Restaurants, Cafés

Mint Café and Flowers presents an oasis of colour in the financial glass and sandstone courtyard of Exchange Place, Semple Street. Inside it feels like a contemporary design studio, bright with Scottish artists’ wares, wildlife paintings, ultra-modern…

Housed in the CCA, this spacious café-bar attracts a predictably bohemian clientele in evenings, with workers and young families hanging out during the day, especially on Saturdays. Despite the cavernous space and clean, modern lines, there’s a sense of…

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…

A relative newcomer, Martha’s already has plenty of dedicated diners and with good reason. This buzzing city centre outlet provides great value fast food with a twist –- healthy, ethical and made on site from local and seasonal quality produce. The…

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…

Co-owned by celebrity foodie Nell Nelson, this cafe-cum-gift shop is tucked away just out of reach of Stockbridge’s main drag. As you’d expect from The Woman Who Ate Scotland, quality and locality are key when it comes to the sourcing. Cheddar from…

With its no-nonsense décor and various-shades-of-beige colour scheme, Laurie's may at first sight seem a functional place for busy office workers to grab a routine filled roll. Closer inspection reveals its creative side, however: the sandwiches…

Tinderbox’s original Byres Road coffeshop café opened in 1998 but the interior still feels contemporary and enticing. No food is prepared on the premises though, with savoury options being either pre-prepared sandwiches or salad/noodle bowls. It’s an…

This café doesn't wear its USA theme lightly, with a yellow taxi and NYPD cruiser usually sat outside for diners on the al fresco tables to admire plus Americana draped around the tight space inside. It's all about the breakfasts and brunches here…

Entering the stately Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Two by its Georgian façade ensures a real sense of occasion. In contrast to its fellow venue across the way, Café Modern Two provides friendly, unruffled table service for its varied…

Perhaps hoping that diners will be distracted by its association with the boy wizard and his chums, the erstwhile haunt of JK Rowling appears to lavish more attention on its Potter-themed loos than it does on its food. While, admittedly, it has recently…

Set in the Braid Hills in South Edinburgh, the Hermitage Café is part of a social enterprise run by Autism Ventures Scotland which includes a 12-hole golf course specifically designed for young people, a dance studio, therapy room and horticulture…

Bang in the middle of studentville, Kilimanjaro has a laid-back vibe, conducive to whiling away an afternoon reading and nattering or making a start on that essay. The chunky tables, worn wooden chairs and leather sofas are comfy and inviting and the…

A small-scale Glasgow outpost of the same iconic Scots-Italian chippy/ice-cream parlour of Largs seafront fame, Nardini’s popped-up on Byres Road in March 2012, styled in much the same Art Deco fashion as the mother restaurant but focusing predominately…

Any Edinburgher knows the weather down Portobello beach can be changeable, but it’s always summer in this charming, family-run beachfront café which blends the simplicity of an old-fashioned seaside greasy spoon with a strong emphasis on quality and…

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…

This stylish off-shoot of the Byres Road tea room makes great play of its ethical and waste-reduction efforts, aiming to combine elegant snacking and drinking with a clearer conscience. Set in a lovely Victorian building, they've kept the décor…

On entering Delizique you’re greeted by the unmistakable scent of baking bread: produced in-house, it’s just part of the picture of carefully sourced, home-cooked products that make up the menu. Roast brisket, marmalade-glazed ham, even hot-smoked…

Complete with a continental bicycle above bread-laden shelves, Falko Konditormeister is a slice of lazy-afternoon coffee-drinking heaven. This corner of Germany in Bruntsfield is already a well-known hangout for cake connoisseurs and has numerous awards…

Le Marché Français markets its wares from a handsome Victorian shop frontage close to Haymarket station. This combined deli, cafe and restaurant promises a taste of French food throughout the day, in a laidback, rustic style that deliberately contrasts…