182 Best Restaurants in Scotland

For fine dining with a touch of theater, it's hard to beat this superb open-kitchen restaurant, where you can sit at the bar and watch the skilled chefs prepare and assemble each course. The three- and five-course menus have a small choice of starters, mains, and desserts, all abounding with delicate but interesting flavors, in dishes such as dressed crab with peas, grapefruit and socca flatbread, or hake with fregola and courgette flower. A three-course meal with set you back £65, the five-course £80 without drinks.

North Berwick's most consistently popular dining option isn't a traditional restaurant, or even a restaurant at all—it's a shack. That's testament to the sheer quality of the seafood served at this take-out stand, where freshly caught lobster, crab, haddock, and mussels are cooked before your eyes and served in boxes with double-dipped chips, ready to eat in a fold-up chair, on a harbor wall, or while strolling along the beach. The food is in such high demand there's a pop-up Lobster Shack in Edinburgh during the Festival Fringe.

Situated right on the waterfront, this distinctive black-and-white restaurant is a Skye foodie favorite. The seafood is freshly caught and simply prepared by renowned chef Michael Smith, with the aim of enhancing the natural flavors of the ingredients rather than overwhelming them with superfluous sauces. The six-course "Skye Fruits de Mer" set menu costs £140 and is constantly changing, depending on what's fresh and available.

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.

This modern trattoria-style Italian restaurant has been taken to the heart of Orcadians, and rightly so, as it delivers an abundant menu of good Italian food. From pizza to classic pasta dishes—with fulsomely meaty carbonara and Bolognese and very tasty vegetarian burro e salvia (butter and sage) and pesto—to excellent secondi piatti such as chicken in rosemary, it's got something for every appetite. Decor is clean and stylish, with a tile floor, wooden tables, red chairs, and chalkboard menus on the wall. The ice-cream puddings make for a nice finish.

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.

For a quick cheap bite while wandering the Royal Mile, you can't beat Oink—possibly the best hog roast (pulled pork) in Edinburgh. Located on Canongate (there are two other outlets, but this one is the best), it was founded by two farmers in 2008, and their high-quality, hand-reared pork has proved a huge hit ever since. The idea is simple: choose your bread, choose your stuffing (try the haggis), and choose your sauce, then watch it all being combined with delicious pulled pork and—on request—salty crackling. There are three sizes available: piglet (80 grams, about 3 ounces), oink (160 grams), and grunter (250 grams).

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.

This immensely popular restaurant shines at every level—service, presentation, and taste. The stripped-back, rustic decor encourages chatter and the sharing of the eclectic small plates that are its specialty. You choose perhaps two or three plates—larger than tapas and beautifully presented—from meat, fish, cold starters, vegetable, and vegan lists, which then arrive as they are ready. The chef combines colors and tastes in often surprising ways, like poached hake with red pepper and capers, lamb and bone marrow kofta, and confit duck with Thai yellow curry and rice. The desserts continue the theme with options like raspberry and olive oil millefeuille. The service is relaxed, friendly, and informative, and the wine list is enormous. Booking ahead is essential.

Bringing new purpose to an old bowling pavilion, this café's owner freshly painted its clapboard, spruced up the delightful color-glazed fanlights, and gently restored many of the unusual features of this late-Victorian beauty. Expect light meals, breakfasts, salads, buttermilk pancakes, and superfresh home bakes: the seasonal fruit-festooned cream sponges are a treat. Book in advance.

Who would believe you could get such good cappuccino at 60 degrees north? In back of the popular Lerwick knitwear shop is a modish, consistently good café that sells filled sponge cakes, lip-smackingly good soups, and, yes, the best coffee on the islands. It's always busy and Shetlanders do like to talk, so be prepared to hang around for a table during lunchtime. Open at 8 am, it's perfect for those coming off the boat.

The round towers of the old pier mark the entrance to this restaurant, appealingly situated on the water's edge. The restaurant serves the freshest seafood; try its signature platter of lobster, scallops, mussels, and langoustines. The restaurant and bar (which also serves light meals) are lively and often filled with walkers and water-sports enthusiasts. The Pierhouse also has small but clean and comfortable rooms.

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.

Sophisticated surroundings, spectacular views, and sumptuous cuisine make this restaurant, originally opened in 1925, one of Edinburgh's best spots for fine dining. Head chef Dan Ashmore uses his expertise in great Scottish produce, from venison to sea trout, to serve up a stunning, "mystery" seven-course tasting menu (it comes in a sealed envelope; it's up to you when, or if, you want to take a peek). The paired wines compliment each course perfectly. For lesser appetites, there's also a £55 three-course menu available for dinner or a £35 three-course Sunday lunch.

This hut on the pier, a hidden gem, sells beautifully cooked lobsters as well as other items like lobster rolls and dressed crab. They'll crack the lobster for you to allow for easy eating on a nearby bench; there is no seating, but the lobster is wonderful. Hours are seasonal (Easter to late September only) and weather-dependent.

The late chef Andrew Fairlie established his restaurant in the Gleneagles Hotel in 2001, winning two Michelin stars for his elegant and restrained dishes, and setting in motion a food revolution that changed Scottish cooking. Fairlie's training was in classical French kitchens, and though his restaurant menus were firmly embedded in local Scottish produce, like pheasant and lobster, his style remained classic and detailed. Sadly, Fairlie died in 2019, but his commitment to training and supporting young chefs means that his team at the Gleneagles restaurant continues to maintain his legacy. The dégustation menu is £165 per person (wine pairing is an extra £95 or £150), but there are also three-course (£125) and four-course (£155) options available.

