Bistros & brasseries, Outdoor dining, Child friendly

83 places

Sorted by popularity

Epicures of Hyndland

159 Hyndland Road, Glasgow, G12 9JA

In the heart of chic Hyndland's shopping area, once an area devoid of a good restaurant or café, Epicures is fill a gap. It's the kind of place that changes through the day, with different menus for different times; from breakfast, morning coffee…

Cafezique

66 Hyndland Street, Glasgow, G11 5PT

A good local eatery can be hard to find but not in Partick. Cafezique is attached to a delicatessen. Inside, simple décor and a mezzanine level is enjoyed by elegant young ladies chattering over wine with nibbles (olives and cheese fondue). And…

Urban Angel

1 Forth Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3JX

Over the past few years Urban Angel has established itself as an essential part of the vibrant dining scene around Broughton Street. The uncluttered and inviting main room is well run by simultaneously enthusiastic, relaxed and efficient staff. The…

Brutti Compadres

3 Virginia Court, Glasgow, G1 1TS

With the odd Italian name Brutti Compadres, which translates into ugly friends or company, you should be careful to take only beautiful chums. The name may be Italian but food is Mediterranean in inspiration and mainly Spanish tapas in style. Tucked…

Mono

12 Kings Court, King Street, Glasgow, G1 5RB

Microbrewery appreciation starts early at Mono, where vast silver vats line one wall, piping homemade lemonades directly to the bar for a refreshing alternative to the usual drinks, which are of course also available. Young parents bring their kids to…

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Crabshakk

1114 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8TD

No place captures the energy of the Finnieston renaissance better than Crabshakk, a few years old but still packed to the rafters most evenings. At the bar and on the mezzanine, diners sit beside, opposite – practically on top of each other. Brushed…

Restaurant Mark Greenaway

69 North Castle Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3LJ

Famed for his television appearances on the Great British Menu, in 2012 Mark Greenaway relocated his restaurant to a new city-centre venue. There are grand plans afoot but for now the stylish and muted interior plays second fiddle to the main star here…

Battlefield Rest

55 Battlefield Road, Glasgow, G42 9JL

The Battlefield Rest enjoys a high reputation as a reliable local. It has a large and loyal clientele that it has built over 20 years, so at the weekend it can be very busy The menu is thoroughly old-fashioned Scottish-Italian fare, with dishes ranging…

Ketchup

44 Ashton Lane, Glasgow, G12 8SJ

When it comes to knowing what students want, you’ve got to hand it to Ketchup. Set on the ground floor of a block of Ashton Lane venues, the American feel may not quite fit the cobbled lane, but inside, large booths and benches are crammed full of teens…

Kyloe Restaurant & Grill

The Rutland Hotel, 1–3 Rutland Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2AE

Kyloe (meaning ‘cattle’) is looking to fill a niche in the Edinburgh restaurant scene, and that niche is meat, meat, meat. Cows are everywhere – the statue outside, the paintings on the wall, the cowhide furniture and the board that displays all the raw…

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The Roamin' Nose

14 Eyre Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5EP

Styled as a neighbourhood Mediterranean eatery, the Roamin’ Nose with its bare brickwork and whitewashed walls takes inspiration from the thousands of taverns across Spain and Italy that serve their locals from dawn till dusk. The menu is full of pastas…

Urban Angel

121 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1DJ

Drop down from the shoe-beaten pavement of Hanover Street into the comfortable ease of Urban Angel. The sunlight-brightened front room makes it easy to forget you’re in basement premises, while the quiet backyard courtyard, off the cosy rear dining…

Maxies Bistro and Wine Bar

5b Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2PW

An up-to-date review of Maxies will appear here shortly …

Merrylee Road Bar and Kitchen

128 Merrylee Road, Glasgow, G44 3DL

Candles, soft lighting and a piano player give this neighbourhood brasserie something of a posh hotel lobby atmosphere. The service is warm and informal though, and a mainly local and family clientele mean the place is actually quite relaxed. The menu…

No. Sixteen

16 Byres Road, Glasgow, G11 5JY

Small proves to be beautiful in this cosy bistro at the bottom of Byres Road where a restrained number of covers allows the chef to concentrate on detail, style and flavour. Personal touches like tiny fresh flowers, homemade rolls, and soft lighting…

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Toast

146 Marchmont Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1AQ

Very few places attract queues, and those that do are usually trading on being the hot new cocktail spot in town. A weekend brunch at modest, unpretentious Toast, on the other hand, really is worth the wait. A haphazard parade of paintings jostle for…

Baby Grand

3–7 Elmbank Gardens, Glasgow, G2 4NQ

Tucked away behind the King's Theatre, this brasserie has been on the city restaurant scene for 20 years. The layout includes a long, thin bar with an open kitchen, a blackboard showing specials, quirky artworks and candles flickering on black tables.

Firebird

1321 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8TL

While the origin of the name may have been lost in the mists of time, the team at Firebird are certainly taking the ‘fire’ part seriously. A wood-fired oven bakes the signature sourdough pizzas to a pleasing crunch, while a blazing stove keeps the…

The Italian Kitchen

64 Ingram Street, Glasgow, G1 1EX

It’s almost inconceivable that The Italian Kitchen has now been operating for a decade. Arriving to accolades – most notably for pizzas – the passage of time hasn’t brought a sense of complacency. Inside, the fortress-like wood-fired pizza oven is…

1901

1534 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, G43 1RF

Though a little removed from the main Shawlands dining strip the value of the food along with the decidedly relaxed and jovial atmosphere at this unassuming corner pub and bistro make it worth the venture. New owner Graham Sutherland, who also has the…

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The Purple Pig Café

12 Leven Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9LG

The Purple Pig is perhaps the only pig you can trust around food. This bright, white Tollcross café, run by a green but keen brother-and-sister team, is as steadfast as a bacon roll. Fresh, local ingredients, chosen for taste, are simply and competently…

Arcaffe

7 North Claremont Street, Glasgow, G3 7NR

Relatively hidden down a side street between Kelvingrove Park and Sauchiehall Street, this friendly family owned outlet offers home cooked Italian food in a café setting. With its focus on a daytime and early evening clientele, Arcaffe attracts mainly…

The Bank Café Bar

443 Clarkston Road, Glasgow, G44 3LL

The Maclay Inns group, five of whose premises are featured in this section, tend to choose interesting buildings for their ventures that add a nice bit of character. In the case of The Bank it is, indeed, a former bank, now popular residential café/bar…

Brutti Ma Buoni

Brunswick Hotel, 106 Brunswick Street, Glasgow, G1 1TF

Zinc tables, novelty spirits behind the bar, walls papered with banknotes and postcards from around the globe: at first glance Brutti Ma Buoni has all the trappings of a travellers’ bar rather than a traditional bistro. But it would be a shame to miss…

Café Cassis

Salisbury Hotel, Salisbury Road, Edinburgh, EH16 5AA

Now in its third year, Café Cassis remains unfamiliar even to many of Edinburgh’s enthusiastic restaurant goers. This is a shame, as it turns out highly enjoyable, seasonally influenced meals that aim to offer something for everyone, with lots of…