Restaurants, Budget

616 places

Sorted by popularity

The Vintage

60 Henderson Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6DE

Styling itself almost innocuously as a craft beer bar and kitchen, The Vintage is surely one of the most exciting things to have happened on Edinburgh’s food and drink scene in 2013. Based in premises near the Shore (previously occupied by Café Fish)…

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…

Hemma

75 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AE

Meaning ‘home’ in Swedish, Hemma is the latest addition to Mike and Anna Christopherson’s string of Scandinavian style bars. And with its soft furnishings and quirky interiors, it does indeed have a laidback, homely atmosphere, despite the modern feel…

The White Horse

266 Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8AA

With Boswell and Johnston supposedly meeting here, The White Horse has pedigree and 250 years on it remains popular with a diverse clientele. The stone walls provide some historic character but friendly bar staff and comfy seats contribute more to the…

The Espy

62–64 Bath Street, Portobello, Edinburgh, EH15 1HF

There’s a laidback, Australian vibe to the Esplanade – the ‘Espy’ – bar and bistro on Portobello’s beachfront, with its cheery service, beer, burgers, live music and comedy, and tables overlooking, okay, not the Indian Ocean, but the Firth of Forth to…

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Mother India's Café

3–5 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LT

Something of a Glasgow stalwart, the Edinburgh branch of Mother India’s Cafe opened in 2008 and has replicated the popularity of its western sibling. Serving up Indian food in tapas-sized portions ensures the restaurant maintains a buzzing social feel…

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…

The Original Mosque Kitchen and Café

Edinburgh Central Mosque, 50 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT

Debates over its actual ‘Originality’ still rage, with the (unconnected) Mosque Kitchen over the road claiming copyright, but the Original Mosque Kitchen remains a popular spot, still resolutely lo-fi, ladling curries from school dinner drums on to…

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…

The Holyrood 9A

9a Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AE

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…

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Nonna's Kitchen

45 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4AZ

Owner Gino Stornaiuolo named his establishment in tribute to his two grandmothers, whose faces adorn the walls of a room in which space has been well exploited. However, it is the contribution of his parents that brings the restaurant to life. While…

The Standard

24 Howe Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6TG

With four large TV screens this is a popular location for watching live sports, especially rugby internationals when free pies are served during half time. The decor has a 1930s American feel with fixed red leather seats, deco-style lights and framed…

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.

Stravaigin

28–30 Gibson Street, Glasgow, G12 8NX

Stravaigin feels as fresh and inventive as when its doors first opened back in 1995. The emphasis on local, seasonal produce combined with a global approach to flavour means even the most jaded palate should find something to please. Look beyond the…

Bell's Diner

7 St Stephen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 5AN

Now in its forty-first year, Bell’s Diner has an old-school charm and a resolutely lo-fi feel about it. Its red painted walls – hung with prints of Native American scenes – and simple wooden tables and chairs have remained unchanged for years, if not…

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Two Fat Ladies

88 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow, G11 6NX

The original Two Fat Ladies balances restaurant details with less formal, bistro-esque qualities. The dark interior with its ornate golden border looks towards the former; an open plan kitchen and chatty ambience nudge things the other way – a classy…

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…

Babylon Café

Clyde Place, Glasgow, G5 8AQ

This new Persian and Middle Eastern venture sits with an Indian curry house to its left and an Egyptian restaurant to the right – which sort of makes sense in world terms. It's nothing fancy inside – clean, crisp lines and tables hugging the walls on…

Shilla

1138 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8TD

Shilla is the sole Korean restaurant in Glasgow and the sister venue to the Edinburgh venture of the same name. This small unassuming space is located in the perennially up-and-coming cool neighbourhood of Finneston. A handful of tightly packed beech…

Broadcast

427 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3LG

Closed in 2012, the Captain's Rest is much missed, as a bar and especially as a gig venue. But its effective successor Broadcast – situated much more centrally, practically eyeball-to-eyeball with nearest rival Nice 'n' Sleazy – promises to be just as…

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The King's Wark

36 The Shore, Edinburgh, EH6 6QU

With a history dating back to 1432, this is one of Leith’s most venerable buildings. Although it has only been in its present guise for a comparatively short 22 years, its stone walls, hardwood floorboards, open fire and dark wooden furniture lend it an…

Vittoria

19 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EN

See Vittoria Leith Walk review

The Grill on the Corner

21–25 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, G2 6NL

With a wall covered in 1930s mirrors, low-hung chandeliers over tables, plush wallpaper and dark leather seating, there's a feeling of metropolitan luxury here. Staff are smart – not just in dress but also in their knowledge of the fare on offer. Being…

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…

Joseph Pearce’s

23 Elm Row, Edinburgh, EH7 4AA

Hardened patriots might lament this venerable old boozer’s transformation from dingy haven to high-end Swedish ϋber-pub, but only the most misanthropic skinflint can really resent its success. Indeed, JP’s has an uncanny knack of catering to wildly…