Three of us stumbled upon The Outsider while out looking for a place for dinner. It was so good we…read morewent back with 2 more friends a few nights later. Nice pleasant room with good size tables and very helpful, friendly courteous wait persons. Very good steaks, and fish, and affogato for dessert. Go to read the creative food descriptions on the menu!

My wife has been following The Outsider on the socials for a bit. So as we find ourselves in…read moreEdinburgh, this was a must. Tonight's dinner destination. We got here at 6 with no reservation. We were able to be seated upstairs. This place is busy (much busier when we were finished for sure). So if you can, I'd suggest reserving a spot. It's a bit loud in here. Not out of the ordinary for a busy place. We started with the pressed pork belly app. Perfect crisp. Could've used more of the celeriac puree bed. The confit shallots were so good and nicely sweet. Black pudding cubes (small. More of these!). Candied pears. Mmm. Great start. Wife got the char grilled venison on a butternut squash purée and spicy daikon planks (I didn't find the heat, she did tho!). It was excellent and perfectly prepared. Not gamey at all. I got the 35 day aged hangar steak. This is hands down one of the best steaks I have had out in a very long time. So well seasoned! Which was such a pleasant surprise as it left me wanting for nothing to add flavor. The hand cut fries were good but did need some salt. No dessert as, well, our server was scattered a bit all night. We asked for the dessert menu. She brought us dinner menus and we didn't see her for 10 minutes. So we opted to leave, a bit disappointed at the end. We would come back tho. Thats for sure.

Oh dear, went with someone who had been a couple of times before and they noticed a huge…read moredeterioration in food and service. Cramped, small tables. Slow, slow service with aperitifs arriving half way through meal and paired wine arriving as plates clearing. We continually had to flag staff for ordering drinks as never offered and then chase so they'd arrive. We weren't the only table in the same position. Staff seemed to be enjoying themselves with animated conversations and laughs among themselves while we waited for bill 10 mins after asking. Ended up having to walk out to the front and make it clear we were leaving. Large service fee automatically added. Food was very average with many listed ingredients and flavours missing in the final dish. Consequently bland or unbalanced. Small portions and despite ordering more plates than they recommended we left hungry. Expensive for what it is. Very very disappointing. Trading on a good old name.

We had dinner at Eighty Eight last night and it was lovely. It's a small restaurant and very cosy…read more Their concept of small plates works really well, we shared four dishes and a dessert between the two of us and we were very happy. The menu changes regularly, but if you are interested in going any time soon (March 2022) I'd highly recommend the scallop ceviche (we ate it before I managed to take a picture) which was mind blowing and the wild mushroom and gnocchi dish. The prices are very reasonable and the staff were so nice. I'll definitely be back!!!!

Does anyone remember Lip Service? The BBC 3 drama based in Glasgow. I was hooked on that show and…read morefor some reason I always noticed the Trans-Europe Cafe featured in the background of lots of scenes and I made a vow that I had to give it a visit. By chance this past Sunday my boyfriend Mark was getting his camera cleaned a few doors down from the cafe so I gave him my best "I'm hungry eyes" and we decided to pop in for some lunch. The decor is beyond cool, the walls are a tilled map of the world and the the seating areas consist of old bus seats. The staff make you feel welcome straight away and just chat to you as if they are your best pal. I didn't even have my bum on the seat before I was asked did I know what part of Greece, Cyprus was in? Answers on a postcard because no one knew the answer! The table next to us were going in on their all day breakfast which I made a mental note to try at a later date but today I was in the mood for the classic soup and sandwich combo. All the sandwiches and salads are named after locations and the home made soups change daily. I had a toastie with peppers, balsamic vinegar, mozzarella, tomato and onion with lentil and chickpea soup. Mark had a chicken and pesto pannini with the pea and ham soup. The food was just brilliant. Fresh, tasty and filling. I really couldn't have asked for anything more. There was little to no talking as we ate and we both left very clean plates. The highlight for me had to be the soup, I've never had chickpeas in a soup before but it was pretty special. The prices were more than reasonable and I had a lovely earl grey tea with my food while mark enjoyed a beer. The Trans-Europe cafe is one of those special places in Glasgow that is kept alive by its great food, staff and returning customers and I've just put myself firmly in that last category.

