I’m making the most of being a tourist in my own city – catching up with friends, taking in some culture, and visiting as many of the great restaurants and bars that Edinburgh has to offer.
I count my lucky stars that when I moved to Edinburgh 26 years ago, I chose Shrubhill as the place I wanted to call home. This rapidly regenerating corner of Leith Walk (EH7) is steeped in history – once ominously known as “Gallow Lea,” a notorious 16th and 17th-century execution site, before it became a hub of Victorian transportation, home to the Shrubhill Tram Works from 1898. Today it’s a modern neighbourhood of apartments, student accommodation, and retail, with heritage elements like the original chimneys preserved within the new developments.
And one of the very best things about living here – beyond having the Macdonald Road tram stop practically on my doorstep – is having Vittoria on the Walk as my local. It is, quite simply, an Edinburgh institution.
Opened by Nonno Alberto Crolla in 1970, this bustling, warm, family-run Italian restaurant is now stewarded by his grandson Leandro, who, alongside his brother, Alberto Jnr and their charismatic father Tony, is shaping the next chapter of the Crolla family’s remarkable story in Edinburgh’s dining scene.
The Crollas wider stable of venues – Brunswick Book Club, Taste of Italy, Bertie’s, Landy’s, Vittoria on the Bridge, and Divino Enoteca – share the same hallmarks: authentic Italian food, genuine warmth, and the kind of hospitality that keeps people coming back for decades. And I mean that quite literally. A regular at Vittoria On The Walk – an elderly neighbour of mine – had arranged, before he passed, for the restaurant to cater his own wake, serving his two favourite dishes. That says everything.
After more than a decade of offering an impressively broad selection, Vittoria has made a considered change: the menu has been streamlined from 21 pastas and 18 pizzas down to 9 pastas and 10 pizzas. As Leandro, their Restaurant Director, explained to me, it’s about using the freshest ingredients and making the experience feel less overwhelming – quality over quantity.
Thankfully, the signature Tagliatelle Vittoria – porcini mushroom and spicy Italian sausage – remains firmly on the menu. (I suspect there would have been a small mutiny had it been removed.) It’s my usual go-to, not for lack of imagination, but because it is genuinely one of those dishes I’ve never been able to recreate at home despite numerous attempts.
A small world, a big welcome
My partner in crime for the evening was my hairdresser and friend Aimee – and in that very Edinburgh way where the city turns out to be a village, it emerged that she not only cuts Leandro’s auntie’s hair but has recently started cutting his fiancée’s too. You couldn’t make it up.
From the moment we arrived, the hospitality was exemplary. Tamfer on front of house greeted me like an old friend. The brilliant Kasha, bubbly and persuasive, successfully convinced me to venture off my well-worn path and try something new. And Leandro himself – who had that evening swapped his Restaurant Director hat for chef whites to help bed in the new menu – took a moment out of the kitchen to come and say hello and check that everything was to our satisfaction. It’s a small gesture that makes you feel genuinely valued.
What we ate
Rather than defaulting to pasta, Aimee and I decided to share and explore. We started with Arancini al Ragù – beautifully crispy arborio rice balls filled with slow-cooked Bolognese and mozzarella, served on a pool of sugo that was absolutely made for mopping up.
For mains, we shared the Pollo al Funghi Porcini (roasted chicken breast in a porcini sauce with peas and pancetta) and the Saltimbocca alla Romana with French beans and a tomato salad – plus a cheeky contorni of Patate al Forno, roasted potato wedges with rosemary and onion. Tamfer thoughtfully brought two separate plates and a sharp knife, so we could split the dishes without compromising either. That kind of considered, unfussy service is what sets this place apart.
One tip worth knowing: if you can’t choose between pizza and pasta, Vittoria offers a Meta Meta – one pizza and one pasta, split between two plates. Genius.
The portions are generous, so by dessert we could only manage a single scoop each – salted caramel ice cream and lemon sorbet – served beautifully with a signature Vittoria wafer. The menu also features tempting Coppe Gelato (sundaes) and traditional dolci including Tiramisu, Cannolo Siciliano, and Affogato al Caffè, which we vowed to tackle on a future visit.
Families, take note
Vittoria on the Walk also has one of the best family dining deals in the city: kids eat for just £1 every Sunday when an adult orders a main course. Children can enjoy a three-course meal – think meatballs in tomato sauce, penne Bolognese, and chocolate profiteroles. In the current climate, that’s a remarkable offer.
The verdict
Whether you’re after a relaxed family dinner or a proper Italian evening out, Vittoria on the Walk has hospitality absolutely nailed. The streamlined menu feels like a confident, considered move – and if our meal is anything to go by, every dish that made the cut has earned its place.
The evening was so good we didn’t want it to end – so we drifted next door to the Brunswick Book Club, Vittoria’s sister café-bar, where Andy was playing live acoustic guitar, and our waiter Connor continued the theme of the evening by delivering yet another masterclass in how hospitality should be done.
Vittoria On The Walk, 113 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH7 5HR
tel. (0131) 556 6171 – e-mail: [email protected]
vittoriarestaurant.com
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