Experience rustic, family style cooking at award-winning French restaurant La Garrigue. Sample the tastes of Languedoc at one of the most authentic restaurants in Edinburgh (Hitlisted in The List Eating & Drinking Guide 2012) or visit our fantastic little bistro in Leith.
Restaurants, Bistros & brasseries, Budget and Late dining
The Grill on the Corner
21–25 Bothwell Street,
Glasgow,
G2 6NL
This busy central restaurant is quite imposing from the outside, looking in through the fairy light-covered windows to the arguably cold minimalist chrome and black leather interor. But the warmth of the welcome, the friendly vibe (especially in the…
The Apartment Bistro
7–13 Barclay Place,
Edinburgh,
EH10 4HW
The Apartment has been going strong since 1999, and its 2010 refurb seems to have rebooted things nicely. Here, ‘modern bistro’ means seasonality and an evolving menu, as evidenced by a neat little daily set menu, plus specials. A starter of pork…
Ketchup
44 Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ
Cynics may muse that Ketchup is Stefan King’s attempt to ‘start them early’ into the G1 mind-set, as the burgers and milkshakes ethos is clearly aimed at both students and children alike. Whatever ethos lies behind it, it is clearly working, as the…
Tinto Tapas Bar
138 Battlefield Road,
Glasgow,
G42 9JT
This Southside neighbourhood treasure feels exactly like a rustic and cosy local tapas bar should. Dark wooden tables sit against a backdrop of regional Spanish wines, beers, liqueurs and knick-knacks, while a leg of Iberico ham lies ready to be carved.
OKO Express
78 Queen Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3DN
Now under new ownership OKO has raised its game, with all dishes being fresher and better presented than ever, and when it comes to Japanese food that is imperative. The setting is typical for a sushi bar with cafeteria style bench seating that is good…
Café Andaluz
2 Cresswell Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8AA
Glasgow’s original of two Café Andaluz restaurants is notable for its unique West End location – nestled down rustic wooden steps below Cresswell Lane’s quaint cobbles. Inside, it’s all Moorish blue, white terracotta tiles, stained-glass lanterns…
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…
Maxies Bistro and Wine Bar
5b Johnston Terrace,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2PW
An up-to-date review of Maxies will appear here shortly …
O Sole Mio
34–36 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 1HG
O Sole Mio has been serving customers for 47 years, and since changing hands more than a year ago the restaurant still promises to not disappoint. The menu is very varied, the staff are exceptionally pleasant, and the venue’s new look is sleek yet cosy.
Samphire Seafood Bar and Grill at Orocco Pier
17 High Street,
South Queensferry,
City of Edinburgh,
EH30 9PP
As the go-to destination for a drink in South Queensferry, Orocco Pier’s stunning views of the Forth Rail and Road Bridge ensure it’s a popular haunt with the many locals and visitors seeking a stylish place to hang out. While the Antico bar at Orocco…
Café Gandolfi
64 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NY
If one restaurant can take credit for Stornoway black pudding becoming ubiquitous on the menus of contemporary Scotland this is the one. Back when the dish was deemed little more than offal Gandolfi was serving it on drop scones with mushrooms, inspired…
The Dhabba
44 Candleriggs,
Glasgow,
G1 1LE
From huge prints illustrating Indian life, to the scents drifting from the kitchen, the Dhabba experience begins the moment you walk into the spacious, relaxed setting. The modern North Indian specialist has enjoyed a decade of success in the heart of…
The Corinthian Club
191 Ingram Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1DA
The brasserie and bar area in the Corinthian must be one of the most beautiful rooms in Scotland. If you want to impress then this dramatic central hall of the former High Court is certainly the place to come. The food can’t really compete with such…
Dakhin
89 Candleriggs,
Glasgow,
G1 1NP
The Dakhin offers something different from the array of Indians in and around Merchant City. It’s a Southern Indian speciality restaurant – not a pakora, korma or rogan josh in sight. The fragrant, aromatic scents of coconut and curry leaves waft…
Negociants
45–47 Lothian Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1HB
Negociants celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year as one of the most popular bars among Edinburgh’s student population. Year-round the place bustles, particularly at weekends, while the Edinburgh Festival brings a tourist clientele attracted by…
Itchycoo Bar & Kitchen
80 High Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1TH
Sleek and glossy, the tables in the Radisson Blu’s Itchycoo are wisely clustered round a small central bar area, helping a buzzy atmosphere to form even with relatively few diners. The lounge menu is available all day, and is exactly what you’d expect…
The Sisters Jordanhill
1a Ashwood Gardens, 512 Crow Road,
Glasgow,
G13 1NU
The more bohemian of the two Sisters restaurants is fitted out in rich green and tartan with twinkling lights. The menu is almost identical to its arguably more stylish branch in Kelvingrove, though the atmosphere feels more personal and homey at this…
Baby Grand
3–7 Elmbank Gardens,
Glasgow,
G2 4NQ
With its proximity to Charing Cross Station, the Premier Inn and the motorway, the long-established Baby Grand is handily placed to cater for commuters, visitors and business folk, particularly during the day. At night the area is quieter but a…
The Restaurant Bar & Grill
Princes Square, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3JX
It may not be the most distinctive, and it has a corporate whiff about it, but this restaurant blends wood, leather and glass to create a smart, contemporary yet comfortable diner – well suited to business lunches, shopping bites, office nights out or a…
Rick’s
55a Frederick Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 1LH
A stalwart of Edinburgh’s style bar scene for over a decade, Rick’s is gently re-inventing itself with accessible, casual dining at its heart. The space works well, divided by banquettes and wood panels into lots of cosy nooks and crannies, all…
Sygn
15 Charlotte Lane,
Edinburgh,
EH2 4QZ
Sygn’s geometric print wallpaper, grey fabrics and beech tables create a retro-chic vibe that’s simple yet elegant, proving to George Street’s style bars that you don’t need to be ostentatious to be cool. And if you can resist the temptation to go home…
Bo'Vine Meats and Wines
385 Byres Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8AU
As the name would suggest (Bovine is derived from the Latin for ox) this restaurant, part of the Hilton Grosvenor, is all about the meat. This ranges from Perthshire venison, Ayrshire pork or grass-fed Aberdeen Angus steak, the latter charred on…
The Bridge Inn
27 Baird Road,
Ratho,
West Lothian,
EH28 8RA
Those familiar with the Bridge Inn at Ratho before its recent renovation, will remember a decent watering hole located partway up the Union Canal. But since its facelift in 2010-11 it’s become even more worth a visit. Not only has the inside undergone a…
Canasta Bistro
1102 Cathcart Road, Mount Florida,
Glasgow,
G42 9EG
Within a pizza throw of Hampden stadium, Canasta has become a celebrated restaurant in Glasgow's Mount Florida – an area not known for great dining options. It's cosy inside, with chequered tablecloths and scatter cushions contributing to an informal…
Montpeliers Bar and Brasserie
159–161 Bruntsfield Place,
Edinburgh,
EH10 4DG
A favourite of Bruntsfield’s young professional set for two decades, the apparently recession-proof Montpeliers sowed the seed for a successful and diverse group of bars and restaurants including George Street glam joints Tigerlily and Rick’s. Here…
