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Daily Record

National

Ketsuda Phoutinane

The 11 Scottish restaurants celebrated in UK top 2023 list by top food guide

United Kingdom SquareMeal Edinburgh Andrew Fairlie Glasgow Birmingham Daily Record Inver Palmerston (Organization) Belfast

From cosy gastropubs to innovative fine dining sourced from homegrown ingredients, food lovers in Scotland have a growing list of restaurants to visit.

Gourmands have a veritable feast of choice as chefs show off their passion, flair and expertise every day in eateries across the country. Even as the hospitality industry continues to battle the headways of the pandemic, many businesses are still at the top of their game.

A few of these stellar establishments — 11 to be exact — have been highlighted by SquareMeal's top 100 UK restaurants for 2023. Based on the opinions of in-house critics and thousands of diners' votes, the restaurant review and booking website's annual list has named the places worth adding to your itinerary this year.

Sitting at number 14 is The Kinneuchar Inn, making the 17th century pub and restaurant the highest entry in Scotland. Rounding up the top three Scottish eateries are Inver in Argyll & Bute and Cail Bruich in Glasgow.

The gastropub in Leven's "affordable yet elevated" menu is applauded, as well as its produce which is mainly sourced from the nearby Balcaskie Estate.

Elsewhere on the list, Edinburgh and Glasgow are well represented with three and four mentions respectively alongside showings from restaurants in Perthshire and the Highlands.

Michelin star winners and family-run restaurants sit beside each other on the ranking. Taking the crown overall is Grace & Savour in Birmingham followed by Osip in Somerset and Ynyshir in Powys.

Read on for why 11 Scottish restaurants featured on SquareMeal's list, plus the ranking in full.

The top 100 restaurants in the UK for 2023 by SquareMeal

14. The Kinneuchar Inn, Fife

The Kinneuchar Inn is a 17th century pub and restaurant (Daily Record)

"This 17th-century pub and restaurant serves an affordable yet elevated a la carte menu. Produce is primarily sourced from the nearby Balcaskie Estate along with a handful of other local growers to keep menus seasonal and local."

23. Inver, Argyll & Bute

Inver offers both delicious food and incomparable views (DAILY RECORD)

"Set in a converted ferryman’s cottage on the Insta-friendly shores of Loch Fyne, Inver blends ultra-fresh local produce - sometimes straight out of the loch - with clever Nordic technique."

33. Cail Bruich, Glasgow

"With a spectacular chef’s table for two, plus a luxurious, contemporary main dining room, Cail Bruich is a special occasion spot worth saving up for. Here you’ll be treated to Lorna McNee’s unique flair for elevating the best of Scottish produce."

39. Celentano's, Glasgow

Celentano's in Glasgow (Instagram/@celentanos_glasgow)

"This relaxed, Italian-inspired eatery is headed up by husband-and-wife team Dean and Anna who offer simple, unfussy dishes designed to be shared with loved ones. Sustainable initiatives are put into practice too, with many of its biodynamic and organic wines available on tap to reduce glass waste."

45. Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Perthshire

SquareMeal says Andrew Fairlie's legacy continues at his namesake restaurant (Gleneagles)

"The legacy of the great Andrew Fairlie continues at this luxury hotel restaurant. You know what you get at Gleneagles - precise, sumptuous dishes, rooted in European tradition and the very best Scottish produce."

49. Glenturret Lalique Crieff, Perthshire

"With just six tables available per night, dinner at this distillery restaurant is pretty exclusive. The trip is absolutely worth it, though, as Mark Donald’s globetrotting menus are out of this world."

53. Eleanore, Edinburgh

"Roberta Hall-McCarron’s second restaurant has smashed all expectations. We love the soothing interiors almost as much as we love Hall-McCarron’s delicious, inventive cooking."

56. Bar Brett, Glasgow

Bar Brett's food was said to be even better than its wines (Instagram/@barbrett)

"A wine bar where the food is as good - if not better - than the carefully selected low-intervention drinks list, Bar Brett turns out plates full of the hum of wood-fired cooking that borrow inspiration from across the globe."

57. Condita, Edinburgh

Edinburgh's Condita was deemed a 'culinary force to be reckoned with' (Condita/Squaremeal)

"A culinary force to be reckoned with, Condita is a leading light of Edinburgh’s restaurant scene where guests have no autonomy over what they eat. Instead, expect a three-hour long surprise tasting menu for £140."

78. The Palmerston, Edinburgh

"You won’t see the same dish twice even if you are a regular at The Palmerston. The cosy neighbourhood spot meticulously sources ingredients from local farmers, growers and fishermen."

87. Fhior, Edinburgh

Fhior is Gaelic for 'true' (Daily Record)

"Just north of Edinburgh’s city centre you will find Fhior (which is Gaelic for true). Opened in 2018 by couple Scott and Laura Smith, this family-run restaurant promises local produce on the menu along with small-batch natural wines."