Maison Bleue

Cute little French tavern on Victoria street. The service is very good. they have a good selection of wines. The prices are very reasonable and I’ve been here for the set lunch multiple times. The jalapeño fritters to start and haggis are not bad. The mussels are very fresh. As for dessert, it is difficult to find good crème brûlée in Edinburgh. Theirs is light, and worth a try. I’d recommend this place for a light lunch.

After looking for a place to eat before going to the tattoo, we booked a table for five so the group wouldn’t go hungry while watching the show later on in the evening.
I’m not too sure about the staff; the service was abrupt and rude at times. But it didn’t put me off the food.
The food spoke for itself. I had steak and chips. It was to my satisfaction. However, the crème brûlée let it down. It was chilled and I like mine warm or a least room temperature.
Like I said, the waitress (one in particular) was having a serious fail in service standards. There wasn’t any warmth in the bill payment part and not really much of a” thank you for coming. On that thought, I’m not sure if I’d go back or anyone of our group would go back either.

Das Essen und das Ambiente sind ok, der unfreundliche Chef und seine noch unfreundlichere Empfangsdame hätten uns aber davon abhalten sollen dort zu essen. Denn unsere Bedienung am Tisch hat die Beiden leider noch übertrumpft.
Wir können von einem Besuch nur abraten.

The place is well located but the french touch was unfortunately not there… The food was nice but not great same for the service… The atmosphere however was nice and intimate which is what we were looking for. That being said, the place is a little too expensive for what it offers.

Wow. Favourite restaurant in Edinburgh hands down. I used to come here all the time when I lived in Edinburgh years ago but that was before my Unilocal days! My oh my. The haggis balls for starter… get them!!! The special fish dish for main was INCREDIBLE (see pic) amazingly beautiful restaurant and top class food!!!

We were accommodated for a Saturday mid-​afternoon lunch without reservation.
Hectic but mindful service welcomed us. Offered our choice of available table, we were quickly seated.
Ordered off the set lunch menu and had mussels for starters, then the rib-​eye and coq au vin. Fresh mussels in a light flavourful broth were tender to the bite. Presentation was right on. First bite of the Coq au vin was properly good. The sauce was well made, deserving of a traditional dish. A bit disappointed with the rest of the dish as the latter two drumsticks were overly braised, to a slight burn and dryness. The steak which was requested rare, looked drab in need of a hotter skillet for its quick sizzle. But I was told the taste of it was much better than it appeared, and had a good flavour to it.
Most of the staff were friendly with quick service, albeit with a rush and clamour to it all. But ambiance and presentation helps this establishment make it a bit more than three stars.3.2?(insert: dry chuckle)
Always seems busy this place~
makes sense. would give it a *yay for coming back

After building up an appetite walking around the city, I stumbled upon this place and decided to give it a go. The service was great and all the wait staff was very nice and attentive. My server took care to verify that everything I ordered was indeed dairy-​free. She was very nice and checked on me several times to ensure I was enjoying my food.
The space is great and I loved the décor — old wood tables, big comfy chairs, a winding spiral staircase up to the bathrooms… I thought it was bohemian but not trashy. I’d take a date there, or go have dinner with a few friends.
I started with the haggis balls in whisky sauce (without the mashed potatoes due to dairy). This was my first time eating haggis and it was really good. Highly recommended. I then had the ribeye steak and it was very good; not as good as a ribeye I’d make at home and nothing like a juicy steak from (insert favorite upscale American steak house here) but it was still worth it.
Overall: highly recommended. I’ll go back for sure.

Pretentious and annoying. I’m trying to remember what I ate, but find that my enduring feeling as I finally got to leave that restaurant was relief, and optimism at finding friendly faces outside this super hip place.
I’ll grant that we were there during a busy time, but everywhere else we went has been terrific. The people of this city are incredibly gracious and welcoming. Not at Maison Bleue! We were taken to a remote corner table and ignored for a long time. Our order was taken by a very inpatient waitress who had little to say when asked questions. Our request for a second round of drinks was forgotten and we had to flag down another staff member to ask for them again. Of course both we were billed for all the drinks. There are so many good options around. Don’t waste your time here.

Exploring Edinburgh on the night of arrival for the first time, we came upon this little place on the way up the hill to the castle, and boy are we glad we did. We were looking for something a little different (and not too expensive), We were a bit tired of the typical pub grub found throughout the UK (and certainly in Edinburgh) and this place certainly complied nicely
The dining room is set up with a slightly off-​beat décor. There is a mixture of plush and traditional seating. The lighting is on the dark side, but it helps to enhance the atmosphere of the place. Alternative/​pop music is played at soothing levels, further enhancing the ambiance of the restaurant.
As for the food, it was very good. I had a mussels as an appetizer and it was just what I was looking for. The venison casserole I had as my main was delicious. It was quite hearty and felt just right on a damp afternoon.
The staff was very pleasant and were extremely accommodating, making a god meal even better. I would come here again.

Lunch is an outstanding deal! Two courses for 10£. The haggis balls had been recommended and they did not disappoint. The calamari was excellent — perfect texture and flavor. We also had the salmon, ribeye, and mussels — each of us were happy with our selection. The atmosphere is so nice and the waitstaff are terrific. Would go again for sure.

