Restaurants in Scotland
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Mum’s
After a change of name due to management fall-outs, the original founder of Monster Mash has reopened with a new name. This nostalgia-fuelled cafe continues to serve up classic British comfort food of the 1950s – bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, fish and chips. But there’s a twist – the food is all top-quality nosh freshly prepared from local produce, including Crombie’s gourmet sausages. And there’s even a wine list!
reviewed
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Seafood Temple
Locally sourced seafood is the god that’s worshipped at this tiny temple – a former park pavilion with glorious views over the bay. Owned by a former fisherman who smokes his own salmon, what must be Oban’s smallest restaurant serves up whole lobster cooked to order, scallops in garlic butter, plump langoustines, and the ‘platter magnifique’ (£60 for two persons), which offers a taste of everything. Booking essential.
reviewed
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Waterfront Restaurant
Housed on the top floor of a converted seamen’s mission, the Waterfront’s stylish, unfussy decor – dusky pink and carmine with pine tables and local art on the walls – does little to distract from the superb seafood freshly landed at the quay just a few metres away.
The menu ranges from crispy-battered haddock and chips to pan-fried scallops with lime, chilli and coriander pickle. There’s an early evening menu (5.30pm to 6.45pm) offering two courses for £11.50, or soup followed by fish and chips for £9.75. Best to book for dinner.
reviewed
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Maison Bleue
Eating here is a comfortably laid-back affair – the candlelit ground-floor dining room has basketwork chairs, chunky wooden tables and modern art on bare stone walls; upstairs is brighter and more cafe-like. The menu lists bouchées (French for ‘mouthfuls’) – starter-size helpings of which you can have as many or as few as you wish – and the food is an eclectic mix of European, North African and Far Eastern influences.
reviewed
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Café Marlayne
The second branch of the New Town French bistro is a hidden gem, down a steep cobbled alley off the Royal Mile, with a changed-daily menu of market-fresh produce and a lovely little lunchtime sun-trap of an outdoor terrace.
reviewed
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Kerachers
This classic seafood restaurant keeps things simple, combining fresh seafood with ingredients that add hints of flavour to complement but not overpower the dishes − a recipe for success!
reviewed
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Maxie's Bistro
Maxie's candlelit bistro, with its cushion-lined nooks set amid stone walls and wooden beams is a pleasant enough setting for a cosy dinner, but at summer lunchtimes people queue for the outdoor tables on the terrace overlooking Victoria St. The food is dependable – Maxie's has been in the food business for more than 20 years – ranging from pastas, steaks and stir-fries to seafood platters and daily specials, and there's an excellent selection of wines.
reviewed
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Dome Grill Room
Housed in a magnificent former banking hall, with a lofty glass-domed ceiling, pillared arches and a mosaic-tiled floor, the Dome Grill Room boasts one of Edinburgh’s most impressive dining rooms. The menu here holds few surprises – from smoked salmon to chargrilled chicken or roast lamb – but it’s really the setting that sells the place; it’s hard to keep your eyes on your plate with all the stupendous finery that surrounds you.
reviewed
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Bothy
A bothy is not normally the most comfortable of abodes, but this West End player pays little heed to this tradition, boasting a combo of modern design and comfy retro furnishings. It also blows apart the myth that Scottish food is stodgy and uninteresting. The Bothy dishes out traditional, uniquely Scottish, home-style fare with a modern twist. It's filling, but leave room for dessert. An £11 lunch will get you away cheaper.
reviewed
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Mums
After a change of name due to management fall-outs, the original founder of Monster Mash has reopened it with a new name. This nostalgia-fuelled cafe continues to serve up classic British comfort food of the 1950s – bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, fish and chips. But there's a twist – the food is all top-quality nosh freshly prepared from local produce, including Crombie's gourmet sausages. And there's even a wine list!
reviewed
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Heart Buchanan
The famous West End deli – give your nose a treat and drop in – has a small cafe space next door. Break any or all of the 10 commandments to bag a table, then enjoy some of Glasgow's best breakfasts, all with an exquisite quality of produce, a refreshing juice or milkshake, or regularly changing light-lunch options. If you failed in the table quest, the deli also does some of these meals to take away.
reviewed
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Ferry Boat Inn
Known as the FBI, this inn is to Ullapool what the castle is to Edinburgh. The pub’s a little less traditional-looking these days with its bleached wood and nonstained carpet, but it’s still the place where locals and visitors mingle. Some dishes on the menu are a little bland, but a well-run dining room, quality ingredients and great presentation compensate.
reviewed
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Café 1
Café 1 is a friendly and appealing little bistro with candlelit tables amid elegant blonde-wood and wrought-iron decor. There is an international menu based on quality Scottish produce, from succulent Aberdeen Angus steaks to crisp sea bass with chilli, lime and soy sauce. Lunch and early-bird menu (two courses for £9.50) is served noon to 6.45pm weekdays, and noon to 3pm Saturday.
