and reopened in a Georgian townhouse at 54 St Stephen Street in Stockbridge in 2024. The Orkney scallop dressed with pineapple jus is the dish that announces the kitchen, and the aebleskiver filled with brown crab, broccoli, and roasted garlic is the one people text about afterward. The star landed in February 2025, nine months after the doors opened.

The Kitchen

Rodney Wages came up through California fine dining and ran the original Avery in San Francisco to a Michelin star before deciding, on holiday in Scotland, to move the whole operation north. The Edinburgh kitchen applies a Californian lightness to Scottish produce: the Orkney scallop with pineapple jus, raw langoustine butterflies with cherry vinaigrette, and the aebleskiver, a Danish-style pancake stuffed with brown crab and topped with shaved kombu. It is one nine-course tasting menu, £149 a head, with no a la carte hedging.

The Michelin star came in February 2025, the first UK star of Wages' career and one of the fastest in recent Scottish memory. The kitchen is small and the seats are few, which is why booking matters. See where it sits among the city's best on our 10 best restaurants in Edinburgh, compare it with the best tasting-menu restaurants worldwide, or plan around the full Edinburgh dining guide.

The Room

Avery occupies a narrow Georgian townhouse on a quiet Stockbridge street, and the dining room is small by design: a handful of tables, a counter onto the pass, and warm low light against bare stone and dark wood. Sound stays conversation-easy, never more than a hum, because the room simply does not hold enough people to get loud. Tables are well spaced, dress is smart, and the seating count sits in the low twenties. It feels like dinner in a confident cook's house.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Avery in Edinburgh worth it?

Yes, if you want the most ambitious cooking in the city. Rodney Wages held a Michelin star in San Francisco, moved Avery to Stockbridge in 2024, and won a UK star within nine months. The single nine-course tasting at £149 runs from the Orkney scallop with pineapple jus through the brown-crab aebleskiver. For a serious dinner with real technique behind it, it is among Scotland's best tables right now.

How hard is it to book Avery?

Hard. Avery is a small room with one seating concept and a Michelin star, so tables release on Tock and go quickly, especially Friday and Saturday. Book as far ahead as the calendar allows, set an alert for new date drops, and consider a weeknight or the counter if the dining tables are gone. Cancellations do appear, so it is worth checking Tock again closer to the date.

What is the dress code at Avery?

Smart. Avery is a Michelin-starred tasting-menu room, but Stockbridge is relaxed, so smart-casual works: a collared shirt or a dress rather than a suit. There is no jacket requirement. Most guests dress up a little for the occasion without going formal. Comfortable is fine for a two-hour, nine-course sitting, so long as you match the room's quiet polish.

What should I order at Avery?

There is no choosing. Avery serves a single nine-course tasting menu at £149, so the kitchen decides the run. Expect the Orkney scallop with pineapple jus, raw langoustine with cherry vinaigrette, and the signature aebleskiver filled with brown crab. Add the wine pairing if you want the full experience, and tell them in advance about any dietary needs so the kitchen can adjust the menu.