My favourite place for brunch in Glasgow. It's a little hard to find at first but it's well worth…read moremaking the effort to eat here. The interior reminds me of being back in Berlin (my favourite place in the world) with it's quirky seating, the countless postcards on the wall and 80s music on in the background. I have eaten here at all times of the day and have never been disappointed. For breakfast the Eggs Benedict are amazing, there is a huge range of salads and sandwiches for lunch and on Friday and Saturday nights they now open for dinner. I tried the evening menu a few weeks ago and it was excellent. Beef with black pudding to start, perfectly cooked fish to follow and then really good coffee. At just over £40 for 2 starters, 2 mains, dessert and coffee it is amazing value. I cannot recommend this place enough. If you want a little bit of Europe in Glasgow this is the place to be.

Truly a memorable experience. We attended as a party or 4 (including one 11 year old proto-foodie)…read moreand each of us had a delightful time, and took away from the evening our own favorite dish of the night. Sean did a fantastic job highlighting the best of the fresh ingredients he served us, often in surprisingly formats. Highly recommend you make time in your Edinburgh schedule for The Table!

If you have an open minded approach to eating and you can actually book a seat for this place, then…read moreI highly recommend going! At £60 per person, it's not for the faint hearted. We ate a 7 course tasting menu and they DO NOT cater to dietary requirements. You CAN however book the entire place if you have 9 other like minded people who are happy to eat to your dietary restrictions. I think we ended up having 9 plates of food including a little amuse bouche at the start and petit fours at the end and also a mini pre dessert. The portions are well sized. I managed to finish every course and left full but not stuffed. Each plate is beautifully presented and they talk you through each plate before you eat it. As it's an open kitchen and there's only 10 seats, there is the chance to ask questions and speak to the chefs which I really liked. There were some interesting things like freeze dried powdered foie gras which my palate was a bit confused by, but as a whole dish, it did come together if at first I wasn't quite sure. This is not a place for the non food adventurous! I love that they're making fine dining casual, there was great banter between courses and throughout the evening. Other reviews have deemed it worthy of two Michelin stars, I've personally never eaten at a '2 star' establishment so I can't comment about that, but the food was definitely as good if not better than some of the '1 star' establishments that I've eaten at in town. It's also BYOB with no corkage fee, so you can spend as much or as little as you like on booze. They do have soft drinks/tea/coffee/sparkling water for sale as well but serve tap water as standard. This place definitely is not for everyone. But if you're a foodie and have the budget, try and get booked ASAP! (I've been debating between 4 and 5 stars as the food was excellent, and I totally understand with only two people cooking, it's very difficult to cater to dietary requirements & especially for coeliacs they can't guarantee no contamination but it seems unfair that so many people can't enjoy their food!)

We had a group of 9 and were able to reserve a private room which was great for conversations we…read morecould all hear. We had what seemed like two full time servers always on the spot to take our drink and food orders. The food itself was excellent, where everyone was happy with their orders. The duck and venison dishes seemed especially good. We highly recommend Blonde!

The perfect neighbourhood bistro. We walked in without a reservation on a Sunday night but I know…read moresome nights it can get quite full. We ordered the venison bourguignonne and confit duck. They were both delicious and very filling. The ambiance of Blonde is really what makes it stand out. It's everything you want in a neighbourhood bistro: small and extremely considerate staff, warm cozy interior, casual environment.

As ever, Balloch was packed for the one soiltary day that the sun shines in Scotland. Most places…read morewithin the main street were packed so we headed along to Loch Lomond shores and discovered The Kilted Skirlie. We managed to get the perfect seat out on the balcony overlooking the perfect view of Loch Lomond. Waiters were really friendly and quick to attend. Great choice of menu. We had the Heather chicken served with Rumbledethumps and fresh vegetables..... Delicious! and highly recommended. Great cocktail list too. So if your looking for the place to go on a sunny day, chill out and have a cheeky wee cocktail (or 2 or 3 or..... ;) then get yourselves down there.

