Budget, Pre-theatre menu

City Centre alleyways are generally best avoided but Renfield Lane makes a rare exception with its pair of laid-back hipster hangouts – the Old Hairdressers for small artsy events and big sister Stereo in the Mackintosh building across the road for…

It’s named after a French Alps off-piste ski run, but La Vallée Blanche is very much on the beaten track, with an excellent first-floor location above the summit of Byres Road. An eye-catchingly good value lunch/pre-theatre deal steers a steady stream…

Owner Gino Stornaiuolo named his establishment in tribute to his two grandmothers, whose faces adorn the walls of a room in which space has been well exploited. However, it is the contribution of his parents that brings the restaurant to life. While…

This split-level space is an exercise in sleek, functional mid-century modernism – a combination of whitewashed walls, wood, glass and metal proving perennially popular with Edinburgh’s trendier denizens. A prime Old Town location draws in a steady…

A marriage of Scottish and Thai cuisine might seem a doomed alliance, and some of the menu options sound more like a drunken scramble around the kitchen than haute cuisine (lasagne chicken curry, anybody?), but don’t be fooled – this contemporary outfit…

Named after a mythological maiden who died of heartache on the Bay of Naples, La Partenope offers a taste of Napoli on Dalry Road. This family restaurant is operated by a sibling trio: chef Paolo creates magnificent dishes, brother Renato is the…

Hotel du Vin has always sought to rise above its peers in the often-dubious chain-hotel restaurant business. Here, snuggled between the National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh University’s central campus, it succeeds. Upon leaving the hectic churn of…

Ti Amo's position opposite the Festival Theatre ensures its enduring success. Amusingly dated décor distracts from perusing menus bearing the brunt of many a thumb and spilled vino: menu-matching, smoke-aged, stencilled walls; pillars, statues, and an…

For such grand subterranean dimensions, Bunker does an impressive job of always feeling busy. Even during quiet afternoons a healthy young crowd fills the bright, airy space. When lights go down and the indie/chart music gets louder, it’s busier still…

The pillars holding aloft the Georgian ceiling at Centotre and clever use of booths provide nooks and crannies for romantic tete-a-tetes and broader spaces for parties and business lunches. There is a clear focus on the ingredients here: mozzarella…

Patrons here live it up while the bar’s inspiration Charles Bukowski looks disdainfully down from a portrait on the wall. Mind you, even the hedonistic Buk would have struggled to work his way through the extensive range of quality rums and bourbons.

Previously a branch of Mother India Monir's three Wee curryhouses, the renamed, revamped Glasgow Curry Shop is a haven for casual dining within the hustle and bustle of Ashton Lane. Celebrating the entrepreneurs who positioned curryhouses as an…

Karen Wong is the name above the door and, unsurprisingly, the host’s personality is front and centre of this cosy Southside restaurant. The warm welcome and attentive service has been rewarded with a loyal clientele who return time after time since the…

Having changed its name from Bath Street Pony thanks to legal intervention from a London bar operating under the same equine name, Palomino remains uncomplicated and relaxing, serving cocktails and a decent pre-theatre and lunch deal to office workers…

Established in 1988, City Merchant's reputation as one of the best fish restaurants in Glasgow is as much down to owners who pride themselves on the freshness of their seafood as it is to the resulting cuisine that is undeniably impressive. A decadent…

The Black Sparrow attracts sophisticated patrons to its ornate and über cool abode. It has an old-fashioned bourbon bar look, with smoochy jazz/ambient beats mellowing the airwaves. It’s actually quite romantic. Dark burgundy leather studded booths…

Arts and concert based venues get their biggest numbers on event nights. So it seems for the Brasserie which is entered through a splendid stone vaulted arch at the side entrance to the old church that forms the spectacular Oran Mor. The room has an…

What’s on offer in this upmarket eatery is far removed from the rustic style of cooking you’ll find in any roadside café after which it is named. The chefs have previously cooked for India’s rich and famous bringing with them a majestic, refined…

The original Two Fat Ladies balances restaurant details with less formal, bistro-esque qualities. The dark interior with its ornate golden border looks towards the former; an open plan kitchen and chatty ambience nudge things the other way – a classy…

Once headquarters of the Bank of England, the restaurant still has a feel of money about it. With original features like wood panels and an Art Deco ceiling offering a diffused soft light. With striking paintings and leather-clad booths, the overall…

Al Dente is a small, rustically decorated venue that boasts two draws: country-wide Italian cooking from Chef Antonio and an enthusiastic Italian welcome from patron Graziano. The menu is seasonal and aspires to give the diner the whole of Italy, with…