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, Late dining and Outdoor dining
Monteiths
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.
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…
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…
Hotel du Vin
11 Bristo Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1EZ
Fact: eating out is way nicer than eating in. Or at least it is when the people who bring your food and pour your drinks are really, really lovely. This is well understood in Hotel du Vin, where the service is full of personality and pretty much…
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…
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…
Stravaigin 2
8 Ruthven Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 9BG
The younger Stravaigin, located near Byers Road, is an invitingly intimate space if lacking something of the character and quirkiness of the original. The food, however, is all you expect: imaginative combinations from around the globe impressively…
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…
Maxies Bistro and Wine Bar
5b Johnston Terrace,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2PW
An up-to-date review of Maxies will appear here shortly …
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
Ocean Kitchen Bar & Grill
Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6JJ
A shopping mall wouldn’t be everyone’s choice of an ideal dining experience, and slap bang in the middle of the main food court, Ocean Kitchen Bar & Grill isn’t the most atmospheric dining experience. However, if you’re lucky enough to get a seat by…
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…
The Brasserie at the Chip
12 Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ
Upon entering, this Glasgow institution exudes informality, yet there's an air that everything about the food and drink here is taken very seriously. The brasserie, a mezzanine that hangs above the main restaurant, has a lovely airy feel, matched by the…
The Living Room
113–115 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 4JN
The large dining room, filled with business people and tourists easing into the cream leather booths, oozes laid-back sophistication. It is all surface shine, with smart, attentive staff and vases of orchids, but the substance, the food, doesn’t quite…
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…
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…