Wonderful place with good food and even better views…read more Upstairs on loch Lomond shores you have a balcony for he occasional sunny day to eat outside or a choice from restaurant or bar type area to eat I was out on the bike so all alone and the bar was perfect for a solo diner Hit a negative which lost it a star.... Cash only in the bar!!!! Rage Luckily had cash but I dislike cash only businesses!! Anyway tea came in a little pot.... Enough for 1 1/4 cups of tea - not really enough but the guy working there was really nice and offered to refill ..... Star for service I had a salmon wrap with fries and it was delicious as was the side salad Star for food the venue is spotless so another star Views get a star all day long If you're about this area I recommend popping in

We had a free night at the hotel when we missed our connecting flight. It included a meal in the…read morehotel restaurant, which I have to admit was something we weren't looking forward to. The hotel itself was pretty grim and there was no reason to believe the restaurant would be any better. But what a revelation. Friendly, attentive staff and a massive menu (literally) to choose from. The lentil and smoked garlic soup was perhaps the best soup I've ever had. For main course, my companions had a selection of fish based dishes. The hake dish was particularly well received, as was the salmon with risotto. I had a sirloin which, while not the most tender steak I've ever had, was extremely well seasoned and cooked. This is a really unassuming place in a pretty uninspiring location. But the food and service deserve way better. If you're in the area you could do much worse than come here.

I went here with my family for Christmas dinner. £65 per head for one of the worst meals I've ever…read moreeaten. The starter was fine, but very small portions. The main was a pathetic impression of a school lunch, with about half the love and attention given. Dry beef and completely undercooked veg, left a lot to be desired. Desert was not terrible, though I imagine the chef had as little to do with these as possible, as they were most likely frozen. The wait staff were an even split, with some being friendly, but the majority being disinterested or even downright rude. I can understand the misery of working Christmas day, but you don't have to ruin it for everyone else. I wouldn't waste my money here again.

This used to be one of the best places to eat À la carte in Hamilton, there was a time where the…read morefood and service was second to none and you had to book ahead in order to get a table. Sadly, after having visited three times in the last 2 weeks, I would have to say that the standards are clearly slipping in this once fine establishment. Now you can just turn up on spec and you are guaranteed a table, the dining room is nearly always more than 50% empty, even on Mothers day when we went on Sunday night. The biggest disappointment of the Mothers day visit, was that they had replaced the normal À la carte menu with a fixed menu of the day which comprised of little more than pub grub, but with À la carte prices. We were not informed at the time of booking that the regular À la carte menu would not be available on Mothers day, what a disappointment it was for a table of 8, there wasn't even anything on the fixed menu for the children to eat. It was so bad, we got up and left. On the previous 2 occasions, orders were just simply wrong, staff were then rude and unhelpful in trying to correct matters, some of the food was cold, honestly you would expect a better standard of service at a burger joint, definitely not what you expect from an À la carte hotel restaurant. The hotel side of the business still seems popular enough, no doubt in part because of it's prime location in the town, but if your looking for a nice À la carte meal and don't want to be disappointed, then I would suggest you look else where and avoid this once great place, shame really.

THIS IS A SMALL PLATES MENU. I think it was summarised beautifully by my partner who joined me here…read morefor dinner. "I want to drag the chef home and lock him in the kitchen" Prepare to show up and have an amazing experience, your tastebuds will adore you. Textures, flavours and general yumminess. Who would think to combine asparagus and honey! A must try :)

Situated in Stockbridge, Merienda is only a 10 minute walk away from the city centre…read more The restaurant is fairly small but is set up to allow more than enough space for social distancing. On top of this, the Merienda team have put a few extra precautions in place, all without impacting the dining experience! When we arrived at the restaurant we were encouraged to sanitize our hands, we had our temperature checked and we were asked to keep our face masks on whilst moving through the restaurant. Whether you're looking for a light meal or a full dining experience, the menu is served Mediterranean style with small plates based around 5 different sections; Merienda Staples, Fields and Gardens, Farms and Pastures, Rivers and Seas, and Sweetness. We decided to go for the full dining experience and ordered 6 plates each, plus a dessert to share. After grazing on so many delicious plates, it was difficult to choose a favourite, but if we had to pick 1, it would have to be the star of the show - the dessert - White chocolate & cranberry croissant butter pudding. Everything about the menu was incredibly fresh and it was interesting to know that all the ingredients are sourced locally throughout Scotland, served in their own style! The servers were extremely attentive and (personally for us) we enjoyed the pace in which all the dishes were served, as this allowed us to not rush our meal and appreciate the flavours the chef had put together for us. To read our full review, please visit sandlblog.com