Scott Dixon
Kyloe is a popular and well-established steak house in Edinburgh's West End, which I visited mid-week with friends to take advantage of their January 50% off food promotion. It’s a stunning restaurant, with comfortable seating designed for relaxed dining. The USB table lights add nicely to the ambience and a nice vibe. Service was a standout throughout – attentive, polite and clearly well-trained staff who are on top of their game. Before taking our order, our waiter brought out a selection of steaks on a wooden board and talked us through the different cuts, ageing processes and the steaks included in the offer. This was genuinely helpful. I’d originally planned to order the ribeye, but seeing it in the flesh, it looked a little too fatty and difficult to justify at £45 compared with the other options. We skipped the starters and enjoyed the complimentary bread and butter before the main courses. I opted for a sirloin steak (£39) medium rare with king prawns (three for £8) in a garlic butter and hand-cut skin-on chips (£6). The steak was cooked as requested and full of flavour, although it arrived warm rather than piping hot. I’d also hoped for a couple more prawns, and my definition of “king-sized” clearly differs from Kyloe’s, though they were pleasant enough. The chips, however, were excellent – well-seasoned and properly cooked. We shared a bowl of mushrooms, which were delicious and easily the highlight among the side dishes. One issue did jar slightly. A 10% discretionary service charge was calculated on the full menu price before the 50% discount was applied. At best, this is misleading and certainly not how most diners would reasonably expect a promotional offer to work. We queried it, ignored the calculation and paid what we felt was fair, including a 10% service charge based on the discounted food price. Another surprise was the unisex toilets (cubicles only, no urinals). Some of the women in our group commented that it was obvious men had been using them, judging by the state they were left in. While no one raised a formal objection, it wasn’t especially impressive and may simply be a logistical compromise. Overall, I enjoyed the experience. At £45 all-in, including two pints (£6.70 each) and a 10% service charge, it felt like good value on the promotion. Would I pay full price? Initially, I thought yes but with hindsight, probably not. The jury’s still out on that one.






