Restaurants and Student friendly
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- The Canon's Gait
Impeccable gastro pub food, Royal Mile’s best real ale, with cellar bar available for hire - Maggie Mays
Outstanding contemporary Scottish restaurant, with a bustling bar and all-year entertainment - Bell's Diner
Visit this Edinburgh institution for a warm welcome and the best burgers in town - The Tea Rooms at The Butterfly and the Pig
City centre gem serving Afternoon Tea, High Tea, cakes & delights
The Arch Inn
10–11 Westshore Street,
Ullapool,
IV26 2UR
Housed in one of Ullapool’s original white washed buildings, the Arch Inn is popular with locals as a watering hole with a busy schedule of live entertainment. There are two options for food. Downstairs, bar menu is available seven days a week between…
The Arches Café Bar & Restaurant
253 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G2 8DL
This venue seems to offer something for everyone – renowned clubbing for late-night revellers, theatre productions for the culture vultures and a small accomplished restaurant for the foodies. Located downstairs from the main entrance, a funky bar with…
Assembly
41 Lothian Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1HB
A popular student venue despite – or indeed perhaps because of – its closeness to the ubiquitous student unions. No doubt another plus is its good value food and two-for-one drinks deals. The battered leather sofas and twinkling fairy lights are…
Avoca Bar & Grill
4-6 Dean Street,
Edinburgh,
EH4 1LW
Just a few steps from the hurly burly of Stockbridge, Avoca attracts more drinkers than diners during the week but normally sees that trend reversed at weekends. A traditional wooden bar is the centrepiece, with stools, settees and a couple of window…
Baby Grand
3–7 Elmbank Gardens,
Glasgow,
G2 4NQ
Just a few short steps from Charing Cross station, the Baby Grand is by day mainly filled with office workers and commuters who do lunch and coffee in the long thin room, but by night the mood changes to a more leisurely vibe as the pianist takes over.
Bacchus
80 Glassford Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1UR
Weekends are busy at this Merchant City bar, catering for the post-work and pre-club crowd. The interior is stylish, with comfy low cushioned benches, bar stools and standard tables offering seating options to suit your night. Be careful to arrive…
The Bank Café Bar
443 Clarkston Road,
Glasgow,
G44 3LL
Part of the Maclay Inn’s chain, this former bank has been nicely refurbished with solid wood and leather furnishings and a chrome-topped bar. Crane your neck to see the detailed cornicing and dramatic domed rooflight. There’s a good selection of draft…
Bar Budda
8 Cresswell Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8AA
Although Thai-influenced food has been a characteristic of this high-concept chain for several years, more recently the West End branch has also been focusing on Scottish ingredients while still retaining a flavour of the Far East. Embedded in…
Bar Gandolfi
64 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NY
This stylish little bar upstairs from Café Gandolfi is something of a hidden gem, and the management like to keep it that way by advertising mostly by word of mouth. There simply isn’t space for more than a handful of diners and drinkers, around the…
Bar Milano
2 Mains Avenue, Eastwood Toll,
Glasgow,
G46 6QZ
From its pleasantly neutral décor and friendly service to the suburban location, Bar Milano ticks all the boxes for a comfortable neighbourhood trattoria. It’s housed in a converted bank but where such buildings often possess a cold grandeur, the…
Bar 91
91 Candleriggs,
Glasgow,
G1 1NP
From business suits to groups of students, Bar 91 is as non-pretentious a venue as you get in the Merchant City. Clearly a local for many, its red velvet curtains and dimly lit décor, as well as a smattering of disco balls and a TV fireplace, make it…
Bar Soba
11 Mitchell Lane,
Glasgow,
G1 3NU
Tucked next to the Lighthouse, the popular bar serves a wide range of South East Asian fusion food that’s proved a hit with the pre-clubbing crowd. The ground floor bar area and downstairs restaurant space share a cool functional design with booths…
Bar Ten
10 Mitchell Lane,
Glasgow,
G1 3NU
Bar Ten’s style is trendy but effortless. Fairy lights are dotted about the bar and a high ceiling makes it feel spacious. Metal benches and tiled walls give it an almost industrial feel too. Celebrating its 20th birthday in 2011, the bar remains a…
Barça Tapas and Cava Bar
Princes Square, 48 Buchanan Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3JN
Eating at Barca Tapas and Cava bar, situated in the upmarket Princes Square mall, is a classy experience. If you can, grab a table on the terrace which overlooks the light and bright shopping centre and browse the impressive menu. The calamari with…
Barioja
15-19 Jeffrey Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1DR
The older establishment of the burgeoning Edinburgh tapas bar scene, Barioja remains a popular and central destination for diners looking for quick snacks or an evening meal. Its red-hued interior is fresh and modern, and makes a centre-piece of a…
The Basement Bar and Restaurant
10–12a Broughton Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3RH
While the bustle of city life proceeds at street level, down below, and largely hidden from view, drinkers in this traditional bar sip beers from around the world, whether it’s the local Innis & Gunn or far-travelled favourites Corona and Tiger.
