What’s hot on Scotland’s food and drink scene

À la carte excellence

All change at The Pompadour at Edinburgh’s Caledonian Hotel – restaurateur Dean Banks has launched the historic venue’s first-ever à la carte menu, giving fine dining more accessibility to Scotland’s food connoisseurs. The new menu will feature an evolving seasonal selection, reflecting Banks’ ethos of creating a sensory experience with locally sourced products.

Get the scoop

Margo – a new restaurant from the brains behind Ox and Finch and Ka Pao – will start welcoming guests over the autumn in Glasgow’s Merchant City. The kitchen will be headed up by Glasgow native Robin Aitken, who first joined Scoop Restaurant Group as a chef at Ox and Finch back in 2014. The menu will include dishes such as Margo focaccia with prawn head butter; beetroot, Yellison goat’s curd and cocoa tortelloni and baked rice pudding crème caramel. 

Tune in

Edinburgh’s West End has a new bar – Downstairs at Betty’s. The sing-along piano & cocktail bar has been transported by its founder, Matt Colagiuri, from its original home in Lisbon to 15 Charlotte Lane, for a New York-style bar experience. Teaming up with leading bartender, Stefan Creran, who has headed up some of the city’s best cocktail bars including Nightcap and Lucky Liquor, the drinks list includes original and classic creations and a small snack menu featuring charcuterie and local cheese from Ian Mellis.  

Delightful drams

Scotland’s oldest working distillery, The Glenturret, have announced their 2024 release. Featuring eight expressions crafted by whisky maker, Bob Dalgarno, the Core Release includes Triple Wood, a mellow, sweet and fruity whisky; a 7 Years Old Peat Smoked; a new 14 Years Old Peat Smoked distillery-only, limited edition of 1,800 bottles, and a new 15 Years Old expression limited to 6,000 bottles. 

A shell out

Le Di-Vin wine bar in Edinburgh is welcoming back their very own Oysterman and Mr. Jamon from The Oysterman Events, as a complimentary treat for all of their customers on select dates up until December. Book in for freshly shucked oysters from the West Coast of Scotland and speciality carved Jamon Ibérico.