Restaurants, Outdoor dining, Student friendly

45 places

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19–20 Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH1 2QZ

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.

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…

WEST Brewery

Building 4 Templeton Building, Glasgow Green, Glasgow, G40 1AW

New breweries are springing-up across Scotland amid the craft beer revolution, but the country’s only German-style microbrewery sits apart from that trend, by drawing its inspiration from centuries-old Bavarian traditions. WEST can be found in most good…

The Basement Bar and Restaurant

10–12a Broughton Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3RH

Given its neon signage and the staff’s long-standing penchant for Hawaiian shirts, the Basement has never been a byword for subtlety and sophistication, but instead is a slightly ironic slice of Miami teleported into a Scottish cellar. It’s clearly a…

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The Rio Café

27 Hyndland Street, Glasgow, G11 5QF

Brightening up Partick for several years now with its 1950s American diner-style décor and assorted retro touches such as big tubs of sweets behind the bar, Rio Café offers a little something for everyone. Serving food from breakfast through dinner…

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…

The Street

2 Picardy Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3JT

Floor-to-ceiling windows lend the top deck of this popular nightspot a slightly aquarium feel, while those wishing to lurk with the monkfish have plenty of options in the labyrinthine space downstairs, which can be hired out for private parties and has…

The Brass Monkey

14 Drummond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9TU

There are plenty of things a pub will put on to help attract the punters: quiz nights, TV sport, DJs, knitting circles. Only the Brass Monkey, tucked along Drummond Street, does films. Which gives it a bit of a cult following, particularly among…

Bar Soba

11 Mitchell Lane, Glasgow, G1 3NU

The stylish City Centre branch of Bar Soba attracts a cosmopolitan mix of shoppers sipping wine, pre-clubbers enjoying unusual cocktails and diners looking for contemporary Asian food. All rub shoulders with ease as the bar area, with subdued lighting…

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Moskito

200 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4HG

Situated on a corner of Bath St, Moskito has watched neighbours come and go for 13 years while managing to retain its customer base of twenty-somethings. Subtle changes have taken place over the years – expanding in size, while obtaining a late licence…

The 78

10–14 Kelvinhaugh Street, Glasgow, G3 8NU

Chintzy armchairs, soft blue velvet chesterfields and rustic wooden dining tables give The 78 a homey, inclusive air that spans all generations, no mean feat given the area in which it sits. Dogs, families, and solitary drinkers reading the paper are as…

The City Café

19 Blair Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QR

Having adopted the theme of a classic American diner, the City Cafe, with its chequered floor, cosy booths and old-fashioned jukebox, makes a definite nod to 1950s USA. With a menu packed with burgers and fries, pancakes and milkshakes, the City Cafe’s…

The Grosvenor Café

The Grosvenor Theatre, Ashton Lane, Glasgow, G12 8SJ

Set in a stylish venue with a touch of grandeur, the Grosvenor Café is a fixture for socializing along the ever-popular run of bars down Ashton lane. Originally part of the classic cinema still running downstairs, there’s a suitably luxurious feeling in…

Mono

12 Kings Court, King Street, Glasgow, G1 5RB

Microbrewery appreciation starts early at Mono, where vast silver vats line one wall, piping homemade lemonades directly to the bar for a refreshing alternative to the usual drinks, which are of course also available. Young parents bring their kids to…

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Barça Tapas and Cava Bar

Princes Square, 48 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 3JN

Tapas eating can fit into a shopping expedition like few other culinary styles – it’s restorative, flexible and convivial, and rarely too heavy or time-consuming. So Barça’s location in Princes Square makes a lot of sense, and after eight years it ranks…

Gordon's Trattoria

231 High Street, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1PE

The Granary

32–34 The Shore, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6QN

Maggie May's

60 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5EP

Located in the heart of the Trongate, Maggie May’s is known predominantly as a lively music spot and bar. The restaurant at the back of the venue offers ‘a wide variety of dishes with a twist of Scottish influence’, and is a good option if you are after…

The Bank Café Bar

443 Clarkston Road, Glasgow, G44 3LL

The Maclay Inns group, five of whose premises are featured in this section, tend to choose interesting buildings for their ventures that add a nice bit of character. In the case of The Bank it is, indeed, a former bank, now popular residential café/bar…

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Cottier's

93–95 Hyndland Street, Glasgow, G11 5PU

Despite being festooned with an abundance of fairy lights and flickering candles and boasting a burnished golden ceiling, the dining room of this converted church has an intimate, relaxed feel. Chef Jonathon Macfarlane (formerly Ubiquitous Chip) is a…

Malone's Irish Bar

14 Forrest Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2QN

Irishness radiates from every Guinness memorabilia festooned nook and cranny of Malone’s, from the quotations and portraits of sporting and literary heroes that line the walls, to the green telephone box nestled in its upstairs area. Set in the…

Mamma's American Pizza Company

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…

The Orchard

1/2 Howard Place, Canonmills, Edinburgh, EH3 5JZ

The Orchard is a popular stopping point for passers-by heading to and from the Botanic Gardens and tempted by a refreshment in the wood panelled bar or possibly at the outdoor tables if weather permits. It also has a loyal band of regulars and is a…

Tonic

34a North Castle Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3BN

With its sleek lines, darkened underground vibe and loud, clubby soundtrack in competition with the hubbub of well-oiled conversation, Tonic is very much cut from the same cloth as the style bars of George Street and its surrounding area. Where this…