Restaurants, Bistros & brasseries, Budget

133 places

Sorted by popularity

The Outsider

15/16 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EE

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…

Chinaski's

239 North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DL

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.

Bijou

2 Restalrig Road, Edinburgh, EH6 8BN

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…

Urban Angel

1 Forth Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3JX

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…

Charleston Restaurant

Gala Maybury Casino, 5 South Maybury Road, Edinburgh, EH12 8NE

To travel beyond the front desk of this neon-lit 1920s landmark you must first join Gala Casinos, surrender an ID, register your name and address and look into one of the many wall cameras for a photograph. Now free to roam, diners walk up the art deco…

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Café Gandolfi

64 Albion Street, Glasgow, G1 1NY

With its handsome interior, chunky Tim Stead furniture and globe lights, Café Gandolfi is the granddaddy of Merchant City bohemianism. Serving a mix of clientele from shoppers to concert-goers, it’s been dishing out high-end bistro food for more than 30…

Epicures of Hyndland

159 Hyndland Road, Glasgow, G12 9JA

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…

Hellers Kitchen

15 Salisbury Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1SL

Don’t be fooled by the modest frontage: Heller’s is bigger on the inside. Like the surprisingly open and spacious interior, the menu expands from lighter daytime café options to a full evening’s culinary revelry, and the daily changing specials board…

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…

Cafezique

66 Hyndland Street, Glasgow, G11 5PT

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…

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Distill

1102–1106 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8TD

Until recently called the Ivy, Distill's new name hasn't changed it from being a haunt for the hip, with a young cool crowd attracted to a fashionable part of the city. The range of rums is the widest in Scotland and the house rum is the excellent…

The Left Bank

33–35 Gibson Street, Glasgow, G12 8NU

The Left Bank has a truly varied clientele; from families to students and even the odd dog. Chunky wooden tables, big glass windows and a smattering of fairy lights make it feel warm and intimate both downstairs or on the mezzanine. Thanks to a cracking…

The Bon Vivant Stockbridge

4–6 Dean Street, Edinburgh, EH4 1LW

One way to sum up the contrast between this Stockbridge version of the Bon Vivant and its Thistle Street sibling is that there are no weekend DJs but instead there is brunch. Such are the priorities beside the Water of Leith. Otherwise it follows a…

The Bon Vivant

55 Thistle Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1DY

Whether it’s a three-course meal you’re after, or just a quick cocktail, the Bon Vivant, with its elegant yet relaxed atmosphere, provides a fitting venue for most occasions. Although the current cocktail list is only a glimpse of what is to come, the…

Citation

40 Wilson Street, Glasgow, G1 1HD

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…

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Guy's Restaurant & Bar

24 Candleriggs, Merchant City, Glasgow, G1 1LD

Set in the heart of Candleriggs, Guy's is an unusual find, it has the feeling of a place where something extraordinary could happen. Eclectic décor reflecting the owners fun-loving tastes – film posters, white wood paneling hung with paintings, china…

Mono

12 Kings Court, King Street, Glasgow, G1 5RB

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…

Mother India

28 Westminster Terrace, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G3 7RU

Mother India's original restaurant, opened in 1990, has a reputation that keeps the place filled most days. This Glasgow favourite has played a major part in pushing the boundaries of Indian cuisine in the city in those intervening years. It has…

Moyra Jane's

20 Kildrostan Street, Glasgow, G41 4LU

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.

The Two Figs

5 and 9 Byres Road, Glasgow, G11 5RD

Packing a punch at the snoozy end of Byres Road, the Two Figs is a sociable venue to shoot the breeze over double-shot daiquiris, a figgylicious cocktail or continental beer or two. Well-crafted globally inspired dishes focus on fresh ingredients and…

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The Bank Café Bar

443 Clarkston Road, Glasgow, G44 3LL

The Maclay Inns group, five of whose premises are featured in this section, tend to choose interesting buildings for their ventures that add a nice bit of character. In the case of The Bank it is, indeed, a former bank, now popular residential café/bar…

Battlefield Rest

55 Battlefield Road, Glasgow, G42 9JL

The Battlefield Rest enjoys a high reputation as a reliable local. It has a large and loyal clientele that it has built over 20 years, so at the weekend it can be very busy The menu is thoroughly old-fashioned Scottish-Italian fare, with dishes ranging…

Brutti Compadres

3 Virginia Court, Glasgow, G1 1TS

With the odd Italian name Brutti Compadres, which translates into ugly friends or company, you should be careful to take only beautiful chums. The name may be Italian but food is Mediterranean in inspiration and mainly Spanish tapas in style. Tucked…

Brutti Ma Buoni

Brunswick Hotel, 106 Brunswick Street, Glasgow, G1 1TF

Zinc tables, novelty spirits behind the bar, walls papered with banknotes and postcards from around the globe: at first glance Brutti Ma Buoni has all the trappings of a travellers’ bar rather than a traditional bistro. But it would be a shame to miss…

Forth Floor Brasserie

Harvey Nichols, 30–34 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2AD

The bar and bistro arm of department store Harvey Nichols is a predictably chic operation, bristling with shiny surfaces, chameleonic lighting and designer furniture. What makes the space particularly alluring though is one of the best skyline views in…