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The blue front of Maxies off Johnston Terrace, hung with menus.
Edinburgh

Maxies

A bistro and wine bar just off Johnston Terrace near the castle, with a garden terrace looking over the Old Town rooftops and Scottish seafood on the menu.

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Welcome

Just off Johnston Terrace, a few steps below the Castle Esplanade at the top of the Royal Mile, a bright blue front hung with menus and boards is Maxies, a bistro and wine bar that has long been a favourite for its terrace.

Outside, the garden terrace looks out over the rooftops of the Old Town, and on a fine day there are few better places in the city to sit with a glass of wine. Inside, the rooms are warm and old-fashioned, with bare stone walls, candles on the tables, tartan cushions and a wine list chalked up on the wall. The cooking makes the most of fresh Scottish produce: scallops, oysters and mussels, fish and chips, Scottish beef and lamb, and haggis for anyone trying it for the first time.

Maxies opens every day from eleven in the morning into the evening, and when the sun is out, the terrace is the place to ask for.

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Before you go

Open every day from eleven in the morning until nine, ten on Saturdays.

The terrace fills on sunny days.

Where
5b Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2PW.
Telephone
0131 226 7770.

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
11am–9pm
Tuesday
11am–9pm
Wednesday
11am–9pm
Thursday
11am–9pm
Friday
11am–9pm
Saturday
11am–10pm
Sunday
11am–9pm

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Where it is

Just off Johnston Terrace, a few steps below the Castle Esplanade.

Close byThe top of the Royal Mile.
  1. Whirlybird's dining room on Victoria Street, with wooden tables and chairs, a stone wall, fringed lamps and a tall window onto the street.WhirlybirdAn all-day café, bar and restaurant over two floors on Victoria Street, in a building more than 250 years old and in the Michelin Guide.Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. The blue front of The Bow Bar at 80 West Bow, its name in gold script between Spirit and Merchant, with the lit bar inside.The Bow BarUnder a mile as the crow flies
  3. Jolly JudgeJolly JudgeA small pub of low beamed ceilings at the foot of James Court.Under a mile 1 min by road
  4. Empty tables and murals fill The Deacon's House tearoom, shelves lined with china aboveDeacon's House CafeA cafe in Brodie's Close, named for the close's most famous resident.Under a mile 1 min by road
  5. Restaurant dining room with laid tables, wrought-iron balustrade and stocked bar behindHowies Victoria StreetSeasonal Scottish cooking on curving Victoria Street.Under a mile 3 min by road
  6. Green booths and mustard chairs fill a café with exposed stone walls and black pendant lightsHula Juice BarFresh juices and bowls on the West Bow, off the Grassmarket.Under a mile 4 min by road
Directions
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Bronze witches' well fountain by John Duncan, a single red rose left belowAttractionsThe Witches' WellA step away
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