The Spence

A rating inside one of Edinburgh's grandest rooms, but is the service worth £££?

The Spence is inside Gleneagles Townhouse hotel on St Andrew Square. The dining room occupies a former banking hall with an ornate glass dome and columns. The kitchen focuses on Scottish produce and keeps the menu accessible rather than ambitious. If you are weighing a special-occasion dinner in Edinburgh's New Town, this is a serious contender: but the comparison set matters, so read on before you book.

The Room Earns Its Keep

The conversion from banking hall to restaurant is handled with enough restraint that the architecture does not feel like a theme. The cupola is the detail worth arriving early for: on a clear Edinburgh afternoon, the light through it is genuinely striking, and it makes the space feel more expensive than the £££ price point suggests. For a celebration dinner, a business meal, or a date where first impressions matter, the room gives you a lot to work with before the kitchen needs to deliver. Compare this to Timberyard, which trades the grand room for a more intimate, tactile atmosphere at ££££, or The Kitchin at Leith, where the setting is polished but quieter. The Spence's room is a genuine differentiator at the £££ tier.

Scottish Larder, Accessible Menu

The Spence holds two AA Rosettes. Executive chef Elliot Hill oversees The Spence and the wider Gleneagles Townhouse food offering. Diners can choose between à la carte and set menus. If you want the full tasting-menu commitment at this end of the city, Condita operates at ££££ and runs a set menu format. The Spence gives you more flexibility.

Service and Value: Does It Hold Up?

Ryan McHarg of The Spence won the MICHELIN Exceptional Cocktails Award in 2024.

Timing Your Visit

The Spence is an all-day restaurant and bar.

How It Compares

Against Edinburgh's wider Modern British offer, The Spence is the strongest argument for value at the £££ tier when the room matters to you. Edinburgh neighbours worth knowing about include eleanore, eòrna, Skua, Spry, and The Broughton for different points on the price and format spectrum. For the full picture of where to eat and stay in the city, see our full Edinburgh restaurants guide, our full Edinburgh hotels guide, our full Edinburgh bars guide, our full Edinburgh wineries guide, and our full Edinburgh experiences guide.

For more restaurants across the UK, explore CORE by Clare Smyth in London, L'Enclume in Cartmel, Moor Hall in Aughton, hide and fox in Saltwood, Hand and Flowers in Marlow, Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Waterside Inn in Bray, and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London. Allow around US$120 per person at The Spence.