We came here last time we were in Edinburgh, and remembered the lovely food we had and so when we saw they had some lunch deals we decided to pop in again.
I like that it’s a little dark inside, and there are candles out even during the daytime, one of the only problems I have here is the stale bread they give you before the meal! why?! but the food is lovely! I had tagliatelle with aubergines and it was very good the one concern I did have was that it was a little oily. My boyfriend had the Salmon which was a little on the small side but fine for lunch I suppose.
The dessert choices were read out to us which was a little awkward because the waiter just kept listing things and then I forgot what he said, so you just go with what sticks really and so I had a sticky toffee pudding which was also really good!
It cost us around £20 for 2 courses each and drinks which really isn’t bad!

The ambience is amazing, cozy couches in beautiful colors, sturdy wooden tables, great lighting, candles everywhere. It’s romantic and sexy all in one. PERFECT date spot.
On to the food … Haggis balls fried beautifully with the yummiest sauce I was soaking it up with the bread. The ceviche was very good but a lot of work for not a lot of fish … I wouldn’t get it again. For the main course I got the root risotto which was so creamy and just the perfect amount for such a rich dish so so so good. My hubs got the venison served with green beans, and potatoes. The venison deserves a review of its own it was cooked perfectly not to gamey and it just melted in your mouth. It actually was really good with the risotto so we were glad we had ordered both!
Great wine list as well as scotch!
Lots around the area for after dinner drinks as we’ll! LOVED it and would recommend highly!

Maison Bleue (blue house) on Victoria Street described themselves as French, North African and traditional Scottish restaurant, although most of my meal seemed to be mainly from French origin. We took advantage of their 1998 prices offer, which is a very thrifty lunch menu £7.50 for two courses. Served from 12−5pm until July 2013. Absolute bargain!
The restaurant is a labyrinth of small rooms on three floors in an Old Town building, with striking blue frontage and charming flower boxes. It’s full of character. The ground floor is lowly lit and intimate (maybe too intimate, the tables are pretty closely positioned) but up the original spiral staircase you’ll find another lighter open dining area and if you’re by the window you’ll get a lovely view onto on Victoria street. Toilets are on the top floor, next to the kitchen… Walk slowly by you might get a glimpse of the chef making your main. The décor is understated, warm, comfortable, stone arches, mellow tunes played at a low level, rustic aged wood and thistles on the table.
I went for the steamed mussels with saffron potatoes and a hint of lemongrass for starters. The mussels were big, fat and cooked to perfection. No grit, no dodgy unopened shells, just lovely! Could have down with some bread to mop up the sauce but you can order that as an extra. My mains was darne of Scottish salmon with a creamy white wine, lemon and dill sauce, which was nice but a little too salty. Even my partner agreed and he throws salt on everything! A small disappointment but the starters definitely made up for it. Taking Rayan D’s advice on the extortionate wine prices, I avoided the wine list and selected a small bottle of Peroni for under £4.
One small minor point though, for a meal at 4.30pm on a Saturday, the staff did appear overly stress for a relatively quite dining period and as a result seemed stressed, unable to break a smile and rushed.

Stopped here for lunch because they had open windows, seating in the sun, and a starter and main lunch special for £7,50. I started with the escargots and then had the duck confit with mashed potatoes on top. Both were good but not «wow, this is so fantastic.» Service was pleasant and not too slow. Toilets were up several flights of stairs which may be an issue for some.

This is turning out to be a good start to the weekend — a wonderful lunch was had at the Maison Blueu. — As they have a promotion it was the best time to taste their cooking. — They offer 1998 prices until July 2013 — meaning you pay £7.50 for a Starter and a Main course.
We were cheerfully greeted and promptly seated on arrival.
There is an upstairs too, but we were sitting on street level.
The meal was fabulous! After the fresh crusty bread with vinegar and oil, I had the Eouf Cocotte with cream of blue cheese (Roquefort) and leek a fondue. Anita had the Haggis Balls.
For main I chose the Duck Confit (Shepherd’s Pie stylee) and Anita had the Salmon Darne.
My duck was cooked to perfection and was falling apart underneath the roughly mashed potatoes that had a little hint of cheese (?) lightly drizzled with a tangy Burgundy jus — very tasty and I savoured it. Anita was enjoying her salmon with gusto and she was finished even before I was halfway my duck. The licking the lips and nods indicated she really enjoyed it! — So I let her taste mine too. Which got another approving nod — Anita A say ‘yes’ to both dishes served up as main course.
However — here is the niggly bit, the wine we wanted (Malbec) was not available. so we had the Cotes du Rhone — at a whopping £6.25 a 125ml glass I was a little disappointed with that price — so. our 2 people dine for £15 was about doubled with the wine we took.
How does that math work? — Anyhow — it was our choice to drink wine and we could have easily not taken it. But it is ruddy expensive!
So they lose a star on not having affordable nice glasses of wine

This is a must. Once you’ve had your fill of potatoes, haggis, and sausage… or really before you have these other things that you almost can’t avoid in the UK and Ireland… Go to this restaurant. I’ve been here twice in three years. It hasn’t changed. It’s still amazing. The wine is good. The food is fabulous. The atmosphere of the old stone and the winding stair case is so romantic. Anything you order will be worth it.

