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, Late dining and Pre-theatre menu
- Athena Greek Taverna
The simple Greek recipe for a great night out - Cafe India
Glasgow's favourite - a new jewel in the Merchant City - Chang Thai
Chang is an authentic Thai restaurant in Edinburgh's Old Town - Bo'Vine Meats and Wines
A delightful restaurant serving fine food and wine
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.
The Apartment Bistro
7–13 Barclay Place,
Edinburgh,
EH10 4HW
The Apartment has been going strong since 1999, and its 2010 refurb seems to have rebooted things nicely. Here, ‘modern bistro’ means seasonality and an evolving menu, as evidenced by a neat little daily set menu, plus specials. A starter of pork…
Tinto Tapas Bar
138 Battlefield Road,
Glasgow,
G42 9JT
This Southside neighbourhood treasure feels exactly like a rustic and cosy local tapas bar should. Dark wooden tables sit against a backdrop of regional Spanish wines, beers, liqueurs and knick-knacks, while a leg of Iberico ham lies ready to be carved.
Steak
12 Picardy Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3JT
Steak is one of a new wave of Edinburgh steakhouses influenced by the likes of London’s much-lauded Hawksmoor. It’s aiming for hi-octane glamour that would be more at home in the Meatpacking district in New York City, but Edinburgh could do with a dose…
Chang Thai Restaurant
29 Cockburn Street, 1 Craig's Close,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1BN
Down the wynd of stairs between Cockburn and Market streets is Chang Thai, a vibrant establishment serving delectable dishes. The subterranean setting is enlivened by a canopy of fake ivy on the ceiling, copper-coloured walls and smiling golden buddhas.
The Grill Room at the Square
29 Royal Exchange Square,
Glasgow,
G1 3AJ
Part of private members club ‘29’ this restaurant thinks of itself as a place to see and be seen. Slick black interior dotted with white linen table cloths, chandeliers and sparkling glassware give a city chic look to the long rectangular space. If you…
Indian Lounge
129a Rose Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 3DT
The family-run Indian Lounge is central enough for most of the city to grab a curry on their way home, and there’s a lot to recommend that you do. Prices are considerably more reasonable than you might expect from the central – or any – location, staff…
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…
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…
Stravaigin
28–30 Gibson Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8NX
As this place pops up in most Glasgow guides, many a nationality can be found rubbing shoulders with die-hard regulars enjoying interesting Scottish produce given an international twist. Stravaigin’s well-known branding is ‘think local, eat global’. The…
Dragon-i
311–313 Hope Street,
Glasgow,
G2 3PT
Both the sharp, minimalist surroundings and quasi-Asian menu serve to underline Dragon-i is anything but a traditional Chinese restaurant. There is an undoubted Scottish element running through the menu, with Stornoway black pudding accompanying crispy…
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…
Petit Paris
38–40 Grassmarket,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2JU
Cheek by jowl in the middle of the traffic-eased Grassmarket, Petit Paris uses all available spaces to fit check-clothed tables into its lively, friendly venue. More enthusiastically French than many of its competitors, a genuine welcome greets each…
Stereo
20-28 Renfield Lane,
Glasgow,
G2 5AR
Although it’s hard to catch the full vista from the narrow lane, Stereo is housed in a superb Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed building, all exterior white tiles and square windows with double doors opening into a leisurely eating and drinking space…
Assam’s
57 West Regent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2AE
Assam’s has quickly affirmed itself as a City Centre mainstay, having only been in its current premises two years. The restaurant is grand and elegant, with split level dining and huge luxurious circular booths – it certainly has the air of fine dining…
Tower Restaurant
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1JF
For the best view in the Southside, try the roof terrace of the Tower, looking over to the Castle. Inside, the National Museum’s restaurant has dark, glossy tables and a modern take on food. Like the crisp fish finger which really tastes of crab.
Ashoka Ashton Lane
19 Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ
You’d be forgiven for thinking you had stepped back in time upon entering the charming Ashton Lane branch of the popular Ashoka chain. Things haven’t changed much since they first opened their doors 20 years ago – but that’s exactly the point, they…
B'est
16 Drummond Street,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9TX
The open, simple, spacious rooms at B’est are a fitting setting for this relaxed bistro that has become a favourite with students and summer festival goers. A cannily priced three course set menu for under £15 is a very welcome dinner option during…
Le Bistro Beaumartin
161 Hope Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2UQ
Stylish and elegant at the front yet homely at the back, this newcomer on the scene is like a kitsch Frenchman’s front room: all black and white photographs on the walls, rich thick wallpaper and retro bistro chairs. Co-owner Richard Dupupet ran his own…
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…
Masala Twist
192–194 Byres Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8SN
A relative newcomer to Glasgow’s curry scene, Masala Twist certainly manages to hold its own, pulling some surprising punches. The staff instantly make you feel welcome, in a genuine, honest, and natural manner. Split over two small floors, the…
Mezbaan South Indian Restaurant
14/14a Brougham Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9JH
It’s rare in Edinburgh to find Indian restaurants with regional specificity, so Mezbaan is welcome in introducing flavours from the country’s south, especially since it has one of Britain’s best South Asian chefs at the helm. Coconut is a prominent…
The Ship on the Shore
24–26 The Shore,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QN
A popular fixture on the Leith scene for nearly a quarter of a century, the Ship on the Shore can genuinely be said to offer something for everyone – as long as you’re not averse to fresh, beautifully prepared fish and seafood. Opening its doors with…
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…
