Outdoor dining, Child friendly

There’s a laidback, Australian vibe to the Esplanade – the ‘Espy’ – bar and bistro on Portobello’s beachfront, with its cheery service, beer, burgers, live music and comedy, and tables overlooking, okay, not the Indian Ocean, but the Firth of Forth to…

Run by two talented chefs with impressive restaurant experience between them (including The Atrium, The Kitchin, The Outsider, Café St Honore and Falko), Gardener’s Cottage is a relatively new addition to Edinburgh dining. Be transported out of the city…

Brightening up Partick for several years now with its 1950s American diner-style décor and assorted retro touches such as big tubs of sweets behind the bar, Rio Café offers a little something for everyone. Serving food from breakfast through dinner…

Chaophraya sits proudly on the corner of Nelson Mandela Place, holding the title of Europe’s largest Thai restaurant. Climbing the small stairway outside, opulence and grandeur awaits in this A-listed building. Enjoy a cocktail on the first floor before…

Although its star has occasionally waned over 40-odd years of serving the West End’s finest, the Chip still holds its own amid the crowded glare and shifting fashions of Ashton Lane, carving a hard-won niche for quality food and metropolitan chic.

With its reputation for authentic north Italian cuisine and rich seafood served in elegant surroundings, dining at Fratelli Sarti’s Renfield Street branch is meant to be a special occasion. Peruse the leather bound Tuscan specials and enjoy the light of…

Bijou came under new ownership in 2011 but both head chef Alastair Berry and the quirky but useful menu formula of offering most items in bijou, medium or large size have remained. The low-key interior features a sprinkling of café-style tables, a small…

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…

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…

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…

No other bar in Glasgow serves oysters. What’s more, The Finnieston does them properly: on-ice, in a big ceramic half-shell, with Tabasco and pickled shallots. Presentation is more than half the battle here. There’s ‘classily nautical’ décor: aged wood…

Meaning ‘home’ in Swedish, Hemma is the latest addition to Mike and Anna Christopherson’s string of Scandinavian style bars. And with its soft furnishings and quirky interiors, it does indeed have a laidback, homely atmosphere, despite the modern feel…

When you head to Tanjore, and it’s heartily recommended you do, there are two reasons to bring an appetite. First, this is where to sample the finest Southern Indian cuisine in Edinburgh. Second, you’ll be tempted to order everything on the enticing…

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…

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…

This newcomer to the Southside café scene is a cheerful and unpretentious place to pass an hour or two. Having opened its doors just before Christmas 2011, Tea at 94 still feels as if it's finding its feet somewhat in terms of the fare on offer. While a…

Housed in the former Sheriff Court there are few building fronts as impressive anywhere in the city. Gone are any remnants of law court life. Split between a ground floor with a massive glitzy cocktail bar, and an upstairs restaurant that has a more…

A competition saw this bar named after the decadent 17th-century poet, the 2nd Earl of Rochester, but here’s nothing debauched about this Libertine, which neatly balances daytime bistro and night-time bar. Tall windows line both aspects, allowing diners…

MJ’s gold-embossed frontage justifiably claims that it is a brasserie. It also has an appropriately Scottish twist and a daytime alter ego as a popular café. Customers are offered a cocooning and enjoyable experience, for which they usually return.

Formally, Mise en Place, Rhubarb is situated on the edge of Pollokshields and the Strathbungo's village triangle of shops and cafés. It is a stylish café/restaurant serving breakfast, snacks and light lunches in the daytime, including soup, salads…

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…

Circle Café is a stripped back, bare-brick former bakery, serving big breakfasts such as mounds of French toast (unusually using baguettes) with crispy bacon, as well as generously sized, well presented bistro fare including pies, sandwiches and a…

If it wasn't for the grounding nature of the predominantly British food and décor, the view out of Cranberry's huge windows into an architecturally attractive corner could take you on all sorts of fancy flights around the globe, imagining life in Paris…