Arts venues

The Hidden Lane Tearoom is hidden only in name. Despite being just a couple of years old, it has clearly established a serious following, which means that at weekends, it can often get pretty busy – despite having two levels. Somehow though, owner…

Nestled in the basement of the National Gallery of Scotland, the Scottish Café and Restaurant exudes professionalism from start to finish. Husband and wife team Victor and Carina Contini run a tight ship for a good mix of tourists and locals. Smart…

Eating at the 18th-century estate house in glorious Pollok Country Park is like being invited for lunch at Downton Abbey. Sitting downstairs in the old kitchen, surrounded by artefacts –- including copper pans and an original cast-iron stove – of the…

This subterranean restaurant is the place for the original Henderson’s experience, with a diverse clientele as loyal as you’d expect for somewhere with fifty years of history behind it. It’s boho, but also surprisingly sophisticated of an evening, when…

The hilltop Terrace Café in Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Gardens has an unparalleled view of the city's skyline. The inviting outdoor tables make it an obvious place for an alfresco lunch in fine weather. Inside, small tables are placed near long windows…

The Doocot (or pigeon-loft for those not fluent in Scots) perches atop another Mackintosh building that is now Scotland's Centre for Design and Architecture: six floors of exhibition spaces, usually with something quirky on show. More conservative in…

Everyone in Glasgow and beyond knows the live venue regularly voted one the of the UK’s best. Less well known is that Tut’s goes beyond simply having a bar for the nightly gigs. Food is surprisingly good and makes it a good option for a bar meal in…

Situated next door to Holyrood Palace, this café is the obvious place to grab a sandwich or hearty bowl of soup after visiting the Queen’s Gallery and Palace, or after an invigorating trek round Arthur’s Seat or tour of the Scottish Parliament. With…

The grand entrance to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum was always intended to face onto the eponymous park and it is an urban myth that it was built back-to-front. The tradition of confusion continues inside the country’s most popular attraction these…

The question that springs to mind on entering the Arches underneath the Heilanman’s Umbrella does not concern its myriad of titles – bar, nightclub, theatre, live music venue, restaurant – but why one of the most relaxing spaces to drink and eat in…

Not just for art lovers and ladies who lunch, this is fine dining at reasonable prices in a unique and aesthetically appealing setting. The house may be a 1990s baby itself but the original Mackintosh design is from the first year of the last century.

There's a light Parisian motif to this eatery attached to the Festival Theatre (and associated with Nicholson Street's Ten Hill Place Hotel). Long windows provide ample people-watching opportunities and the cheerful apple-red interior makes it a…

The creative and community spirit of Out of the Blue Arts @ The Drill Hall reveals itself in the quirky and generously portioned dishes offered at the café. Set midway down Leith Walk, this thriving arts venue boasts studio and production space for…

Entering the stately Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Two by its Georgian façade ensures a real sense of occasion. In contrast to its fellow venue across the way, Café Modern Two provides friendly, unruffled table service for its varied…

Church conversions don’t come much classier than this chic and spacious bistro tucked beneath the St Andrews on the Square building. Moody glowing booths, dark leather seating and copper lined pillars break the large room into intimate zones while a…

Playing host to world-class work, the Fruitmarket Gallery is a well-regarded contemporary art venue incorporating a popular café and a terrific bookshop. One café wall displays past and present exhibition posters and, although tables are tightly packed…

There's a tranquil feel to the Gateway Restaurant located upstairs in the John Hope Gateway Centre, a biodiversity and information centre in Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Gardens. Set in a long, bright room, the lovely interior features leaf-green ceilings…

Set in a stylish venue with a touch of grandeur, the Grosvenor Café is a fixture for socializing along the ever-popular run of bars down Ashton lane. Originally part of the classic cinema still running downstairs, there’s a suitably luxurious feeling in…

Set in a bright, large and pleasantly laid out extension to Royal Deeside's primary arts space, this new café-bistro is run by highly respected local cooks and caterers Val and Calum Buchanan. Dishes are at once informal and expertly constructed…