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Foyer
A light, airy space filled with blond wood and bold colours, Foyer is an art gallery as well as a restaurant and is run by a charity that works against youth homelessness and unemployment. The seasonal menu is a fusion of Scottish, Mediterranean and Asian influences, with lots of good vegetarian (and gluten- or dairy-free) options. A light lunch menu is available from 11am to 4pm.
reviewed
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Doll’s House
With its high-backed chairs, bright colours and creaky wooden floor, the Doll’s House blends a Victorian child’s bedroom with modern stylings. The result is a surprising warmth and no pretensions. The menu makes the most of local fish and other Scottish produce, and the two-course lunch for £6.95 is unbeatable value. The early-evening two-course deal for £12.95 isn’t bad either.
reviewed
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First Coast
Our favourite neighbourhood bistro, First Coast has a striking main dining area with pale-grey wood panelling, stripped stone walls and Victorian cornices, and a short and simple menu offering hearty comfort food such as Thai marinated chicken salad, or glazed ham hough with mustard mash. At lunch, and from 5pm to 6.30pm, you can have an excellent two-course meal for £11.
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Kitchin
Fresh, seasonal, locally sourced Scottish produce is the philosophy that has won a Michelin star for this elegant but unpretentious restaurant. The menu moves with the seasons, of course, so expect fresh salads in summer and game in winter, and shellfish dishes such as seared scallops with endive tarte tatin when there’s an ‘r’ in the month.
reviewed
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Café Arriba
Arriba is a funky little cafe, brightly decked out in primary colours and offering the best choice of vegetarian grub on the island, ranging from a veggie breakfast fry-up to Indian-spiced bean cakes with mint yoghurt, as well as carnivorous treats such as slow-cooked haunch of venison with red wine and beetroot gravy. Also serves excellent coffee.
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Blue
Set above the foyer of the Traverse Theatre, this is a cool white minimalist space with polished oak and Danish designer furniture. The food is simple but skilfully cooked and presented. Choices include Crombie’s sausages with mash and onion gravy, and ribeye steak with bearnaise and chunky chips. Two courses costs £16 between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.
reviewed
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Shellfish Bar
If you want to savour superb Scottish seafood without the expense of an upmarket restaurant, head for Oban’s famous seafood stall – it’s the green shack on the quayside near the ferry terminal. Here you can buy fresh and cooked seafood to take away – excellent prawn sandwiches (£2.75), dressed crab (£4.75), and fresh oysters for only 65p each.
reviewed
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Fishers Bistro
This cosy little restaurant, tucked beneath a 17th-century signal tower, is one of the city's best seafood places. The menu ranges widely in price, from cheaper dishes such as mackerel with beetroot, chilli and orange dressing, to more expensive delights such as North Berwick lobster served with garlic and herb butter.
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Centotre
A palatial Georgian banking hall enlivened with fuchsia-pink banners and aubergine booths is home to this lively, child-friendly Italian bar and restaurant, where the emphasis is on fresh, authentic ingredients (produce imported weekly from Milan, homemade bread and pasta), and uncomplicated enjoyment of food.
reviewed
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Black Bo’s
You can’t accuse the chef at Black Bo’s, a popular vegetarian and vegan eatery just off the Royal Mile, of being unadventurous. Check the daily specials, which are always interesting – beetroot and cashew balls stuffed with feta cheese, with chilli and garlic yogurt, for example.
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Frigate Café
This waterfront cafe is a popular venue for coffee, tea and ice cream; it also sells a very tasty local smoked cheese. But you can also sit down and graze the Italian-influenced menu of salads, pizzas and pastas, or just drop by for a glass of wine or a beer.
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Bar 91
By day this happy, buzzy bar serves excellent meals, far better than average pub food. Salads, pasta and burgers are among the many tasty offerings, and in summer tables spill out onto the sidewalk – ideal for some people-watching of the bold and the beautiful variety.
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