Restaurants, Bar & pub food

The theme of the current incarnation of this style bar is literally plastered over the walls with eye-catching monochrome wallpaper featuring New York landmarks. The space is dominated by a huge curved bar and an open floor which suggests evening…

Located in an old tobacco merchant’s house on the periphery of the Merchant City, Babbity Bowster is a pleasantly secluded place for a drink and some good food, particularly in the beer garden if the sun is shining on this evocative street. Babbity…

Tucked down an alleyway opposite the Lighthouse, this 1990s café-style bar is a befitting sanctuary to escape the hustle and bustle of Buchanan Street. This converted warehouse is as much an arts space as it is a watering hole. It has the feel of an…

Independent is a relatively new arrival to the City Centre. In a playfully literal extension of its name, the (slightly shabby) black interior is covered by front pages from a certain liberal broadsheet (clue: it’s not The Guardian). Standing out from…

Red Squirrel follows a recipe of premium burgers and beer similar to its older sibling Holyrood 9a – indeed the menus at both bars are practically identical. Substantial burgers, including three vegetarian versions, dominate the menu and provide a…

Sea bass with crispy skin and a delicate white sauce in a Glasgow pub for under a tenner is a very rare thing – and when done this well it’s certainly worth seeking out from a menu that exceeds what you’d expect from a bar and represents excellent value…

Descending the barely noticeable stairway into the fun-loving Hawaiian tiki bar is like stepping into another era. Kitsch 1950s memorabilia line the walls while palm trees and wicker furniture dominate the compact drinking area. Cocktails are the name…

Variety Bar is a colourful affair with a unique atmosphere, where students, musos and ravers sit beside office workers and typically Glaswegian ‘old men’. There are always a few characters inside, as well as premium beers on tap and a strong selection…

With facilities as wide ranging as its menu, the Waverley offers something for everyone – a kids soft play area, a pleasant and popular al fresco layout for those rare days when the weather obliges, DJs at weekends and an extensive à la carte menu…

Taking inspiration from New Orlean’s ‘Holy Trinity’ Cajun cooking, this American-themed venue has a combined focus on soul food, music and cocktails. Divided bar/lounge style, with one area focused on food the other on drinks, with décor that may feel…

Given its neon signage and the staff’s long-standing penchant for Hawaiian shirts, the Basement has never been a byword for subtlety and sophistication, but instead is a slightly ironic slice of Miami teleported into a Scottish cellar. It’s clearly a…

For someone who’s never seen it before, the Church on the Hill is pretty stunning – a refurbished church that looks like the Parthenon in Greece, facing on to Queen’s Park. It really is a lovely venue, and very popular with a cross-section of…

{hb} has all the atmosphere of a club, yet bizarrely lacks books. But don’t feel short-changed – the menus have clever wordplay a-plenty to get literary tongues wagging. Enjoy a brunch, things involving eggs, connoisseur sandwiches, meaty stews and…

Beer and burgers are the main draw at Holyood 9a, and both are worth a trip to this corner of the Old Town. A selection of 11 beers is permanently on draught and, combined with another 10 rotational pumps, constitutes one of Edinburgh’s best selections…

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…

Irishness radiates from every Guinness memorabilia festooned nook and cranny of Malone’s, from the quotations and portraits of sporting and literary heroes that line the walls, to the green telephone box nestled in its upstairs area. Set in the…

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…

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…