Festive dining in Edinburgh.

December at Cardinal.

Cardinal is a small fine dining restaurant on Eyre Place, in Edinburgh's New Town. Through December we serve what we serve all year: seasonal Scottish menus, cooked with care, in a warm and quiet room. At lunch, the Festive Market Menu joins them.

MICHELIN Guide Recommended, a Good Food Guide Very Good distinction, and a place in the Square Meal Top 100 2026.

The winter menus.

The menus change every few weeks. In December that means game from the Scottish Borders, scallops from Orkney, and the last of the year from our kitchen garden in Pathhead.

View a recent sample menu. Dishes change every few weeks.

What December looks like here.

Most festive bookings fall into a few shapes. All of them eat from the same seasonal menus.

The festive season and Hogmanay.

Edinburgh is busy from the last week of November to the first week of January. Eyre Place mostly isn't. We're ten minutes north of Princes Street, and the room stays calm even when the city centre doesn't.

We're open for lunch and dinner right through Hogmanay week, from the 28th to the 31st of December, and again on the 2nd and 3rd of January.

Hogmanay itself is a ticketed night: £330 for the tasting menu with wine pairings. We'll release the menu closer to the date. Tickets are on SevenRooms, or email us for larger tables.

December hours.

Usual hours until Saturday the 19th: Wednesday for dinner, Thursday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Lunch is 12pm to 2pm, dinner 5pm to 8:30pm. From the 20th of December:

To book.

December fills early, so book ahead. Festive Market Menu availability is on SevenRooms, or email [email protected]. For groups of six or more, or the whole room, email is best.