Bell's Diner
7 St Stephen Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 5AN
If you're looking for proper quality fast food; plump and juicy burgers that sing with sweetness and steaming piles of chips, if you’re looking for a cosy restaurant with battered wooden furniture and soft lighting that exudes warmth and friendliness…
Biblos
1 Chambers Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1HU
With a name that means ‘book’ it is hardly surprising Biblos has gone for the decadent library theme. Leather Chesterfield sofas, wingback chairs and dark wood abound, and, in case the point still hasn’t hit home, they even have small pictures of…
The Big Blue
445 Great Western Road,
Glasgow,
G12 8HH
Once again part of the Paperinos group after a flirtation with other management, this West End favourite’s chief selling point is its riverside location, the bar section opening on to the Kelvin with outdoor tables that are always packed in summer…
Big Slope
36a Kelvingrove Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7SA
It would be interesting to know how many folk come into Big Slope for a drink, but end up having something to eat. That's what makes a good bar food menu: perched on the table, teasing and appetising. Here we have pub favourites with lovely twists…
Black Bo's (Restaurant)
57–61 Blackfriars Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1NB
Black Bo’s is another restaurant which has graced the Edinburgh vegetarian scene for over 20 years. If this were to draw you to the conclusion that they must be doing something right you’d be spot on. The shabby chic bistro-style interior is…
The Blue Parrot Cantina
49 St Stephen Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 5AH
With 17 years of producing spicy delights from under its bejewelled wings the Parrot can lay claim to status as a Stockbridge institution and it’s easy to see why it has survived so long in locals' affections. The menu may not stray too far from…
Brel
39–43 Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SG
Namesake Jacques Brel would definitely recognise this informal wood-filled bar as a distinctly European approach to dining and beer. The former stables at the end of Ashton Lane has the air of a Gallic tavern with its oak-lined walls, wooden floors and…
Bunker
193–199 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4HU
The atmosphere of Bunker is ever-changing – by day this bar offers light bites; in the evening it shows off its full menu; and at 9pm the house DJ takes to the decks to get patrons in the mood to hit one of the numerous clubs in the area. Fixed price…
The Caley Sample Room
42–58 Angle Park Terrace,
Edinburgh,
EH11 2JR
Proximity to Tynecastle and Murrayfield stadiums has long made this bar a busy watering den but recent years have seen a more serious food offering emerge, making this a very worthwhile venue all week and not just on match days. The bare brick wall and…
Cameo Bar
23 Commercial Street,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6JA
The Cameo Bar doesn’t seem to have settled on a single decorative style. There is a touch of the contemporary (see the beige suede benches); there is a little Edwardian (see the red and brown flock wallpaper) and there is a bit of traditional pub (dark…
The Canon's Gait
232 Canongate,
Edinburgh,
EH8 8DQ
Located further down the Royal Mile than the plethora of bars and restaurants surrounding St Giles, the Canon’s Gait is a stone’s throw away from the Palace of Holyrood at the bottom. The gilt lettering and rich red exterior are difficult to miss, and…
Chinaski's
239 North Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7DL
Even if Charles Bukowski – whose biographical alter-ego Chinaski’s is named after – mostly lived off a liquid diet, this dark, discreet hipster haunt just off the main drag of Sauchiehall Street is as much about its food as it is its drink. A huge…
City Café
19 Blair Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1QR
Things have been a-changing at the City Café in the last year or so. Glittery, red laminated tables, leather booths and a jukebox evoke the kitschy glamour of a classic American diner, and the food at City Café is made to match. Starters big enough to…
The Cloisters
26 Brougham Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9JH
Situated in an old church in Tollcross, Cloisters is a dependable, straight down the line pub. Here you will find an open fire, large solid wooden tables and a bunch of friendly locals enjoying a pint of ale from the well stocked bar. There isn’t a…
Cottier's
93–95 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5PX
