"Neil Forbes cooks a daily-changing French-Scottish menu down a New Town lane. Book the £34 prix fixe for an Edinburgh first date."
About Café St Honoré
Down a cobbled back lane off Thistle Street, behind a discreet door, the room could pass for mid-century Paris: a black-and-white tiled floor, wood panelling, a serving bar, waiters with an easy formality. This is Café St Honoré, Neil Forbes's French-Scottish bistro in Edinburgh's New Town, and the menu changes every day around whatever his producers send. The prix fixe runs £26 to £34. Forbes has been named Slow Food Cook of the Year, and the cooking earns it. It is the New Town's most likeable serious restaurant.
The Kitchen
Neil Forbes is the chef patron, and his cooking is the reason Café St Honoré has outlasted Edinburgh dining fashions for years. He works with a roll-call of named Scottish producers, many for over a decade: North Ronaldsay and Boreray mutton from Orkney, native Shetland lamb, outdoor-reared pork, East Lothian vegetables, day-boat seafood. The menus change daily and are written gluten-free and dairy-free as standard. The prix fixe is £24.50 for two courses and £32 for three at lunch, £26 and £34 at dinner, with mains such as Borders venison cottage pie, smoked haddock with wilted spinach and green sauce, East Coast cod and a slow-built cassoulet.
Forbes has collected Slow Food Scotland Cook of the Year 2025, UK Slow Food Cook of the Year 2024, RBST Sustainable Chef of the Year 2023 and Slow Food Scotland Restaurant of the Year 2022, and the room sits in the Good Food Guide. The food is unshowy and seasonal, French in technique and Scottish in larder. It is cooking with a conscience that never forgets to be delicious.
The Room
The dining room sits down North West Thistle Street Lane, in what locals call the New Town's mini-Marais, and it is small and warm: tiled floor, wood cladding, a serving bar, low lighting and tables close enough to feel convivial without losing your conversation. The sound stays easy, the mood is bistro-relaxed rather than hushed, and dress is smart-casual; a jacket is welcome but never required. It seats a comfortable few dozen. Service is classic and unhurried, the kind that lets a long lunch run. Ask for a table at the back when you book.
Best for a New Town First Date
Book Café St Honoré for a first date because the room is built for talking: low light, close-but-private tables, a back-lane address that feels like a discovery, and a daily menu that gives you something to discuss without demanding silent concentration. The prix fixe keeps the bill predictable at £26 to £34, so picking up the cheque is easy, and the bistro mood is romantic without trying too hard. It works equally for an anniversary or a long business lunch. See more Edinburgh dining and the global best French restaurants.
Not for
Skip it if you want a grand, formal room or a fixed menu. This is an intimate bistro down a back lane, and the carte is whatever Neil Forbes sourced that morning.
Frequently Asked
Is Café St Honoré worth it?
Yes. It is one of Edinburgh's most consistent restaurants and a benchmark for sustainable Scottish cooking with a French accent. Chef patron Neil Forbes changes the menu daily around named local producers, and his awards, including Slow Food Cook of the Year, are deserved. At £26 to £34 for the prix fixe it is fair value for the New Town. Go for a relaxed dinner or a long lunch.
How hard is it to book Café St Honoré?
Moderately. It is a small, popular New Town bistro, so dinner and weekend tables need booking ahead through OpenTable, while weekday lunch is easier. The restaurant is down North West Thistle Street Lane, off Thistle Street, behind a discreet door that is easy to walk past. Mention dietary needs when you book; the menus are written gluten-free and dairy-free as standard.
What is the dress code at Café St Honoré?
Smart-casual. The room is a relaxed bistro rather than a formal dining room, so a jacket is welcome but not required, and neat everyday dress is perfectly fine. Most diners dress up a little for dinner given the setting and the occasion, but nobody will turn you away in smart-casual clothes. The mood is convivial and unstuffy throughout.
What should I order at Café St Honoré?
Order from the daily prix fixe, which changes constantly, but look for Forbes's signatures: Borders venison cottage pie, smoked haddock with wilted spinach and green sauce, East Coast cod and the cassoulet. The Scottish produce, from Orkney mutton to East Lothian vegetables, is the point. Ask the staff what arrived that morning. For more, see our best French restaurants worldwide.
