Restaurants, Bistros & brasseries, Hitlisted, Outdoor dining

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.

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…

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.

What’s on offer in this upmarket eatery is far removed from the rustic style of cooking you’ll find in any roadside café after which it is named. The chefs have previously cooked for India’s rich and famous bringing with them a majestic, refined…

No place captures the energy of the Finnieston renaissance better than Crabshakk, a few years old but still packed to the rafters most evenings. At the bar and on the mezzanine, diners sit beside, opposite – practically on top of each other. Brushed…

It's a simple concept – a café style venue, a kitchen for all to see and a head chef not bound by a printed menu. Since its opening Cookie has succeeded in being a bit different. It is home of Chef Wars, where once a month chefs from around the city…

Laid-back, kitsch and a real hipster heaven, The Drake seems to appeal to a subtly upmarket yet down to earth throng of 30-something professionals. The main attraction is the bar: with its big sofas and bookshelves, it’s as relaxed as a lounge, with a…

A crowd-pleasing menu, friendly service and genuine interest in using local Newhaven and Leith-based suppliers create a sense of community around this cheery café-bistro. The simple décor complements the elegant, airy proportions of the former bank…

This lively Italian family-run bar/bistro takes its name from the street running through the heart of New York’s Little Italy. It’s not themed, but subtle shots of Manhattan break up otherwise minimalist décor. The venue is split, one half casual bar…

The quiet assuredness and sensible prices of Seumas MacInnes’s fish venture mean it does more than just bask in the nearby glory of its much older brother, Café Gandolfi. Scotland’s waters provide the produce but it’s the continental ‘fritto misto’ that…

This quirky Victorian-styled West End venue is decked out with vintage tables and chairs, making a visit feel a bit like going round to friend’s for dinner – when your friend is a skilled chef who can knock out blissful burgers. Staff complete the…

A neighbourhood restaurant thrives on local custom but pulling in extra punters from further afield is the best way to stay in business over the long term so it’s good to see Aisla and Rupert Staniforth making the most of Wee Lochan’s growing reputation…

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…

There’s always a lively buzz around this ground-level section of the popular restaurant where staff move with a studied air of relaxed professionalism amid babbling West Enders. Although it’s lighter in spirit and intentionally less formal than the room…