154 Best Restaurants in Scotland

Set in the Rusacks Hotel's sophisticated yet relaxed brasserie-style rooftop venue, 18 delivers an exquisite dining experience along with attentive service and a quality Scottish produce-heavy seasonal menu by top chef Derek Johnstone. The freshest seafood, including Orkney scallops and halibut, are accompanied by zesty but not overpowering flavors and tasty al dente vegetable sides, while the impressive selection of dry-aged Aberdeen Angus cuts on display as you enter are expertly cut, flame-licked, and seared to perfection.

Dine looking out onto the River Tay in this elegant but relaxed restaurant with tall windows, gray-and-white walls, and wooden tables. Chef Graeme Pallister has earned a reputation for imaginative fare with an emphasis on seasonal and local produce in adventurous combinations. There are no à la carte options, but there's a choice of multicourse menus; opt for the 4 for 28 Set Menu, which is four courses for £28.

Next door to the Scottish Fisheries Museum, this popular fish-and-chips shop has a functional space to eat, but most people order takeout. Try local specialties including Pittenweem prawns in batter or the catch of the day, which could be mackerel (line caught by the owners), hake, or local crab.

This warm and welcoming old merchant's house in the heart of the Merchant City offers excellent Scottish food, a barbecue menu, and a lively charming bar area. On Wednesday or Saturday traditional musicians gather for an impromptu session in the bar; the rest of the time there is just conversation. The vibe is friendly, particularly in winter when there is an open fire in the grate; there's also an outdoor terrace in summer.

This homey restaurant serves lunches and dinners that offer a taste of quality Scottish home cooking, including Arbroath smokie pancakes, mince and tatties, venison with rowan jelly, and rich moist gingerbread, all at reasonable prices. It's next to Auchmithie's lovely shingle beach; a stroll here is the perfect way to work up an appetite or work off overindulgence.

Consistently recommended by locals as one of the best restaurants in the area, Café 1 really practices what it preaches in terms of sustainable, local produce. Taking inspiration from such big names as Blue Hill in New York, the restaurant rears its own herds to provide the menu's Hebridean lamb and Highland beef, usually served with a simple order of chips (thick-cut fries) and rich garlic butter. The atmosphere is casual, and the prices, though high for Inverness, won't raise too many eyebrows among those used to city dining. The tiny bar at the front has a great view of the castle.

This restaurant's location has certainly contributed to its success—it's perched on the pier at the end of Tobermory. The owners pride themselves on the freshness of their fish; they have their own boat and bring in their own seafood each day. The fish is served simply, grilled with a slice of lemon, to let the natural flavors speak for themselves.

A Gaelic phrase that means "to eat well", the restaurant known as Cail Bruich certainly lives up to its name as evidenced by its many awards, including a coveted Michelin star (currently the only eatery in Glasgow with one). Run by two brothers, the ambitious and innovative menu makes use of local, high-quality Scottish ingredients, but it's really the delicate and clever cooking style that takes the menu to higher heights. Tasting menus of 5 or 7 courses are available (with vegetarian alternatives also available on request). 

With its over-the-top Scottishness, this lively restaurant and café serving Scottish classics fits perfectly into its surroundings. Long wooden tables, a large chimney with an open fire in the winter months, and a cabinet full of mouthwatering cakes baked by the owner create a cheerful atmosphere. Favorites include rich soups and stovies (large round rolls filled to overflowing), as well as the ubiquitous haggis, served in king-size quantities. It's worth asking for tea served in ceramic teapots representing everything from dining rooms to telephone boxes (bonus: the pots are for sale in the shop). The picturesque village of Luss attracts visitors because of its association with a favorite Scottish TV soap opera, Take the High Road, which ran from 1994 to 2003. Some cruises depart from its pier.

Anything but a shack, this intimate dining room has heavy wooden tables and chairs, an elegantly ornate ceiling, and a bar so shiny and inviting that it seems to almost insist you have a drink. The food comes from the sea—oysters, lobster, and squid—and you can have your choice served iced, grilled, roasted, or battered. The fish varies daily according to the day's catch, and only local and sustainably sourced Scottish seafood is featured. The fish sandwich and crab cakes are favorites on the lunch menu. In the evening, mussels and scallops draw the eye. The buzz of conversation and the perfectly modulated music create the right atmosphere. Reservations are essential.

With a reputation for quality and simplicity, this restaurant on the town pier serves outstanding seafood. Fishing boats draw up on the shores of Loch Linnhe and deliver their catch straight to the kitchen. The menu might include fillet of hake with a cashew pesto crust or panfried monkfish with coconut and chili. From the window seats you can watch the sun setting on the far side of the loch. During summer the restaurant runs daily, seal-spotting cruises of Loch Linnhe (£17.50, 90 minutes).

Decorated in muted colors, this lovely little café and bookshop named for a traditional folktale (you can find it on the tables) provides a tranquil refuge in the town center. It's a perfect spot for a light lunch; choose from a limited menu that includes soup, delicious meze, and burgers with or without meat. Fair-trade products are used. The bookshop holds regular readings and book launches, and you can buy the beautiful rugs laid around the café. Somehow the relaxed environment seems to add extra flavor to this retreat.

