There’s probably not a more festive restaurant to be found in Edinburgh…or at least St. Andrew’s Square… than The Ivy. This chain of restos has never been my favorite in London, but it came re-recommended to me recently by a very UK/Christmas loving friend, so I had to give it a go one night I found myself dining solo in Edinburgh on a work trip. I mean, how cute is the front door!?

The menu and napkin were not-your-typical-Christmas festive perfection.

To start I had a glass of the house bubbly and the mini truffled arancini, both an excellent choice.

I love eating sides and starters in lieu of mains…you can try more! Tonight I had the scallop starter which was five scallops, perfectly seared and seated on a bed of pommes aligot.

To accompany, I went with a simple side green salad. Not amazing, but the older I get, the more I require basic greens.

You’ll notice this is unfortunately missing dessert. I get a bit self-conscious (oh and full) on solo dines, so we end on the savory tonight. I’m thrilled to have another Edinburgh go-to with The Ivy on St. Andrew’s Square. Thanks for revising my Ivy opinion.