Thistle Street Vinette is the latest restaurant to be opened by chef Stuart Ralston's Aizle Hospitality Group: a Parisian-style restaurant with a speakeasy cocktail bar in the basement. Following the closure of Aizle, the group also includes Michelin-starred Lyla , Italian restaurant Tipo, and Asian-inspired eatery Noto – each with their own unique charm. Review of Tipo on its opening Despite falling into the ‘high-end’ category in terms of cost, each venue offers a lower-p

On the bow of the boat Permanently berthed at Alexandra Dock in Leith, Fingal is a luxury floating hotel with a storied past—and a shimmering present. Originally commissioned by the Northern Lighthouse Board in 1963, the vessel was acquired in 2014 by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust. Following a £5 million transformation, this former lighthouse tender reopened to the public in 2019 as a superyacht-style retreat, complete with the 2 AA rosette The Lighthouse Bar & Restaurant

Rodney Wages Avery is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Stockbridge , Edinburgh, celebrated for its bold, creative tasting menus that fuse Asia-influenced Californian cuisine with the best of Scottish produce. It’s a singular dining experience—refined, intimate, and quietly theatrical. Chef Rodney Wages relocated his acclaimed San Francisco restaurant to Edinburgh after falling hard for the city. “I started in London and worked my way up the country,” he tells me. “When I got

Alan Keery and Sarah Baldry As we come to the end of the year, I’ve started writing my bucket list of food places to try by 2026.  The first restaurant I tick off is Nàdair (nature in Gaelic), a contemporary neighbourhood spot in the heart of Marchmont. Selected as one of Condé Nast Traveller’s UK Top New Restaurants 2024 , it offers creative cooking that celebrates local Scottish produce and foraged ingredients. The interior is warm and minimalist — white tiles line the wal

Since opening in 2017, the Ivy on the Square has brought a touch of metropolitan glamour to the capital. Inside this polished brasserie,...

Cranachan Teacake Badger & Co has started a new dining chapter at its famous Castle Street venue that celebrates the best local and...

Brooklyn loft-style space It’s June 2025, and the sun is splitting the sky Iberian style as we approach midsummer—and the first successful year of The Spanish Butcher   in Edinburgh. This celebrated restaurant has quickly become known for its signature offering: Galician Blonde, or Rubia Gallega , beef. James and Louise Rusk Patrons James and Louise Rusk have helped bring this exceptional breed into the spotlight. Inspired by culinary trailblazers like Nemanja Borjanović ( Ib

Cobost, Skye A long-term feature on the culinary wishlist, on a recent visit to Skye , my partner and I finally made it to The Three Chimneys , keen to see if this destination dining venue can live up to the hype (spoiler alert: it does). On arrival, the vibes are cosy and welcoming, in keeping with the traditional cottage exterior (this place is nearly as old as I am after all). We are running late due to a combination of island-related factors – slow campervans, confused t

A small eatery located in Marchmont Tucked away in the heart of Marchmont, Mara’s Picklery   is a small but vibrant eatery that deserves to be on every food lover’s radar. With just 22 covers, it’s an intimate space where the focus is on flavour, fermentation, and heartfelt hospitality. I arrive late, but Patel greets me with a warm smile and no hint of worry. He shows me to my table—just a few steps away in this cosy spot—where my friends Fiona, Sharon, Eleonora, and Kaori a

The Roseate Indulging in the gorgeous, marvelously Victorian decor, and of course a rather cheeky bottle of Moet & Chandon rosé, it has to be said, The Dunstane @ The Roseate Hotel is making a fabulous first impression. Even better, Anna our gracious host is saying those words we love to hear: Have whatever you want, tonight Bitches, it’s ALL about you!  Seated in the grand bay window of what was formerly the drawing room, we’re not only responding “DING DONG!” to the decade

The Grassmarket What comes to mind when you think of the Grassmarket? Groups on a walking tour, maybe – or perhaps it’s the pubs and bars, leading into Cowgate. Tourists? Definitely! I’ve passed the Mussel & Steak Bar on the corner of West Bow numerous times, heading out to meet friends or simply walking around the city. Honestly, I’ve not given it much consideration, mainly because of the touristy feel to the area. And while they get their fair share of visitors crossing t

Ginger Panna Cotta with Rhubarb I have always enjoyed independent restaurants, distinct from street food trucks, chain restaurants,...

