Badger & Co
New Town, Edinburgh
Restaurant in Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Book with PearlThe Read
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
Badger & Co is worth booking when ease, central New Town location, flexible timing matter more than a chef-led dining statement. For a casual celebration or group meal it makes sense; for a more polished Edinburgh dinner, compare it with Contini George Street, The Honours, or Bistronomy 176 first.
About Badger & Co
Badger & Co is an Edinburgh venue to consider when the plan needs to stay flexible and practical. It works best as a direct option rather than a place to book for a confirmed cuisine, named chef, awards profile, price tier, or particular menu format.
The fit is clearest for relaxed occasions where the basics matter: an Edinburgh location, broad opening hours, a smart casual dress code. If you need meal-specific details, confirm them directly before relying on them. Treat it as a convenient Edinburgh venue, not the meal to anchor a food-focused weekend.
Book for ease and hours, not a high-touch dining statement
The service question is the deciding factor. For a special occasion, a venue earns the booking when the format supports the moment, but there is no clear service format, seating style, or menu structure for Badger & Co here. Its strongest confirmed case is broad opening coverage across the week: Monday to Wednesday 12–11 PM, Thursday 12 PM–12 AM, Friday open 24 hours, Saturday 12–1 AM and 10 AM–1 AM, Sunday 10 AM–1 AM.
If the occasion is more ambitious, compare options first. Contini George Street, The Honours, Bistronomy 176 are useful points of comparison for diners weighing up different Edinburgh restaurant choices. Badger & Co makes most sense when the brief is simple, flexible, grounded in the practical details.
Who should book, who should compare further
Book this for casual plans where an Edinburgh venue with long opening hours and smart casual dress is enough information to proceed. Compare further if the meal needs a clear culinary identity, a known awards signal, or a room that carries the whole occasion without extra planning. For a wider scan of the city, use our full Edinburgh restaurants guide; for bar planning in the city, check our full Edinburgh bars guide. If the trip is built around staying in Edinburgh, our full Edinburgh hotels guide is the more useful companion than over-engineering this single booking.
Planning details
- Location
- 32 Castle St, Edinburgh EH2 3HT, United Kingdom
- Reservations
- Book on OpenTable
- Website
- badgerandco.com
- Phone
- +441312265430
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Badger & Co sits in a considered middle ground of Edinburgh dining: neither a multi-course destination nor a tourist-focused all-day canteen. Positioned on Castle Street between the financial district and the castle esplanade, it feels like a neighbourhood room that rewards an intentional visit without demanding one. Daytime trade skews local and brisk, while evenings relax into a more deliberate service; the restaurant adjusts its pace accordingly. The result is a quietly confident, sophisticated spot that anchors its block and appeals to both nearby office workers and visitors moving between New Town and the Old Town.
Best For
This is a restaurant built to perform differently across the day. Lunch is efficient and local-focused—ideal for quick business meals or a midday catch-up—while dinners invite lingering and a more intentional experience. Its central New Town address, a short walk from the financial district and castle esplanade, makes it a sensible choice for work-related dinners and visitors exploring between the Old Town and George Street. It doesn't require a special occasion, but the evening feel rewards one, so plan evenings as a relaxed, slightly elevated night out.
Ordering Tips
Lean into the restaurant's strengths: signature items such as Badger's Pies and the Steamed Shetland Mussels are natural starting points. Expect different rhythms depending on timing—midday service moves quickly, so pick dishes that come together fast if you're short on time; evenings are more leisurely, better for lingering over multiple courses. Given the description of an intentional evening trade, consider arriving slightly earlier for walk-ins at lunch and treating dinner as a sit-down affair where you can savour the house specialties.
Venue details
Ambiance
Warm and homely with comfy leather armchairs, great character from literary theme, and an energetic atmosphere.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
View
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Smart Casual
- Noise Level
- Lively
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Standard
- Capacity
- Medium
Signature Dishes
- Badger's Pies
- Steamed Shetland Mussels
Planning details
Location
32 Castle St, Edinburgh EH2 3HT, United Kingdom · Directions
Also consider
Also Consider
- Contini George Street, Notable alternative
- Bistronomy 176, Notable alternative
- The Honours, Notable alternative
- Slug & Lettuce, Notable alternative
- Copper Blossom, Notable alternative
Restaurant context
How It Compares
Badger & Co is the easier, lower-pressure choice in this Edinburgh set. Choose it when the priority is central location and a booking that does not need weeks of planning. Contini George Street is the stronger George Street cross-shop for a more restaurant-led meal, while Bistronomy 176 is a better fit when the food itself is the reason for going.
For a special occasion, The Honours is the safer trade-up if the group wants a more formal dining feel. Badger & Co is better for casual birthdays, after-work dinners, mixed groups where nobody wants the evening to feel overplanned. Slug & Lettuce sits closer to the drinks-first end of the spectrum, so use it for a livelier, less meal-focused plan.
Copper Blossom is the better alternative if ambience is the main brief and the booking is more about drinks, photos, a social room. Badger & Co should win for practical central dining; Copper Blossom should win when the group wants a prettier bar-restaurant mood before or after dinner.
Explore Edinburgh
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Badger & Co guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Badger & Co
| Venue | Location | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Badger & Co | Edinburgh | No published awards |
| Contini George Street | Edinburgh | No published awards |
| Bistronomy 176 | Edinburgh | No published awards |
| The Honours | Edinburgh | No published awards |
| Slug & Lettuce | Edinburgh | No published awards |
| Copper Blossom | Edinburgh | No published awards |
How Badger & Co Edinburgh compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is lunch or dinner better at Badger & Co?
The confirmed hours are broad: Monday to Wednesday 12–11 PM, Thursday 12 PM–12 AM, Friday open 24 hours, Saturday 12–1 AM and 10 AM–1 AM, Sunday 10 AM–1 AM.
What should a first-timer know about Badger & Co?
Go in expecting an Edinburgh venue with smart casual dress and broad opening hours rather than a high-formality restaurant format. There is no cuisine, price tier, named chef, awards profile, or menu structure in the available information.
Is Badger & Co good for solo dining?
It may suit a solo visit if the practical details work for you: Edinburgh location, smart casual dress, long opening hours. There is no seating format or bar-dining information here, so do not rely on a specific solo-dining setup.
Can Badger & Co accommodate groups?
It may work for casual groups, but there is no group policy, private dining information, or seating capacity here. Use the opening hours and smart casual dress code as the reliable planning details.
Is Badger & Co good for a special occasion?
Only if the occasion is low-key and the basics are enough. For a more considered comparison, look at Contini George Street, The Honours, Bistronomy 176, Slug & Lettuce, or Copper Blossom depending on the kind of Edinburgh outing you are planning.
What are alternatives to Badger & Co in Edinburgh?
Contini George Street, The Honours, Bistronomy 176, Slug & Lettuce, Copper Blossom are useful comparison points when weighing Badger & Co against other Edinburgh options.
