Restaurants, Round the world and Outdoor dining
- Hanam's
This is the home of truly authentic Kurdish & Middle Eastern Cuisine, set right in the heart of Edinburgh - Athena Greek Taverna
The simple Greek recipe for a great night out - Stravaigin
Stravaigin cooks fresh local produce to international styles & recipies in a laid back informal setting. - Khublai Khan Mongolian Barbecue Glasgow
Come & Eat a Safari Park
Pivo Pivo
15 Waterloo Street,
Glasgow,
G2 6AY
Pivo Pivo was one of Glasgow's first pubs to serve an extensive range of world beers - from Argentinian Quilmes to Kirin from Japan - and still largely trades on punters' tourism. Located right beside Central Station, its small bar area lies at the foot…
Ketchup
44 Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ
Cynics may muse that Ketchup is Stefan King’s attempt to ‘start them early’ into the G1 mind-set, as the burgers and milkshakes ethos is clearly aimed at both students and children alike. Whatever ethos lies behind it, it is clearly working, as the…
Hanam's
3 Johnston Terrace,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2PW
Hanam’s is rightly revered for its Kurdish cooking. The restaurant is spread over two floors of a characterful period building, including a terrace that’s – unsurprisingly – in demand on summer days and a separate dining room that's ideal for private…
Joseph Pearce’s
23 Elm Row,
Edinburgh,
EH7 4AA
Pearce's huge popularity is testament to the warm and genuine welcome it extends to a diverse clientele. During the day a raised area to the back is a family-friendly haven, stocked with all the toys, highchairs and feeding paraphernalia that junior…
Beirut
24 Nicolson Square,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9BX
In the mini Middle Eastern pocket growing around Edinburgh's Mosque, which began with Kebab Mahal and Jordan Valley and continues with the newly added Mosque Kitchen and Nawroz, Beirut adds Lebanese food to the mix. Owner Ahmed Saadi opened in 2010, and…
Frankfurter Eck
62 Elm Row,
Edinburgh,
EH7 4AQ
German food can suffer from people's unfair preconceptions. Seek out Edinburgh’s first German restaurant, Frankfurter Eck to have these prejudices overturned. Behind a blink-and-you’ll miss it frontage on an unlikely block is a basic interior with…
Cottier's
93–95 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5PX
Stencils on the walls, fairy lights and candles add plenty of character and atmosphere to proceedings in this converted church. Service is genuinely warm and helpful while suitably informal given the relaxed surroundings. The carpaccio of Inverurie beef…
Bibi's Cantina
599 Dumbarton Road,
Glasgow,
G11 6HY
It’s often said that if you venture off the beaten track you’ll find treasures. This is true of Bibi’s – a cosy candlelit bistro offering fresh authentic Mexican-inspired cuisine at the west end of Dumbarton Road, but just a stroll from Partick Station.
Boteco do Brasil
62 Trongate,
Glasgow,
G1 5EP
Inside this lively bohemian hangout the carnival atmosphere hits you. Brazilian flags and bold cultural murals set the scene while large screens ensure you don’t miss any footie action while supping a Brahma beer or caipirinha – Brazil’s national…
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…
Café Truva
251–253 Canongate,
Edinburgh,
EH8 8BQ
You can now pop in for the same Café Truva Mediterranean menu at three branches across Edinburgh. Leith, Lady Lawson Street and Canongate are all serving Turkish plates, a wide range of cakes and your usual café panini list against a varyingly elaborate…
Efes
42 Leven Street, Tollcross,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9LJ
This kebab shop is such a Tollcross institution it seems as if it has been around since the beginning of time. The staff are always polite and helpful, although this doesn't matter in the slightest to the shop's many loyal customers, who come for the…
Circus
8 St Mary's Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1SU
The stone-walled courtyard in the back of this Old Town café/ restaurant is a mini sun-trap in the summer, and a good spot for enjoying some calm while the High Street might be getting unpleasantly hectic with crowds. Circus is run by the same folks who…
Nur
22 Bridge Street,
Glasgow,
G5 9HR
Run by a Scots-Egyptian couple, Nur is an oasis of warmth, friendliness and good food. A cosy mezzanine is furnished with low tables, divans and plenty of cushions, while the downstairs dining space is dotted with shisha pipes, papyrus and pottery. As…
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…
Driftwood
2–4 St Georges Road,
Glasgow,
G3 6UJ
Driftwood has been a fixture of Charing Cross for a few years now, offering cheap and cheerful food to hungry students and weary shoppers. The dining area is decked out in the 'traditional' Mexican terracotta and yellow, though it's actually barely…
International Starters
82 Commercial Quay,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6LX
Scottish? American? Asian? Mediterranean? If you can’t decide what to eat, then International Starters could be the solution. The idea is to pick ‘starters’ from anywhere on a sprawling global menu covering many bases, ideal for trying different dishes…
Kember & Jones Fine Food Emporium
134 Byres Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8TD
Situated in the heart of foodie West End on Byres Road, Kember & Jones is an upmarket café-deli with a good line in kitchenware and books too, with an interior that manages that elusive blend of elegant and cosy. The menu mixes the contemporary with…
The Left Bank
33–35 Gibson Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8NU
Within its warren of nooks and crannies, the Left Bank offers a kaleidoscopic take on casual dining. Aimed squarely at the broadsheet-reading classes of this undergraduate-heavy area, and housed within a refurbished, multi-levelled bank building, it…
192 Pitt Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4DY
Alla Turca mixes Scottish and Turkish fare well. The seafood salad of calamari and swordfish is the perfect size to whet your appetite, and is one of many interesting starters. These include carpaccio made with Scottish beef, olive oil and watercress…
The Bay Tree Café
403 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G4 9HY
Around since 1960, the Bay Tree Café has a relaxed air to it, the walls and shelves decorated with various Arabian/Mediterranean knick-knacks. If the décor evokes one region though, then the menu is far broader ranging. The breakfast menu is available…
Falko (Konditormeister)
185 Bruntsfield Place,
Edinburgh,
EH10 4DG
A firm fixture on Edinburgh’s foodie scene Falko continues to deliver goods be it rye breads, pastries or some of the finest, traditional cakes outside of central Europe. Produced to strict standards, no raising agents are used in the cakes, only beaten…
Word of Mouth
3a Albert Street,
Edinburgh,
EH7 5HL
It’s only five years old, but already Word of Mouth is one of Edinburgh’s definitive neighbourhood cafés, a recommended stop not just for the food but for the range of activities they manage to cram into the small dining space. An open mic poetry and…
Bigos
277 Leith Walk,
Edinburgh,
EH6 8PD
There is a home-spun image created by the rough hewn wooden word 'Bigos' nailed on to the front of this tiny restaurant. And despite the dangerous looking agricultural implements and animal skins hanging on the walls, Bigos does without doubt have a…
The Khukuri Nepalese Restaurant
8 West Maitland Street,
Edinburgh,
EH12 5DS
It would be easy to walk past The Khukuri on a daily basis and not notice it's there. Which is a shame, because this Nepalese restaurant has much to offer. From outside, there's no sign of the seating within, but once you enter, a warm welcome is…