The Leddie, Aberlady With the current focus in hospitality moving to the quality of service front of house - the director of the Michelin Guide UK recently stated that “the choice of the product is the responsibility of the chef, but the ambience and the presentation of his work is down to service” - I’d say The Leddie is on point. From the minute we entered the contemporary open-plan lounge of the recently re-opened boutique hotel in Aberlady, East Lothian - all high-end mu

Derek and Isaac aka The Social Bitches With a third glass of Crémant de Loire in hand, and a lush stack of braised ox cheek croquettes - plus a café de Paris sauce - fast disappearing, we’re thrilled to be back at Kyloe . Its sumptuous, yet playful decor, touches of carnivorous theatre, and of course legendary Angus beef is a party these Bitches find impossible to resist. Our first visit was an unbelievable fourteen years ago, and since then we’ve indulged in intimate dinners

Cured halibut, blue spirulina Stockbridge is certainly having a moment, as is Edinburgh, which was voted the Most Exciting Food Destination ahead of London in the respected Good Food Guide in January.   As the gastronomic stars align around our city, the newly opened Moss shines as brightly as Sirius. This farm-to-table restaurant, owned by Chef Director Henry Dobson, boasts over 90 products sourced directly from Dobson’s Scottish family farm in Angus. His family venture and

Adrian McMurchie It’s easy to escape the buzz of metropolitan Finnieston: all you have to do is look out for the rather classy frontage of plate glass windows and wooden Venetian blinds of The Gannet, open the glass door, brush through a pair of beautiful velvet curtains, and you’re transported into another, gentler, world.    Restaurant manager Kevin Dow emerges from the restaurant’s elegant setting of beautifully uplit woods, muted greens and blond sandstone to greet us. A

Dean Banks Popular Edinburgh restaurant Dulse by Dean Banks Group is bringing its offering of fresh, local seafood to the shore. Next...

The Social Bitches on Fingal Boasting the regal blue, red and gold of its sister ship Britannia, and of course, being fabulously lit, arriving at Fingal is a breathtaking experience. Add to that its five-star credentials as a hotel, along with two AA Rosettes for culinary excellence, and we say: Thank god we’re currently - and always - SO well-dressed. Sure enough, we’re greeted by a handsome man on reception who insists we’ll be the best-attired by far [ We hear that a lot,

Buttermilk Fried Chicken A significant birthday called for a meal somewhere special and Sunday brunch at Ardfern was chosen. Mrs Bite and three foodie friends were eager to try Roberta Hall McCarron’s latest venture.   Opened earlier this year, Ardfern (named after a village in Argyll and Bute) follows hot on the heels of Roberta’s two other successful restaurants The Little Chartroom and Eleanore which opened in 2018 and 2021 respectively. Roberta has a passion for sailing s

Renowned for its culinary storytelling and immersive dining experiences, Six by Nico has unveiled its latest themed menu, Istanbul,...

David Smith - Head Chef at The Dipping Lugger When I was young, family holidays in Ullapool meant dad buying my brother and me simple...

Made with smoked Cheddar and Menabrea beer Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut is the house Champagne. Nor’ Loft is the rooftop bar of the Market Street Hotel opposite Waverley Station. Take the elevator to the seventh floor to an open-plan lounge with large windows overlooking the city. A flickering fire, eclectic designer furniture and views of the Edinburgh skyline make this champagne bar a classy cocoon to escape to. Bite was invited to sample the fondue on offer through Septe

The Crusoe Hotel is located in the fishing village of Lower Largo tucked between Leven and Elie on the Fife Coast. It sits in and I mean...

The Social Bitches & Paul Donoghue Circa our third saucy bottle of Vinho Verde, we’ve been struck by two undeniable truths. First, we’re already deeply in love with Under the Table’s Scottish fare / Mediterranean influence. And second, how fabulous would it be to  literally  devour the entire menu? So, in the spirit of one’s fatty-boom reputation, we say: Let gluttony be thy guide …  But this voracious tale begins many hours earlier [ when it was still lunchtime ] with these

Turning off the old A9, beyond historic Pitlochry and Dunkeld and the site of a certain famous 17th-century battle, and down a sweeping...

Cold Town is an Edinburgh-based microbrewery, and their bar, Cold Town House, can be found at the edge of the Grassmarket in the shadow of E

It’s been a month since my visit but the glow remains in my heart. Opening the tiny Leith restaurant, previously the much-loved Aurora,...

Mackerel This shoebox-sized restaurant has a red neon sign alerting diners to a basement setting that housed the Blue Parrot Cantina for decades in St Stephen’s Street, Stockbridge.  The once terracotta and indigo interior has been painted black otherwise the layout is unchanged with a small reception/bar/open kitchen and outside cludgie.  There are separate food, wine and cocktails menus and one dessert. The sparing menus nod to the kitchen's size, but also to Skua’s ethos.

