AlmanachThe Edinburgh AI Restaurant Index

When Edinburgh asks an AI where to eat, who's the answer?

Every week we put 80 real diner questions to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity — and record every restaurant they name. This is the city's scoreboard for the new front door of dining.

Check your restaurant See this week's index
best thai food in edinburgh

For a great Thai meal in Edinburgh this week, the models point to Nok's Kitchen on the castle, Ting Thai Caravan and Thai Orchid. Booking is sensible at weekends.

Your restaurant — not mentioned.0 of 320 answers
Drawn from a real ChatGPT answer · week of 17 Aug 2026
57%of Edinburgh's best-rated restaurants (4.5★+) never appear in a single AI answer
6–11restaurants named in a typical answer — then the AI stops. There is no page two.
22%of diners have already used an AI tool to choose a restaurant
Sources: Almanach index, week of 17 Aug 2026 (877 restaurants tracked) · DoorDash Restaurant Industry Trends 2026
01 Look yourself up

Is your restaurant in the answer?

Type your restaurant to see how often Edinburgh's AI assistants named it across this week's 320 answers. We also search the names the models said that aren't on our list yet — so a blank result means we genuinely didn't record it.

Results appear as you type — two letters is enough.
02 Method

How the Index works

No opinions, no paid placement — just what the models actually say, measured the same way every week. Full methodology →

Step 1 — Ask

80 real questions

From “best ramen in Edinburgh” to “where to eat after a Fringe show” — cuisine, neighbourhood, occasion and budget, phrased the way people actually type.

Step 2 — Record

4 models, every week

Each question goes to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity. Every restaurant named in every answer is logged, with its position.

Step 3 — Score

Share of voice

A restaurant's score is the share of relevant answers that name it — tracked over time, by category, against the whole city.

03 This week

This week's most-recommended

The restaurants Edinburgh's four AI assistants named most often. Each assistant counts equally, so a model that answered fewer questions can't tilt the table. How that's calculated →

week of 17 Aug 2026 · averaged across the four assistants, from 320 answers
RankRestaurantNeighbourhoodShare of voice
01Ting Thai CaravanOld Town16.9%
02TimberyardTollcross15.3%
03The WitcheryOld Town13.8%
04DishoomOld Town13.1%
05Oink3 branches13.1%
06Söderberg3 branches12.8%
07The KitchinLeith12.8%
08The Mosque Kitchen—12.5%
09Aizle—11.2%
10The Scran and ScallieStockbridge9.1%
04 By question

Browse the rankings

Who the AI recommends, broken down by what people actually ask.

Best restaurants in Edinburgh by cuisineWhich Edinburgh restaurants the AI assistants recommend for each cuisine — Italian, ramen, sushi, Thai, Indian, Chinese and more.Best restaurants in Edinburgh by neighbourhoodWhere the AI assistants send diners in Leith, Stockbridge, the Old Town, New Town, Bruntsfield and beyond.Best Edinburgh restaurants for every occasionDate night, brunch, birthdays, big groups, business lunch — which restaurants the AI assistants recommend for each.Cheap eats and best-value restaurants in EdinburghWhere the AI assistants point diners on a budget: cheap eats, student-friendly spots and value lunch deals.Where to eat in Edinburgh as a visitorWhat the AI assistants tell first-time visitors: near the Royal Mile, Waverley and the Castle, hidden gems, and where locals actually eat.

Not in the answer?

We audit exactly how each AI sees your restaurant — listings, reviews, menu data, press footprint — and hand you the fix list ranked by impact.

See what an audit gets you