UK restaurant guide website SquareMeals has revealed the top 100 restaurants in the UK to visit this year, with 11 in Scotland making the cut.
The list was determined by the opinions of SquareMeals critics and diners’ votes, as well as reviews of the eateries and information from their booking website.
Kinneuchar Inn, Kilconquhar
Taking the top spot for Scottish cuisine and number 14 on the top 100 list is the Kinneuchar Inn in Fife. The 17th-century gastropub offers an a la carte menu that changes daily based on the ingredients that they source from an organic farm in Fife, the Balcaskie estate.
The restaurant that serves "great food in an intimate setting" is owned by renowned London-based chef James Ferguson and his partner Aletha Palmer, and is open to the public Wednesday to Saturday.
Inver, Loch Fyne
Next up on the list for Scotland is Inver, in Argyll and Bute, which is number 23 on the UK-wide list. Located on Loch Fyne on Scotland’s west coast, the converted ferryman’s cottage offers guests dishes prepared with fresh seafood and local meat which they describe as a “contemporary take on traditional and forgotten Scottish dishes”.
Cail Bruich, Glasgow
Located in the west end of Glasgow is the next restaurant on the list – Cail Bruich, at number 33. Led by head chef Lorna McNee, it offers a “unique and relaxed dining experience” on Great Western Road. Cail Bruich offers guests a tasting menu that changes with the seasons based on local ingredients and sometimes from the restaurant’s own kitchen garden. The tasting menu starts at £140 per person with no vegan/dairy free alternatives.
Celentano’s, Glasgow
Number 39 is another Glasgow restaurant Celentano’s, serving up an Italian-inspired menu for diners. Owned by husband and wife Dean and Anna, the pair got the idea for the restaurant after touring Italy for two weeks on their honeymoon and the name comes from a song they heard whilst in Italy. The family-friendly restaurant offers “simple, unfussy dishes designed to be shared with loved ones".
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie in Perthshire takes spot 45 on the list. The two-Michelin-star restaurant in Gleneagles and offers a fine dining experience for guests. Its dishes range from an a la carte menu to a separate vegetarian menu such as the home-smoked Scottish lobster.
Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, Crieff
Number 49 is another Perthshire restaurant, the Glenturret Lalique Crieff. The exclusive restaurant is located in Scotland’s oldest working distillery with only six tables available each night. The restaurant and bar are currently closed for winter but will re-open on January 25 with “globetrotting menus”.
Eleanore, Edinburgh
Edinburgh restaurant Eleanore is at number 53 in the guide. The restaurant and wine bar is owned by the team behind The Little Chartroom, also based in Edinburgh. It offers set menus of lunch for £35pp and dinner for £49pp.