Six courses, six cocktails, six weeks. This is the genius of Nico Simeone whereby the entrepreneur patron always has a new story to tell...

The sedate drive along the tree-lined avenue in all shades of green that leads to Cromlix sets the quietly dignified tone of the boutique...

Mrs. Bite and Harvey go way back. The famous store opened its Edinburgh branch in 2002 shortly before the first issue of Bite magazine...

The Social Bitches with National Chef Gary MacLean Having shamelessly jumped the queue at Bonnie & Wild, we’re here for an experience physically impossible to resist: a cheeky pop-up champagne & oyster bar. Darling! Helloooo! An absolute must at the Edinburgh Seafood Festival, it’s also an opportunity to meet Scotland’s National Chef, the fabulous Gary Maclean.  Not only a man with a generous pour, Gary’s an ambassador for Scottish seafood; an advocate of healthy eating, work

The Bonnie Badger in Gullane The National Pub & Bar Awards announced that Broc Bar at The Bonnie Badger in Gullane has officially been...

The Gailes Hotel & Spa, Irvine. I’m captivated by a beautiful big sky of cerulean blue complemented by a few cauliflower cumulus clouds....

Derek & Isaac For around twenty years, the Magnum has dazzled as a neighbourhood pub and top-notch bistro. The Social Bitches, meanwhile, are here on our very first visit, feeling ravenous and dangerously close to sober. Fortunately, it’s champagne on arrival, soon followed - spoiler alert - by an orgy of sumptuous food, wine and absolute gluttony.  Now on our cheeky third glass, we’re loving the fabulous service and vibe, as we attack the bites menu. Gorgeous Deep Fried Came

Chef Ed Fortune When I think of university food, I picture a canteen-style menu with simple dishes. Be prepared to be pleasantly...

Beef Featherblade The Dine family of restaurants comprises three neighbourhood-style venues in Craiglockhart, Murrayfield, and Canomills....

Signature Pudding The Walnut came under new ownership a few years ago after gaining a reputation for serving seasonal food at very reasonable prices. It’s situated in an unassuming street halfway down Leith Walk between McDonald Road and the Leith Police Box.  The restaurant is cosy, warm, and welcoming especially on a night when the wind is biting. Some of our party arrive by tram as there is a stop at McDonald Road. A mere 22 covers and a menu of three starters, mains, and

The Scan & Scallie, one of Edinburgh's most popular venues, is celebrating its tenth year. This gastropub, known for its modern twists on...

The Social Bitches looking fabulous despite the hangover Eyes like pinholes and praying for death, the Social Bitches are suffering a typical Sunday hangover. But saving us from this insidious beast: the promise of Black Angus beef, live jazz, and even more to drink. Which is how we’re now fabulously dressed, and perusing the cocktail menu of super stylish Le Petit Beefbar . In desperate need of hydration, we soon have a Rosemary Mimosa in hand and a cheeky Riesling en route.

An Cala Ciuin, The Mishnish Hotel (yellow building) An Cala Ciuin, situated at The Mishnish Hotel on the vibrant main street in Tobermory, offers a captivating tasting menu curated by chef Ross Caithness. One of the standout dishes is the Crystal Bread, which delicately dissolves in a whimsical puff, leaving behind a burst of fresh crab and sea herbs. This unique 'snack' sets the stage for an unforgettable dining experience. We have informed our host Jamie that it may be nece

I assumed The Buttery restaurant was named after the ‘Scottish croissant’ but learn it is a tribute to a butter market in Shandon Street,...

A spectacular and lavish cocktail bar and lounge will make its debut in Edinburgh's West End this December. Encore which is located below...

The Pierhouse Hotel & Seafood Restaurant at Port Appin in Argyll has been crowned ‘National Restaurant of the Year’ at the Hotels of the...

Lady Libertine is an Edinburgh Bar that is part of the Bon Vivant Group. The eponymous bar launched in 2008 and was followed by The Bon...

Food The Chef’s Table seats 12 Michelin duo Brian Grigor and Glen Montgomery have opened their fine-dining home ‘ eòrna’ in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge. The name means barley in both Irish and Scots Gaelic so is a nod to the respective nationalities of Brian and Glen whilst also signifying a union between chef and sommelier. These hospitality veterans got their stripes at places like Andrew Fairlie, Chez Roux, Number One at The Balmoral, The Heron, and The Kitchin. Brian Grigor

the Bonnie Badger, Gullane Ben Branson, founder of non-alcoholic brand Seedlip and Michelin chef Tom Kitchin have an instinctive synergy....

I am not sure who came up with the concept of ‘Boozy Snoozy” but the phrase has a ring to it. This lunch offer runs Friday to Sunday ad...