This clean-lined restaurant's name means "fish" in Gaelic, and it has earned quite a reputation for serving excellent dishes made with the freshest fish and shellfish delivered directly from Oban's harbor. The signature creations use appealingly simple sauces; try oven-baked wild halibut with creamed leeks or the full-scale seafood platter. On clear days, there are nice views of the islands through the large glass windows. Children under 12 are not admitted for dinner.

For over 20 years, restaurant namesake Effie baked her glorious cakes and scones here and her family continues the tradition, using her same recipes. The charming, traditional tearoom is hugely popular, with paintings and photographs emphasizing its long history, but what keeps the customers coming back is the superb baking, rich homemade soups, and creative breakfast menu.

Proudly claiming to be the northernmost fish-and-chips shop in Britain, this "chipper" is also the best of its kind on the islands. The combination of superfresh seafood—skate wings, squid, and crab legs—and light and crispy batter (including a gluten-free option) means Frankie's is everything a chip shop could be. Try the local mussels: you won't find any that are fatter or juicier in the United Kingdom. Sit on the deck or in the lovely dining room with views toward Busta Voe. The restaurant closes at 8 pm.

An adjunct of the Bowmore distillery, the Harbour Inn has a bar frequented by locals and a more upscale restaurant with a menu that emphasizes oysters, langoustines, mussels, and other local seafood. The elegant dining room looks out onto the water.

The arrival of this tiny family-run restaurant has lifted Dumfries' status in the culinary world. The menu is small and changes regularly but is always creative and adventurous with clear Mediterranean influences. Try the slow beef with polenta or the wolf fish with broccoli and wild garlic. Reservations are essential.

Right on the quayside, this casual spot serves the cakes that make you forget about calories. Expect huge slices of lemon drizzle, coffee layer, raspberry cream, and other cakes, as well as scones and traybakes (cakes baked in pans and cut up). Baked potatoes, quirky salads, and quiches round out the savory side of the menu, while real espresso and cappuccino seal the deal.

Downstairs at Dundee Contemporary Arts, this lively eatery serves breakfast at the bar, cocktails and snacks on the terrace in fine weather, or dinner in the open-plan dining area with huge windows that offer views of artists at work in the printmakers studio. There are plenty of handsomely presented dishes featuring quality Scottish meat, fish, and vegetables.

Thick wooden tables, tapestries, and soft candlelight make you feel at home in the comfortable dining room of this atmospheric haven serving an intriguing mix of Indian and Persian fare. A family-owned restaurant, it's all about healthy, flavorful cooking; chicken tikka masala in a yogurt sauce or lamb korma with coconut cream and fruit or the Persian shashlik are good picks. Accompany your meal with bowls of basmati saffron rice and fluffy naan bread. You could start with a shared plate of Indian starters for three or four people. This popular place continues to win award after award; reserve ahead on Friday and Saturday.

The first of a chain of seafood restaurants that now stretches across the United Kingdom (though the rest are now owned by the Greene King brewery chain), this restaurant continues to please with its emphasis on ultrafresh, locally sourced seafood, simply prepared. Oysters, are, of course, a keynote, but the menu also features mussels, lobster, prawns, salmon, and much more from the sea, accompanied by perfect crunchy green vegetables such as peas, beans, and asparagus. There's a fishy tapas array, too.

Miss Cranston's Willow Tea Rooms were the ultimate place to be seen in Glasgow in 1903, not only for the tasty tea but for the beautiful art nouveau decor and furniture designed by a young architect by the name of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The original tearooms have now been fully restored here, and you can lunch on traditional Scottish cuisine or take an elegant high tea in the exquisite surroundings of the Salon de Luxe.

The brand known as Mother India really covers four adjacent restaurants rather than just one location, all highlighting small plates of impressive Indian cuisine. What makes this place across from Kelvingrove Art Gallery so popular is the combination of high-quality cooking and an extensive range of tastes, from the vegetarian dal to spicy ginger chicken. The style is casual, although the interior is an opulent mix of dark wood, heavy cloth napkins, and luxury silverware. It's usually crowded, so don't expect much intimacy, but do expect the finest Indian food the country has to offer. 

West-coast shellfish farmers own this sleek restaurant and feed their customers incredibly succulent oysters, scallops, and mussels. The pots of mussels, steamed to order and served with any of a number of sauces, are revelatory, and scallops, prawns, and oysters come together in a wonderful seafood pasta. The surroundings are simple but stylish, with white walls, cool ceramic tiles, wood floors, and wooden furniture. Another plus is the staff, who are helpful and unpretentious. This is where locals take their favorite out-of-towners, including for lunchtime specials and pretheater menus that are a very good value.

This eatery has completely rethought Asian cuisine, taking Chinese, Malaysian, and Thai cooking in new directions and using sauces that are fragrant and spicy but never overpowering. Subdued lighting, neutral tones, and dark wood create a calm setting for specialties including superb dim sum and crisp wontons filled with delicious combinations of crab, shrimp, and chicken. Leave room for the main dishes, especially the tiger prawns and scallops in a sauce made from dried shrimp and fish. Familiar dishes like beef in black bean sauce are astonishingly delicate and aromatic. The vegetarian menu is adventurous, too, and the cocktails are captivating.

Head down a country lane to this organic farm and café-bistro for a tasty vegetarian meal made of produce grown in the wonderful gardens. On a sunny day take your crepe or heaped salad to a bench outside by the nursery, or grab some take-out deli foods from the shop. Bothy (small cottage) accommodations are also available.