Leith's premier dining experience, this high-end restaurant combines imaginative cuisine, luxuriously understated decor, and a lovely waterfront location. Renowned Michelin-starred chef Martin Wishart woos diners with his inspired menu of artistically presented, French-influenced dishes. To get a flavor of everything the restaurant has to offer, choose the ever-changing, multicourse tasting menu (£125); you can also sample the mouthwatering vegetarian tasting and market menus, and you can mix and match to tailor your perfect meal. To experience Martin Wishart's creations on more of a budget, visit for lunch from Wednesday to Friday, when the set menu is £52.50. Reservations are advised midweek and essential on weekends.

A perennial Inverness favorite, the Rocpool has a frequently changing menu of modern bistro classics using the freshest local ingredients. Seafood is a particular specialty, from crab and halibut to scallops and sea trout, while meaty dishes like Angus beef carpaccio and loin of Speyside venison also have a local flavor. Vegetarian options are available, though limited. The wine list is extensive and excellent. Dine at lunch or in the early evening to enjoy discounted two-course menus for £25.95 and £29.95, respectively.

The Old Royal Station, built for Queen Victoria and restored after a disastrous fire in 2015, now houses this charming café, where breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea is served. The hearty brunch menu features dishes like eggs Benedict, eggs Royale, and locally-accented treats such as black pudding and apple gateau with lemon butter; and don't miss the posh take on stovies—a roast beef stew with mashed potatoes, spring onions, red wine gravy, and beetroot.

Fenella Renwick and Kirsty Scobie opened this summer outdoor diner in 2016 with a mission to serve the very best of local seafood, which comes fresh off the boats every morning. Since then, the Seafood Shack has become a local legend, and they've even published a book of their own recipes. A pop-up bar serves cocktails based on gin from the nearby Rhidorroch Distillery to make summer afternoons perfect.

A family-run restaurant in an appealing village setting, Seasons has a reputation for using local produce consistently well in imaginative ways. White walls and wooden tables create an uncluttered setting for the elegant and creative dishes offered. Deer, lamb, and beef from local farms are coupled with vegetables and herbs from the restaurant's own garden. The tagliatelle with walnut and kale pesto is a tempting alternative for vegetarians.

Book ahead to guarantee a seat in the stylish dining room with golden hanging lanterns and abstract prints so you can feast on fabulous contemporary versions of Vietnamese classics such as pho and Sai Gon king prawn summer rolls. Choose from à la carte street food, home comfort classics, and vegan options guided by the small friendly team who regularly disappear and reemerge from a hatch behind the small bar.

Overlooking Elie's sandy beach, the Ship Inn combines a nautically themed pub--restaurant serving superb Scottish cuisine with six pristine, tastefully white-shuttered rooms, four with stunning views of the sea. The relaxed atmosphere and views—with the comedy of a cricketing contest on shifting sands a bonus—make for an afternoon you'll never forget, especially if the weather is lovely. Sports lovers visit Elie on summer weekends to watch cricket matches played on the beach outside, and it's a magic spot to dine at any time. The staff fires up a barbecue and cooks simple fare, including fish, lobster tacos, burgers, and chicken.

If you're feeling peckish after a trip to Handa Island, stop at this exceptional restaurant overlooking Tarbet Harbor. It serves freshly caught seafood specialties, from hand-dived scallops and hot smoked mackerel to whole lobsters, in a quaint, maritime-themed setting. To get here, take the minor road off the A894 around 3 miles northwest of Scourie; it's signposted "Tarbet" and "Handa Island."

Huge windows overlook the harbor and beach at this quayside favorite in a former customhouse, long one of Aberdeen's most acclaimed restaurants. The French-inspired menu focuses on fish: try the crab bisque with samphire to start, then move on to a lavish seafood platter of scallops, mussels, langoustes, prawns, and cockles.

It looks like an old Scottish pub, and it is, but the vibrant ceramics, tapas, and sangria are so authentic they'll make you feel as if you're in España. Choose from the set menus, like a £22 lunch or £30 dinner, and you'll be served a steady stream of cracking little dishes. Booking in advance is essential. One word of warning: don't go looking for a quiet, romantic meal.

For many years Stravaigin has maintained the highest quality of cooking, creating adventurous dishes that often combine Asian and local flavors and unusual marriages of ingredients. You can try the piri piri quail (the seasoning is used in Africa) or the restaurant's famous haggis and neeps (turnips), symbolizing its commitment to local produce. A wide variety of wines is available, including some uncommon ones. The café-bar is abuzz with conversation; the downstairs restaurant serves the same menu, but the environment is quieter.

Perhaps the Isle of Skye's biggest culinary draw, this old stone-walled restaurant on the banks of Loch Dunvegan serves consistently daring, well-crafted food. Head chef Scott Davies's belief in quality Scottish ingredients is evident in every dish, from the locally sourced game to the sublime Scottish seafood, with most dishes available as part of a multicourse meal or à la carte. When aligned with the chic, minimalist interior—all crisp white walls and exposed brickwork—it makes for a luxury dining experience you won't soon forget. If you're too full to move after your meal, you'll find six luxurious (but pricey) guest rooms at the House Over-By next door. Reservations are essential; book well ahead and reconfirm the day before.