Restaurants, Fish & seafood

The gem in South Queensferry’s culinary crown, The Boat House has great views, relaxed surrounds and a confident, creative pair of hands in the kitchen. Split into two main areas, with a cocktail bar thrown in for good measure, the bistro and restaurant…

Sited in an old pumping station, this harbourside seafood restaurant run by fishmongers, with a much-loved fish and chip shop (the Wee Hurrie) next door. Expect an array of fruits of the sea, unload straight from a boat on the establishments door step…

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…

Fish just tastes better when you eat it by water – a fact The Shore’s branch of Fishers has made the most of for over 20 years. This is a classic bistro: busy, buzzy, not particularly trend-led (and all the better for it). It’s hard to think of an…

Entering Rogano – one of Glasgow’s best-known restaurants – is like stepping onto a Cunard liner circa 1930. This 80-year-old institution and its Art Deco stylings are well documented but there’s nowhere else in the city remotely like it. The experience…

They were queuing round the corner when the Fish People Café first opened, such is the reputation of owner Andy Bell and the fishmongers he operates directly opposite (supplying at least two other restaurants in this guide). Don’t be put off by the…

Bonsai Bar Bistro provides a clear rebuttal to the notion that Japanese cuisine in the UK is expensive and exclusive. The small but perfectly formed restaurant is known for its welcoming atmosphere and has a wide-ranging menu that offers something for…

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…

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, stylish haunt. While the Antico bar at Orocco has long been the default destination, its adjacent sister…

You’d think Arisaig’s location around that climate-free covered-style courtyard would pull in weather-beaten punters all day long, but although evening crowds throng, the cobbled delights of Merchant Square are a tad more sedate around lunchtime which…

Opened in 1863 with the contemporary style of elegant Parisian hostelries in mind, and formerly housed in a forty-years-older building (now demolished) across the way, the Cafe Royal Circle Bar's aesthetic of murals, marble, wood panelling and long…

Popular with tourists, shoppers and business people, the ‘up the toon’ branch of Fishers aims to offer something for everyone and mostly succeeds. The menu is a game of two halves: Fishers classics focus on comfort food like fish-cakes, fish and chips…

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…

It may look like a black office block, or perhaps something to do with MI6, located at the side of the motorway at South Queensferry, but the Dakota Hotel houses a stylish bar and restaurant that is far removed from traditional interpretations of hotel…

The Loch Fyne Restaurants – a separately owned business from the operation at Cairndow in Argyll that famously began in 1988 as a roadside oyster shack – now operates 42 sites across the UK. The Edinburgh branch, the only member of the chain based in…

An up-to-date review of Maxies will appear here shortly …

The 'Philly' has been a towering presence at Kelvinbridge for longer than most locals can remember. Easy to spot by its New York cab colours of yellow, black and white it has served many a student, school kid, drinker and busy worker over the years.

For a Ship that's firmly anchored to the Shore, albeit just a clam shell's lob from the Water of Leith, this is a properly nautical experience. Admiralty charts serve as wallpaper, oars hang from the ceiling and blackboards at every turn list the…

Opened in 2007 under its current ownership, the Wee Chippy hasn’t been afraid to challenge the mantle of its more famous neighbour, the Anstruther Fish Bar. Owner Charles Scott is a trained chef with significant restaurant experience, including a stint…