Restaurants, Bar & pub food and Pre-theatre menu
- The Magnum Restaurant & Bar
At the Magnum we combine Scotland's best local ingredients with traditional flavours - Black sparrow
Black Sparrow offers traditional pub food and wide ranged drink list - Tempus
Our concept is quite simple: fresh, local, uncomplicated and delicious food - Stereo
A great vegan themed bar in a Mackintosh-designed building
57–61 High Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1SR
Monteiths’ discreet menu board at the head of one of the Royal Mile’s darker closes is easily missed. But don’t, because this subterranean bar and restaurant’s low-key Scottish style is a welcome antidote to the energetic tartanry to be found nearby.
The Finnieston
1125 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8ND
As you enter the snug bar decked with rope bannisters, polished wood and boat motifs you could be in a sleepy fishing village pub rather than on the main Finnieston strip. This smarter, more grown up sister to Lebowskis down the road really does looks…
Chinaski's
239 North Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7DL
Named after a Charles Bukowski alter ego, Chinaski’s maintains its underground roots by eschewing any signage on the exterior in an effort to deter large groups of rowdy drinkers from nearby Sauchiehall Street. During daylight hours the bar is bright…
Restaurant Mark Greenaway at No 12 Picardy Place
12 Picardy Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3JT
Mark Greenaway’s take on dining is unashamedly modern. With deconstructed creations, foams, smokes and multi-ingredient theatrics aplenty, this is a sophisticated, highly confident offering. A starter of Loch Fyne crab cannelloni is a good introduction…
Henricks Bar
1 Barclay Place,
Edinburgh,
EH10 4HW
This modern bistro bar provides a useful alternative to the more traditional boozers in the local area. Increasingly wine and food focused, the relaxed atmosphere means you will feel equally at home with a pint, a glass of wine and some nibbles or a…
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…
Citation
40 Wilson Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1HD
Once the home of the Sheriff Court, this imposing structure is now in session as a lively multi-levelled bar/restaurant complex. The Taverne's right up at the top, with traditional styling and dark décor complemented by a large outdoor seating area. But…
Stereo
20-28 Renfield Lane,
Glasgow,
G2 5AR
Although it’s hard to catch the full vista from the narrow lane, Stereo is housed in a superb Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed building, all exterior white tiles and square windows with double doors opening into a leisurely eating and drinking space…
The Living Room
150 St Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5NE
Weekends at this popular bar and diner feature live music and even a regular magician – helping to create a lively infectious buzz that is easy to get caught up in. Couples and groups are seated in leather booths, helping to break up the restaurant…
20 North Bridge,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1YT
If you wish a little 19th-century grandeur with your dinner, the North Bridge Brasserie will fit the bill. Now a hotel but originally the home of the Scotsman newspaper, dark wood panelling and marble columns give a period feel, while the adjacent bar…
Arta
The Old Cheesemarket, 62 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1PA
In Glasgow’s trendy Merchant City the competition among restaurants to attract discerning diners is high. Artà stands out architecturally. Once the location of a medieval cheese market this listed building was developed Baroque style in 2000 into a…
The Big Blue
445 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8HH
A perennial student favourite and something of a West End institution, the Big Blue endures in its picturesque location by the Kelvin. Portions are hearty enough to satisfy diners with big appetites. The fried calamari with lemon is a tasty starter and…
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…
Urban Bar & Brasserie
23–25 St Vincent Place,
Glasgow,
G1 2DT
Positioned to receive tourists spilling out from George Square is this, the flagship in Alan Tomkins’ collection of Glasgow bars and restaurants. With its muted tones, champagne bar and live piano playing it seems halfway between a relaxed, cosmopolitan…
Iglu
2b Jamaica Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 6HH
For all that it is tucked at the far end of a side-street, Iglu has established an enviable profile, priding itself on serving seasonal, locally-sourced, organic and wild foods in the cosy upstairs restaurant and downstairs bar area. Proving high…
Saint Judes
190 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HG
This ivy-clad basement townhouse on the Bath St social hub is an interesting and attractive mix of bar/bistro and hotel with a dark and dangerous (especially when you trip on the way to the toliet) interior and a public yet surprisingly intimate…
19a West Register Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 2AA
While the food may not claim as much focus as the music, events and super-smashing cocktail list in the sexy, sultry and edgy Voodoo Rooms, it's more than just an afterthought. Tucked beside the main bar, a small, black linen and leather restaurant…
The Libertine
45–47 Bell Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NX
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…
The Ship on the Shore
24–26 The Shore,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QN
A popular fixture on the Leith scene for nearly a quarter of a century, the Ship on the Shore can genuinely be said to offer something for everyone – as long as you’re not averse to fresh, beautifully prepared fish and seafood. Opening its doors with…
Whiski Rooms
4, 6 & 7 North Bank Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2LP
Despite sitting in the heart of tourist territory, Whiski Rooms attracts a mixture of diners including professionals, locals of all ages and students, as well as the expected flow of visitors. Created in 2011 from a former bank and bookshop, the Whiski…
Bunker
193–199 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HU
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…
Cottier's
93–95 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5PX
Stencils on the walls, fairy lights and candles add plenty of character and atmosphere to proceedings in this converted church. Service is genuinely warm and helpful while suitably informal given the relaxed surroundings. The carpaccio of Inverurie beef…
Darcy's
The Courtyard, Princes Square,
Glasgow,
G1 3JN
After a refit last winter, Darcy’s has a modern French bistro feel, black and white pictures of Parisian street life on the walls, with brushed-steel detailing evoking a bit of New York too. Wine glasses hang above the bar, twinkling under the…
Bruadar
The Millhouse, 2 Partickbridge Street,
Glasgow,
G11 6PL
Opened in late 2011, Bruadar is an attractive, minimalistic venue over two floors with bench seating downstairs and a more intimate mezzanine, all flooded with light from the large window. Theirs is a simple enough formula – beer and a burger – but with…
The Butchershop Bar & Grill
1055 Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7UD
A warm welcome awaits at this comfortably stylish bar and grill, and so it should: the general manager once worked Andrew Fairlie's front of house. In the kitchen the CVs are no less impressive, with head chef Alex Thain having trained with Gordon…




