The Spence is a restaurant in Grassmarket, Edinburgh. Rated 4.6 stars from 652 Google reviews. Known for cocktails and sommelier service. Best for celebration dinners and afternoon tea.
Rankings updated
The Spence
| Rating | 4.6★ |
| Reviews | 652 |
| Best for | Celebration dinners |
Ratings vary between platforms
853 reviews across two platforms
Quick Verdict
Fine dining in a room as memorable as the food, with cocktails and service that justify the occasion.
Book if you want Scottish fine dining in a room as memorable as the food.
About The Spence
Dinner at The Spence, inside what was once a banking hall in the Grassmarket, lands somewhere between occasion and spectacle. The high ceilings, carved wood and pale pink tones washed in light make the room worth the visit on its own, and a sommelier arriving tableside with a wine cart — opening champagne before you've ordered — sets the register early. The cocktails draw the most mentions of anything on the menu, and the wine list reaches to prestigious French bottles by the glass. On the food side, the chateaubriand and the Sunday roast are what people keep coming back for, with the burrata and mushroom arancini rounding out a menu that leans into Scottish produce without being rigid about it. Staff are consistently described as warm rather than formal — Amelia talking a coeliac diner through every option, the kitchen sending out a celebratory dessert unprompted — and the Sunday feast adds a magician and live music to the mix.
In the last 90 days, The Spence has drawn 43 substantial written reviews (50+ characters of genuine feedback) — recent momentum that is one of the signals behind its place on the hot list.
What Stands Out
Cocktails
53 mentions in Google review topics; reviewers single out the drink programme as a strength alongside the food.
Sommelier service
A sommelier with a wine cart opens the meal; prestigious French wines by the glass feature in recent reviews.
Attentive, knowledgeable staff
Reviewers note staff talking through dietary needs, remembering requests, and bringing celebratory touches unprompted; 23 mentions of welcoming staff in review topics.
Practical Information
Contact
Frequently Asked Questions about The Spence
The Spence in Edinburgh's Grassmarket is built for celebrations. Staff bring unprompted touches—a champagne opening from the sommelier, a celebratory dessert for birthdays and graduations—and the room itself (high ceilings, carved wood, light-filled) elevates the moment without stiffness.
The Spence serves classical Scottish dishes—Sunday roast, chateaubriand, smoked salmon with heritage tomatoes—alongside more inventive plates. Cocktails are a signature strength, and the wine list carries prestigious French bottles by the glass.
The Spence occupies a former banking hall with high ceilings, carved wood panelling, and white and light-pink hues bathed in natural light. The architecture of the building itself becomes part of the dining experience.
The Spence offers afternoon tea in Edinburgh's Grassmarket. Reviewers note the classic atmosphere and service; the experience includes a choice of teas and is described as a highlight of a visit to the city.
The Spence's staff move with attentiveness and warmth. They talk through dietary needs, remember requests, and bring celebratory touches without prompting—creating an experience that feels both polished and welcoming.
The Spence features a wine list with prestigious French bottles available by the glass, presented by a sommelier who opens the meal with a champagne offering from a wine cart.
Also in Grassmarket
View allSee the full Grassmarket ranking
How We Rank Venues
Rankings are recalculated monthly from live Google Business Profile data. Our Hot Score weighs review velocity (new text reviews), baseline rating, and Google Business Profile completeness. No editorial picks, no paid placements — just what the data says this month.
Hot Score: 66/100 · ranked October 2026
The written profile on this page is generated from real Google reviews and reviewed monthly. Quotes are verbatim and belong to the people who wrote them — not to us.
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