This is my favourite restaurant in Edinburgh!
Being a poor student I was initially drawn in by the amazing Tuesday £15 student set menu offer (usually £25 for non students– so still an amazing deal) and it was the beginning of a long and happy relationship with this lovely little restaurant!
The staff are friendly and helpful, and if you have to wait for a table, there’s a lovely chic seating area for you to snuggle in while you wait. I think the décor is gorgeous, sort of rustic and cosy, with some big vintage looking mirrors making the place feel a bit bigger. The seating is over two floors, but they could perhaps do with a couple less tables, as for such a romantic setting, some are quite close! They do have a couple of long tables upstairs though which have done perfectly for seating around 10 – 12 for birthday dinners I’ve attended there.
From the set menu, my favourites have been the haggis balls or melted Camembert in a filo dish for starter (if there are two of you, get both, they are both lovely!) and in the past I’ve had both the venison and the fish for mains, and neither have disappointed. If you have any room for dessert, the cheeseboard is always great :)
This is my ‘take to’ restaurant when I have friends visiting, and I must say I’ve never noticed any unpleasant smells as some have mentioned-​but maybe I’ve just been seated in the right place!

Went here for lunch one day when couldn’t get in anywhere else (Festival time) they had a good concept on the menu and did their best not to let us get away but this was a busy time and we probably waited a wee bit too long. The food was good it was a french take on Tapas basically, but the coffee was not great and despite 2 attempts the staff didn’t seem to know what we were talking about. More training required.
None the less I would be happy to try it again maybe for dinner next time.

Sunday night of the May long weekend and we didn’t have a reservation. After being turned away at a couple of places, we stumbled upon la Maison Bleu and thought that the menu looked interesting. After a short wait in their comfy lounge, they managed to squeeze us in. Yes the tables are pretty close to one another, but the old stone structure seems to absorb the noise.
The service was very friendly, prompt and efficient. No sign of a smell that other reviewers referred to. The food was very good. I had the venison which was very tasty. One thing I have discovered in Scotland, however, is that when the waiter asks you how you’d like it done, always order it one degree rarer than you would in North America — so if you want medium, order medium rare. I don’t know what you should do if you want it rare.
In spite of the French name, the décor and aspects of the menu suggest a North African than Parisian experience. Perhaps Algerian? All in all, a good choice and I’m glad that the other places we had tried had no room for us.

With hardly two hours to kill between shows, the boy and I dashed up to Grassmarket from the Royal Lyceum, starving and desperate. I mentioned that I’ve been wanting to try Maison Bleue, from the look of their menu, and we squeaked in just in time to catch the tail end of the pre-​theatre menu. (Well, more like inter-​theatre menu in our case, but I digress.) £12 for two courses? Don’t mind if I do.
Of course, I quickly ruined the deal by ordering a £25 bottle of Australian Shiraz Tempranillo while the boy was in the loo — luckily he wasn’t too upset once he tried the wine because it was quite delicious. Worth the price tag and then some.
For our starters we had the smoked salmon & mackerel rilettes and the steamed Shetland mussels — both great, although the crostini for my rilettes were a little on the tooth-​breakingly hard side. No matter. For mains I opted for the chicken tagine while the boy went with the steak. Again, both great, although I did wish my tagine was a little less authentic in that it had boneless chicken. Again, no matter — the flavors were worth it. Pleasantly stuffed, we lingered too long over our wine and had to book it back to the Lyceum, squeaking in just before curtain. The moral of this story is: don’t do like we did — give yourself plenty of time to enjoy Maison Bleue, because it deserves to be enjoyed.

Nestled in the vaults underneath the Royal Mile, Maison Bleue is my favourite french restaurant in Edinburgh.
Everything is French; the wine, the menu, the chic elegance of the décor, even down to the waiter’s accent. I went to sample their early Pre-​Theatre student menu offering 3 courses for £15, and the quality of the food and service offered excellent value for money.
I started with a tower of roast aubergine, red pepper and goat’s cheese which was crispy yet gooey, and perfectly seasoned. My partner opted for the Haggis balls served with Clapshots and a whisky jus, which somehow managed to perfectly combine the french and scottish flavours, to end up with a very tasty result.
My partner definitely won when it came to the main course. Although my confit of duck was deliciously crunchy on the outside yet tender underneath, and although the puy lentils and lardons did make a great combination of flavours and textures, the venison medallions the my partner ordered were beyond perfect.
By the time we’d reached the desserts stage, all i had room for was the kiwi and coconut sorbet. As someone who doesn’t usually like sorbet, I was very pleasantly surprised and I would definitely order this again if I were to go back. For those with bigger stomachs, my partner’s brulée sticky toffee pudding looked and smelled fantastic.
On weekends I’d recommend booking, but during the week the wait is never normally that long, and the bar area set in the alcoves of the vaults is a lovely place to have a drink in the meantime.