Decanter Wine Bar, Bruntsfield At Decanter Winery and Dinery , in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh, Maria Chierchia believes wine should be fun. She tells Diana Thompson of Wine Events Scotland: “We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” she says. “We’re professionals, not pretentious, and we’re known for our humour as much as our wine list.” Her list is: “a playground for your palate - structured, stylish, and never boring,” featuring global classics and unexpected finds. Am

East Pier Another escape to the East Neuk, where, on Saturday, we made a significant dent in the wine cellars of The Peat Inn to accompany some super-fancy belated birthday dining.  Owner Geoff Smeddle is now ready to hang up his apron and enjoy some family time, so we joined friends for what might be a final time with Geoff at the helm before the right contender is found to take his place and carry forward its formidable international reputation. Our foodie chums were up for

There will be a range of Champagne, crémants, by the bottle and by the glass Cuvée , a new Champagne, wine and cheese bar, is set to open...

Real fire Nestled in the basement below the French restaurant L’ escargot bleu on Broughton Street, chef-patron Fred Berkmiller has crafted a unique and cosy wine bar. Skip down the steps to discover an outdoor space cleverly reworked into private booths from two former cellars, with patio seating that's fun and sociable in warm weather. Inside, you're often greeted by a roaring log fire and good tunes. Some of ‘Team Bite’ visit on a Thursday evening for the regular quiz nig

Azim and Ghislain A glass of Champagne is always a delightful way to start an evening, setting a Gallic tone when we visit   The Green...

This gourmet Italian restaurant in the heart of Old Town offers a novel twist on the traditional wine bar Divino Enoteca has entered 2025, revealing a state-of-the-art upgrade to its wine offering. Known for its dedication to exceptional Italian cuisine and fine wine, Divino’s latest enhancement cements its status as a premier destination for wine lovers in Scotland.    In partnership with EnoDirect UK, the exclusive distributor for Enomatic® systems, Divino has a new cuttin

Merchant Street Hospitality pulses through Tony Crolla’s veins. I first met the restaurateur 21 years ago and remember our early conversations about heritage and carbonara. The son of Italian immigrants, Tony took the reins of the family business Vittoria on the Walk from his father Alberto in 1993. The flagship Italian restaurant has always served proper Italian food. Now Tony has handed the keys of the Vittoria Group which has added Vittoria’s on the Bridge, Brunswick Book

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

Gilda Pintxo One-star Michelin’s Timberyard has recently opened a sister restaurant/wine bar in Montrose Terrace in the Abbeyhill neighbourhood of Edinburgh. The new venture ‘Montrose’  offers two different experiences: fine dining on the top floor and a wine bar with a kitchen on the ground floor. Mrs Bite and I booked the bar for a Saturday lunch to try the food offer (wine will be tasted later this Spring.) The decor is neat and Scandic-inspired with pale colours and esse

The Artisan Pasta Maker Collaboration within the hospitality industry has never been more important and a new business model is developing in Dundas Street. Some of you may know Bacco Wine , initially as a wine shop providing locals and Italians with Italian wines it was later scaled up into a wine bar. A new management (still 100% Italian) revised the menu to include a good selection of cocktails, including the famous Negroni (with a house twist). The atmosphere is always w

Dulse - downstairs bar One of the casualties of the pandemic was l’escargot blanc, a favourite with the Bite team and run by Fred Berkmiller. Thankfully Fred retains l’escargot bleu in Broughton Street which is going from strength to strength with the opening of its basement wine bar. ‘Blanc’ premises were bought by Dean Banks of Masterchef, Haar and Pompadour fame and Banks also sold seafood boxes from Haar during the pandemic. The downstairs bar of the new Dulse is open

Founded by two Italian brothers Fabrizio & Simone Cioffi , Bittersweet opens for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Sunday April 10th. Fabrizio Cioffi is the director of local artisanal distillery Old Poison Distillery and with his younger chef brother Simone is opening the new bar and restaurant. The idea behind Bittersweet is to bring the culture of ‘aperitif’ to Scotland’s capital offering delicious food and drink inspired from Italy. Fabrizio is renowned across the city fo