A graduation dinner worth travelling for.

For the day you've travelled in for.

Graduation in Edinburgh is a lot — ceremonies running to schedule, family flying in from all over, a photograph under the arches and a morning that goes too fast. The dinner afterwards is the part that slows down again.

Cardinal is a 20-seat restaurant on Eyre Place in the New Town. We're a MICHELIN Guide Recommended restaurant, with a Good Food Guide Very Good distinction and a place in the Square Meal Top 100. What that means for a graduation party is simple: a room that feels like an occasion the moment you sit down, food worth the day, and a pace that lets you talk.

Close to every Edinburgh campus.

Cardinal sits in Edinburgh's New Town, around ten minutes from Princes Street. From the main graduation venues you'll either walk it, or take a short taxi — times below are approximate, door to door.

Choosing a menu.

Graduation parties at Cardinal tend to be four to eight — the graduate, parents, siblings, sometimes a partner or grandparents. Three menus suit that kind of table.

What we'll do for the occasion.

Let us know it's a graduation when you book. A small handwritten card at the table, a glass of something to mark it, and a little something to end on — sent out without fanfare, because the day already is one.

If you'd like us to hold a specific table, or shape a menu around an allergy or a preference that matters on the day, email us directly and we'll make sure it lands. For larger parties, the full restaurant is available for private hire on any service.

Booking.

Parties of four to eight can book online through our reservation system. For parties larger than eight, or for private hire of the restaurant, email [email protected] or call 0131 305 2049.

For summer graduation season (late June to mid-July), we'd recommend booking four to six weeks ahead. Weekend dinners fill first.