Cristiano Guarnacci, the chef pictured above, has been creating Italian food for diners in west Fife for many years; first as the owner of Italian restaurant, Taurasi, and then, as a chef at Ciao Italia. His latest venture, Incontri, also in Dunfermline, opened on 23 March. The Bruce Street restaurant is a joint venture with Paul and Nicola Mitchell; Nicola manages front of house while Cristiano runs the open plan
The owners who took over the Boathouse cafe and restaurant in Kinross in early 2015 have succeeded in making the venue an all-year round destination. With the addition of lamps, candlelight, fairy lights and sofas, the cafe is now a cozy winter venue. Under the previous ownership the opening hours in winter were intermittent and all the focus seemed to be on the decked seating area outside; admittedly the deck
Well, lunch actually. A main course and a glass of wine for £10 is a pretty good deal at Twenty on Princes Street, Edinburgh. The T&Cs actually specify 2 main courses and 2 drinks for £20 all in… so it’s not a solo dining option. The offer is on Monday to Friday lunchtime. Lovely surroundings and not bad food for a tenner.
If you’re looking for somewhere different for early evening drinks and food then it would be worth considering Fire Station Creative in Dunfermline. From Friday 4 March FSC will open on Friday evenings until 9pm and the bar will be selling wines, beers and a few select cocktails. Customers can also buy meat, fish and cheese sharing platters by chef Stuart Hazel.
Paul Gunning, chef and owner of Purslane in St Stephen Street, Edinburgh has just completed a redesign of his Stockbridge restaurant. After four years of building up the clientele and a reputation for the food Paul decided the interior of the small intimate space needed a refresh. Together with Rebecca McClement, an interior design graduate from Heriot Watt University they created a cleaner look with the help of local joinery
Leakey’s Bookshop on Church Street in Inverness looks like it might be worth a visit. Housed in an old Gaelic church dating back to 1793, the second-hand book shop has a log burning stove and a cafe.
Corbie and Cheip, the deli in Auchterarder, which opened on the 16th of September, has now opened as a wine bar and enotheque in the evenings from Wednesday to Sunday. Wine with charcuterie and cheese platters are available 5pm till 10pm. If you’re there during the day, you might spot Andrew Fairlie, the well-known chef from Gleneagles Hotel, who pops into the deli once or twice a week.
An Edinburgh stalwart Howies restaurant celebrates 25 years since the first one opened in 1990. Named after its founder David Howie Scott, who deliberately eschewed fine dining to create an informal bistro, the restaurant has been sold and bought back by the owner in the intervening years. During that time it has been a consistently popular venue for groups and office nights out which is probably down to a number
Where do you go if you want a pint with a nice view? The Ship Inn in the waterside village of Limekilns is worth considering for its views across the Forth of Firth. It may not have the dramatic proximity to the Forth Rail Bridge that the bars and restaurants in South Queensferry have but the village has attractive Scottish stone-built cottages plus the streets are less manic so it’s
Shieldbank Coffee Shop Monday – Closed Tuesday – 12pm until 6pm Wednesday to Sunday 10am until 6pm Shieldbank Coffee Shop is a small country coffee shop one mile outside the picturesque village of Saline within the grounds of Shieldbank Riding and Vaulting Club. They specialise in home-made soups, home baking, various light lunches, coffee and locally blended teas. In the warmer weather the terrace is open. You can watch the