Restaurants

Quite who is the Mosque Kitchen, who is the Original Mosque Kitchen and who is the original Original Mosque Kitchen is very much up for debate – just ask one of the staff here. However, regardless of who is more authentic, the two venues share a similar…

Sleazy’s, as the city’s hipsters so fondly call it, is a Glasgow institution as far as music/arts venues go, and among those rarities with a 3am licence all week. The interior may feel like a well-worn leather jacket, dragged through the bowels of…

From the moment you enter Number One there is little doubt that every aspect of this operation is a very classy affair. The surroundings are stylish and the welcome is warm. This is exactly what you would expect from Michelin-starred fine dining, from…

Newly extended at the end of 2012, Pho Vietnam House remains small but by no means cramped, with plenty of elbow room and a multi-coloured interior that has more than a hint of chilled-out beach hut to it. Owner Jodie Nguyen sweeps efficiently between…

A hot spot for beer drinkers, the Southern is the ideal watering hole for those looking for a decent pint. Housing a great range of beers, both bottled and on tap, many are from Scottish breweries such as Williams Bros’ Caesar Augustus, a refreshing…

Rocking the boho bedsit chic, with elegantly mismatched retro furniture, lampshades and crockery, this is one Spoon that’s unquestionably more loving than greasy. The menu’s packed with wholesome, healthy options, a decent proportion of which are…

The name 21212 derives from its unusual menu concept, offering two choices for starter, main and dessert interspersed with soup and cheese (you can choose to have three, four or five courses). However, what’s truly original is chef Paul Kitching’s style…

After a recent refurb, the focus at the Wellington Café is even more firmly on the best coffee they can coax from a bean. Panini and bacon rolls have gone; the food now consists simply of excellent daily delivered brownies, sizeable scones and tray…

Located in an old tobacco merchant’s house on the periphery of the Merchant City, Babbity Bowster is a pleasantly secluded place for a drink and some good food, particularly in the beer garden if the sun is shining on this evocative street. Babbity…

This new Persian and Middle Eastern venture sits with an Indian curry house to its left and an Egyptian restaurant to the right – which sort of makes sense in world terms. It's nothing fancy inside – clean, crisp lines and tables hugging the walls on…

You’ve got to trust the food will speak over and above any impressions a style-free, humble interior may give. And trust you do, as seating and feeding hungry customers is a priority from a diner that began as and still is a takeaway. Having grown in…

Run by chef Angelo Cimini and Gina Giubarelli, who ran Bellini restaurant in Edinburgh’s New Town until 2009, the Italian-oriented cook school aims to teach people how to prepare delicious, healthy meals. Classes are informal and hands-on, and can be…

The house beer may change, and they are experimenting with ageing their own whisky in cask, otherwise it’s business as usual at this stalwart Edinburgh pub. There is no TV or music here, and only two wines are available: one red and one white. What…

With a menu that has worked for 26 years, why change it? No reason, when you continue to pull in the crowds the way Buffalo Grill does. The Stockbridge restaurant, an offshoot of the original in the heart of Edinburgh’s student land, is cosy, warm…

The pillars holding aloft the Georgian ceiling at Centotre and clever use of booths provide nooks and crannies for romantic tete-a-tetes and broader spaces for parties and business lunches. There is a clear focus on the ingredients here: mozzarella…

Chaophraya sits proudly on the corner of Nelson Mandela Place, holding the title of Europe’s largest Thai restaurant. Climbing the small stairway outside, opulence and grandeur awaits in this A-listed building. Enjoy a cocktail on the first floor before…

An oasis in the Cessnock food desert, Cherry and Heather is a tiny deli-cafe offering gourmet sandwiches along with vegan soups, hot and cold speciality drinks and home-baking. The menu is full of interesting and tasty combinations such as beetroot…

Prepare to be swept away by one of the best looking bars in Leith – and it's got stiff competition – because Compass is designed for dramatic effect, with two rooms opened out into one high-ceilinged corner unit, with blood-red walls, a bit of foliage…