BYOB

The gem in South Queensferry’s culinary crown, The Boat House has great views, relaxed surrounds and a confident, creative pair of hands in the kitchen. Split into two main areas, with a cocktail bar thrown in for good measure, the bistro and restaurant…

Bonsai Bar Bistro provides a clear rebuttal to the notion that Japanese cuisine in the UK is expensive and exclusive. The small but perfectly formed restaurant is known for its welcoming atmosphere and has a wide-ranging menu that offers something for…

A visit to the Brooklyn Café, the 83-year-old godfather of the Shawlands all-day café scene is a real Glasgow treat. There's a steady production of breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner dishes including creamy risottos or the recently introduced grill…

With deli goods and takeaway sandwiches to the front, and 24 covers of eclectic furniture to the rear, Broughton Deli does not concern itself with vanities. The international menu has a surprising mixture of platters, burgers and noodles available all…

Big brother to its recently opened sister restaurant Pomegranate, Hanam’s is a class act. No-charge BYOB keeps spirits high across a well-appointed dining room and lower-level overspill. Décor and lighting are warm and inviting with just enough…

Friendly and speedy service, and a lunch menu deal of two courses for £7 (three for £10) make Kurdish and Middle Eastern Nawroz a popular choice among the student population, who pop in for a hearty kebab or shawarma after lectures. It’s spacious and…

It’s beginning to test the meaning of careworn slightly these days, but there’s still no café in Glasgow homelier than Offshore, nor even as homely. Hugging the corner of Gibson Street where it crosses the River Kelvin, with leafy views to the park…

This Auchtermuchty tearoom, which was used for the filming of Scottish Television’s Dr Finlay, transports diners back in time to post-war Britain when independent teashops, grocers and tobacconists reigned. Its interior is unashamedly retro with its…

Worth seeking out at the top of Renfrew Street, Thai Lemongrass offers an oasis of calm from the hustle and bustle of City Centre life. Dark wood and warming gold dominate the intimate space with luxury red-upholstered booths, canopied with heavy…

To be accurate, A Room in the West End is four rooms in total. Beneath Teuchters Bar on William Street sits a low-ceilinged and lively large one, as well as three snugly private alcoves, perfect if you fancy trysting the night away. Lovers of classic…

This spacious café with its particularly well-trained staff is run with such care and attention to the customer experience that it is easy to while away a couple of hours. Friends relax over coffees, pots of tea and irresistible in-house baking, such as…

Restaurants on St Stephen Street come and go, but 20 years after Fiona MacRae opened her rustic basement cantina, the eponymous blue bird is still sitting perkily on his perch outside. It’s a simple, dark-painted wee place with a clutter of wooden…

Visiting Brazilian Sensation is a unique and somewhat eccentric experience. For a start, it only opens in the evening if you make a reservation, so it really does feel like owner John Falconer and his Brazilian wife Lucia are expecting you. There’s a…

With a menu that has worked for 26 years, why change it? No reason, when you continue to pull in the crowds the way Buffalo Grill does. The Stockbridge restaurant, an offshoot of the original in the heart of Edinburgh’s student land, is cosy, warm…

Chop Chop in Leith was built on the reputation of the original outlet in Haymarket. Opened in 2010, it shares an identical menu to its sister restaurant, but the aim here seems to be to provide a more laidback and sophisticated atmosphere than the buzz…

Deans @ Let’s Eat in the Fair City’s Kinnoull Street bills itself as 'a true taste of Scotland'. The restaurant’s family team of head chef Willie Deans, his wife Margot, and sons Lee (the manager) and young Jamie (already a talented chef), serve vibrant…

Traditionally in India, dhaba were truck stops, serving home-style cooking at affordable prices for people in a hurry. More recently, the dhaba concept has broadened beyond Punjabi truckers without losing the principles of good, quick, fresh food.

Tania Dixon moved her successful catering business Ginger Snap from Perthshire to Edinburgh in 2012, carrying with her an impressive client list including Brewin Dolphin, Bonham's and Louis Vuitton. She's an experienced and highly regarded wedding…

Six years of taking it easy at Go Slow Café (to paraphrase the blurb), but the place is thriving and popular, so it’s no mean feat that during the busiest times owner/factotum Rose manages to keep the happy, calm vibe alive. Like most places run with…

Since opening in 2004, this simple, straightforward Turkish restaurant has proved to be a popular addition to the Southside scene, thanks to its reasonably priced meals and a relaxed neighbourhood vibe. The Lalezar, a shared six-plate mixed mezze…

Apparently it’s good feng shui to have your property on a river, which perhaps explains why the Loon Fung, sitting by the Water of Leith, has now been going for over forty years. Owner Sammy Tam doesn’t hold with such things, however, and puts success…

Sited in an old pumping station, this harbourside seafood restaurant run by fishmongers, with a much-loved fish and chip shop (the Wee Hurrie) next door. Expect an array of fruits of the sea, unload straight from a boat on the establishments door step…