Restaurants, Italian and Outdoor dining
- Centotre
Centotre serves food made from locally sourced ingredients in a great location - Gambrino
Easily the best Italian in the West End - Amore
Experience the true taste of Italy in the heart of the Merchant City - La Lanterna
Real Italian home-made dishes in a homely dining experience like that of a real Italian family
La Favorita
325–331 Leith Walk,
Edinburgh,
EH6 8SA
The hectic craft of kneading and folding pizza dough is the first thing you see on entering this busy Leith Walk eatery. Walk past the front counter, through the lively, three-pronged dining area, and you'll notice most diners are working their way…
Divino Enoteca
5 Merchant Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2QD
Divino is the charming, seductive brother to fun-loving sister restaurant Vittoria upstairs. Pretty well hidden under George IV Bridge, this wine bar and restaurant combines candle-lit romance with cutting-edge wine gadgetry. In its strictest sense, an…
30 Grassmarket,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2JU
This Grassmarket stalwart seems to exert a gravitational pull on small to medium sized groups of both locals and tourists looking for an impromptu food stop. Starters like sweet potato fries and macho nachos are decent enough, but their function is to…
Cruz Bar and Restaurant
14 The Shore,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QN
A First World War minesweeper boat anchored right at the heart of Leith’s bustling Shore district, Cruz has to be among the most distinctive drinking venues in Edinburgh. A popular watering hole with the area’s young party crowd, Cruz serves up an…
Jolly Ristorante & Pizzeria
9 Elm Row, Leith Walk,
Edinburgh,
EH7 4AA
A bright red sign pronouncing the restaurant's whereabouts cheerfully stands out amid Elm Row's other established businesses, beckoning in passers-by from the bustle of the town centre. The interior is dark and slightly worn by contrast, but incoming…
Centotre
103 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 3ES
Centotre manages to pull off a neat trick. Despite the austere, ex-bank interior, from those lost days when financial edifices were akin to cathedrals, it still manages to maintain a feeling of warmth and intimacy in the evenings or bright and breezy…
Amarone
13 St Andrew Square,
Edinburgh,
EH2 2BH
This vast contemporary Italian themed restaurant complete with pastoral photographs, high domed roof and colourfully lit ceiling art opened in the summer of 2011 and is already bustling. From the restaurant family that includes DiMaggio’s and Café…
Arcaffe
7 North Claremont Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7NR
Tucked into a side street joining nearby offices to Kelvingrove Park, Arcaffe is an unassuming and friendly little Italian bistro, with tables on the pavement outside and large windows for catching the midday sun. Bustling with a mix of young families…
The Partners Italian Bistro
1051 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 0XP
This classy looking bistro tucked away near Anniesland offers an upmarket experience within a highly stylised, spacious interior. A lovely buttery, rich crab fettucine is a great opener, but though the dolcelatte soufflé is in itself satisfying, the…
113 Brunswick Street, Leith Walk,
Edinburgh,
EH7 5HR
The latest addition to the Vittoria family comes in the shape of a stylish and atmospheric basement wine bar, Divino Enoteca, in the belly of their George IV bridge outlet. Divino is proof positive that the Vittoria formula is a winning one, and the…
Giuliano's
18–19 Union Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3NQ
Situated directly across the road from the Playhouse Theatre, Giuliano’s has achieved Edinburgh institution status due to its popularity with theatre-goers, tourists and large parties – including hen and stag dos. Its cavernous interior is resplendent…
Jamie's Italian
Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 2LR
Edinburgh Council faced criticism for introducing commercial tenants after spending £9 million refurbishing the Assembly Rooms, but no-one could dispute this A-listed edifice was criminally under-used. And given that Edinburgh’s relationship with…
University Café
87 Byres Road,
Glasgow,
G11 5HN
Established in 1918, the University Café is a Byres Road institution, serving fish suppers, fry-ups and homemade lasagne for nearly a century. Inside, the décor is practically unchanged since opening, original wood panelled walls, narrow formica tables…
Prezzo
25 Pier Place,
Edinburgh,
EH6 4LP
Prezzo in Edinburgh's Newhaven Harbour is one of two sojourns north of the border for an ambitious London-based chain that aims to offer value-for-money Italian food in stylish contemporary surrounds. An aim which has, to some extent, been accomplished…
Amarone
2 Nelson Mandela Place,
Glasgow,
G2 1BT
Enter the plate-glass doors and down the elegant stairway into this basement venue, and it is clear that Amarone is at the classier end of the Di Maggio's chain. There's the slick modern décor, warm chocolate and neutral colours, and mix of open tables…
Battlefield Rest
55 Battlefield Road,
Glasgow,
G42 9JL
Prepare for your senses to go into overdrive when you visit this gem of a restaurant. It's brimming with tables, diners and waiters, and if you could bottle the atmosphere then you’d surely be able to sell it, if only to the people who fill this place…
Dino Ferrari
35–41 Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3AT
Dino Ferrari is the new look for a much-loved favourite on the Glasgow Italian scene (it was formerly plain old Dino's, but the owners sold the Hope Street branch in 2011 and tweaked the name). The avuncular welcome and charmingly retro décor – both in…
11 Multrees Walk,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3DQ
Valvona & Crolla’s Vincaffe is only a short distance but several years away from the densely packed cornucopia of the family-run business’s original branch on Elm Row. With a bright, contemporary décor, evenly spaced, white dressed tables and a bank…
Amore
30 Ingram Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1QA
At the quiet end of Ingram Street, Amore sits mezzanine height above pavement level which, along with the smart furnishings, lots of sparkling glass and stone-bake oven, provides a pleasant sense of occasion. It's a warm and welcoming enough space, but…
Café Marina
61 Cockburn Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1BS
Forget Ikea: this is where you’ll find the best meatballs in town. They're more of a hearty sausage shape than a ball here: get them cut up in pasta or squeezed into a ciabatta for a chin-dripping panini – but whatever you do, get them. With just a…
Gizzi's
87 Cambridge Street,
Glasgow,
G3 6RU
Previously known as Bistro du Sud but renovated and renamed Gizzi's in 2007, this bistro has a small, unassuming exterior and, inside, may be mistaken for a café with limited seating. There is more space upstairs, and the place would no doubt be full…
Gordon's Trattoria
231 High Street, Royal Mile,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1PE
Gordon Scott is keen to promote his restaurant as a family venue. And there is no risk that he will fall foul of the trade descriptions act, with brother Gary imparting his profound industry knowledge, daughters Daniela and Vanessa now involved in the…
135 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 4JH
The bars and restaurant’s of Edinburgh’s George Street are a magnet for youthful business people, footballers (and their wives), and the wealthier section of the city’s student population. A pretty girl in a mini skirt meets diners at Gusto’s door and…
The Italian Caffè
92 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NY
The food here more than matches the elegant surroundings dispelling any initial fears over Merchant City style over substance. Serving a tapas-style menu invigorates a scene overladen with the usual pizza and pasta suspects, and the ability to sample a…
Positano
85–87 Newington Road,
Edinburgh,
EH9 1QW
If you are eager to experience some proper Italian hospitality, this is the place to come. The charming service, combined with the cheerful exuberance of the proprietor Guiseppe Votta (who also owns Il Castello on Castle Terrace), gives this relatively…




