The Mussel and Steak Bar

An informal independent Old Town favourite serving up excellent mussels and steaks.

The 2019/20 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

Perched at the east end of the Grassmarket, the Mussel and Steak Bar has been quietly watching over the bustling street for more than 12 years, making a name for its quality seafood and steaks. Homely and inviting with wooden tables and calming sea colours, it’s a seafood-lover’s paradise. There are platters of gleaming oysters and big pots of plump Shetland mussels with various sauces. For a special treat, try the steamed Scottish seafood platter: mussels, clams, crevettes and king scallops served in a big bowl with garlic oil and a zippy bouillabaise sauce to sup up at the end – perfect for dipping some crusty bread or chunky hand-cut chips. As the name suggests, this place also majors in steak – all Scottish beef, aged for a minimum of 35 days and chargrilled to your liking. Choose from ribeye, sirloin or their speciality, the picanha 12oz rump. Sauces and sides can be added to suit. Can’t decide between mussels and steak? No problem! Go for the popular surf and turf option of 8oz ribeye, a half-kilo of mussels and handful of crevettes served with your choice of sauce. Due to be updated in spring, the menu also includes some non-seafood dishes, including a vegetarian option, making this independent city-centre bolthole a good all-rounder with something for everyone.