Restaurant · in Edinburgh · ⭐ 9.3/10 · 2914 reviews
Address: 4-7 Antigua St, Edinburgh EH1 3NH
Family-run Italian near the Edinburgh Playhouse
Mamma Roma is a much-loved family-run Italian restaurant on Antigua Street, founded in 1995. Opposite the Edinburgh Playhouse and near Princes Street Gardens and Waverley, it’s a favourite for pre-theatre dinners and date nights. The main room is Tuscan farmhouse style; the upstairs is theatre-themed with Italian-cinema paintings.
What to order
The focus is pasta and pizza. Classics include the Margherita, the house Pizza Mamma Roma, pepperoni and calzone; pasta favourites include carbonara and Bolognese, plus praised seafood. Finish with gelato or tiramisu.
Who it’s for
A warm, buzzy atmosphere and attentive service make it great for a date, a pre-theatre dinner or a relaxed meal — it featured in OpenTable’s Top 100 UK 2024.
Atmosphere
The mood is warm, family-run and gently buzzy, the kind of long-standing trattoria that fills with easy chatter over dinner. With the Edinburgh Playhouse right opposite, it takes on a hum of pre-theatre anticipation as showtime nears.
Across its themed rooms it stays intimate and welcoming — as suited to an unhurried date as to a quick bite before the curtain.
Questions and answers
What food does it serve? Authentic Italian — pasta, pizza, seafood and desserts.
What to order? The house Pizza Mamma Roma, carbonara and tiramisu.
Good for pre-theatre? Yes — opposite the Edinburgh Playhouse.
Do I need to book? On Playhouse show nights, yes — tables fill fast before curtain-up; a dedicated pre-theatre menu keeps the kitchen quick.
Opening hours
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 12:00–21:30 |
| Tuesday | 12:00–21:30 |
| Wednesday | 12:00–21:30 |
| Thursday | 12:00–21:30 |
| Friday | 12:00–22:30 |
| Saturday | 12:00–22:30 |
| Sunday | 12:00–21:30 |
Photos
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Visitor reviews
Reviews last updated: 2026-06-30 21:24:43
Data is refreshed monthly. Sources: edinburghka.com and editorial picks based on reviews.
Real Italian pasta, served in a matter of minutes. It's fairly busy here, so it's best to book a table in advance. The perfect treat for your taste buds! Even the strawberry soft drinks were very tasty. We paid about £50…
An absolutely wonderful experience at this Italian restaurant! The food was just exquisite, every dish was full of flavour, wonderfully presented and prepared with such care. You can truly feel the authenticity in every…
A wonderful Italian restaurant! There wasn't a free table right away, so we were able to take a seat at the bar next to it. A table freed up fairly quickly. We tried tasty focaccia pizza and calzone here! The desserts we…
Recently I visited Mamma Roma, and everything was incredible from start to finish. The food was just wonderful, and the staff made it all really special. We started with bruschetta, polpette piccanti and melanzane al for…
One of my favourite restaurants. The dishes cost £15-20. Really tasty Italian cuisine. The seafood pasta is just incredible.