Ascending the tight spiral staircase, leading from the grounds of this stunning converted church, an elegant dining space awaits – dark wooden flooring with matching tables and original church seating contrasts against the green and gold walls, with…
David Bann
56–58 St Mary's Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1SX
They say that once you reach the top the only way is down, but this is far from the case for David Bann who, for almost ten years, has been at the forefront of vegetarian dining in Edinburgh. There are no vegetarian clichés to be found here, only…
Dragonfly
52 West Port,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2LD
Although it's located on a spur from the Grassmarket, this cocktail bar offers a different sort of buzz to the tourist pubs. There been a recent shuffle of ownership but much remains the same. Kickboxing ninja wallpaper and anime inspired artwork from…
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…
Earl of Marchmont
22 Marchmont Crescent,
Edinburgh,
EH9 1HG
A biannual facelift due in April 2011 may see the décor spruced up but otherwise it is business as usual as the Earl continues to serve as both child-friendly café and student watering hole. In its café guise it offers freshly squeezed orange juice…
Ecco Vino
19 Cockburn Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1BP
Edinburgh’s wine bar scene might be expanding, but this intimate cubby hole on Cockburn Street has a decade on all of them. Ecco Vino is firmly Italian in its menu: generous plates of antipasti share a billing with enticing fish and meat dishes, pastas…
The Elephant House
21 George IV Bridge,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1EN
Perhaps hoping that diners will be distracted by its association with the boy wizard and his chums, the erstwhile haunt of JK Rowling appears to lavish more attention on its Potter-themed loos than it does on its food. While, admittedly, it has…
Elephants and Bagels
37 Marshall Street (Nicholson Square),
Edinburgh,
EH8 9BJ
If you’re looking for a lunch or snack option that healthy and filling, planet-friendly and low in salt, sugar as well as food miles, then Elephants and Bagels offers a handy solution. A penchant for pachyderms is a bonus; mostly customer-drawn they…
Elmwood Fairways Restaurant and Bar
Elmwood Golf Course, Stratheden,
by Cupar,
Fife,
KY15 5RS
Elmwood Golf Course, owned and managed by Elmwood College (see p.8), provides a practical, working environment for students studying for a career in green keeping or other aspects of the golf business. Located in the clubhouse, with views over the 18th…
Favorit
19–20 Teviot Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2QZ
Favorit is a late night diner for the young and hip and – most importantly – for those with the munchies. Black and white chequered tiles, retro tables and benches and a large, red neon Favorit sign set the scene. All that's missing is Pulp Fiction's…
Filmhouse Café Bar
88 Lothian Road,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9BZ
The Filmhouse has been Edinburgh’s home of independent and arthouse cinema for many years, and its café-bar has long been a place to meet fellow cinephiles and chew over the plot with a pint. Just as the cinema itself is like an old friend to many, so…
Firebird
1321 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TL
This well-established neighbourhood bar and bistro makes sense whatever the occasion. The intelligent, free-flowing layout means you can dine more formally at the rear, sip a cool microbrewery pint perched at the curved wooden bar, or snack and watch…
The Fruitmarket Gallery Café
Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1DF
The Fruitmarket Gallery café continues to impress with carefully thought-out menus and attention to detail. The excellent art gallery and book shop entice a broad spectrum of people through the doors with dynamic, sometimes challenging exhibitions…
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…
The Granary
32–34 The Shore, Leith,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QN
This split-level restaurant and bar is well positioned on the Shore with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and views of the Water of Leith. With its seductive brown leather sofas, dark wood floors, rugs and realistic-looking gas-powered fires, you’ll…
The Granary
10–16 Kilmarnock Road,
Glasgow,
G41 3NH
The Granary has been bestriding the two main Shawlands arteries of Pollokshaws Road and Kilmarnock Road for 25 years. At lunchtime the main part of the pub is closed and you have to slip in via a side door. Failing to make a grand entrance, too, are…
