SUMMER DINING ADVERTISING FEATURE DINNERS + SUPPERS

Summer Dining

GLASGOW EDINBURGH

BIG BLUE 445 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 8HH, 0141 357 1038, bigbluerestaurant.co.uk

Part of the Giovanazzi family empire, whose Kelvinbridge interests include the neighbouring Philadelphia takeaway, La Parmigiana and now wine shop Quel Vin, this popular Italian bar and restaurant offers one of the best riverside locations in the city. Recently expanded, there’s outside room for more people to enjoy a summer’s evening by the river Kelvin with good Italian food and perhaps a cocktail or two.

BO’VINE MEATS AND WINES 385 Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8AU, 0141 341 6540, bovinerestaurant.com

Hot, sunny days in Glasgow can be cause for celebration, and a meal in the plush and classy surroundings of this Scottish restaurant make for a suitable destination. Specialising in locally reared meat, Bo’vine serves a range of delicious steaks, chops and seafood at sensible prices - all accompanied by wines from their extensive and enticing cellar.

ITALIAN KITCHEN 64 Ingram Street, Glasgow, G1 1EX, 0141 572 1472, italian- kitchen.co.uk

Whether sunny or overcast, the Italian Kitchen is a good choice to enjoy the summer flavours of the Mediterranean with a range of delicious Italian dishes. There’s a choice of pizzas, pastas, salads and meat dishes, plus daily fish specials and, if that doesn’t give you a taste of the sun, there is also excellent home-made ice cream.

WEST BREWERY Building 4 Templeton Building, Glasgow Green, G40 1AW, 0141 550 0135, westbeer.com

Situated in Glasgow Green’s spectacular Templeton Building, WEST has ample outdoor space in which to enjoy excellent pub food and their range of beers after a day sunning it on the green. The food has an enticing German theme, alongwith some Scottish dishes - all using quality ingredients simply prepared. As the sun dips, head inside to sample the beers in the candelabra-lit interior.

28 THE LIST 21 Jul–4 Aug 2011

CAFE FISH 15 North West Circus Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6SX, 0131 225 4431, cafefish.net

Recently moved to Stockbridge from Leith, this seafood restaurant and wine bar’s new premises incorporate an outdoor seating area as well as room for more covers inside. A locally popular seafood favourite, the new restaurant (a converted bank) features a brand new aluminium oyster bar and a grand gallery kitchen within the restaurant. Note that it’s open late during the Edinburgh Festival.

THE BOAT HOUSE 22 High Street, South Queensferry, Edinburgh, EH30 9PP, 0131 331 5429, theboathouse-sq.co.uk

A little out-of-town, but the view makes it all worthwhile. Stretching over three floors from the small town’s cobbled High Street to the banks of the Firth of Forth, in between the two Forth Bridges, the Boat House is a cocktail bar, a bistro and a restaurant. Seafood dishes, thankfully, are a speciality, although they also do a mean Angus steak.

THE RUTLAND 1-3 Rutland Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2AE, 0131 229 3402, therutlandhotel.com

Enjoying possibly one of Edinburgh’s finest settings, the Rutland faces along the length of Princes Street. A bar, a restaurant, a hotel and a downstairs nightclub in One Below, the place has a deserved reputation for relaxed excellence as well as a few outdoor seats which face onto one of the city’s most bustling junctions. Check their website for details of two-course £10 lunch and £20 dinner deals.

ST VINCENT 11 St Vincent Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6SW, 0131 225 7447

Something a little bit different here, a good old-fashioned Edinburgh basement bar to escape from the buzz of the city’s summer. Good conversation if the locals are on form, six real ales (five of them guests), around thirty whiskies and hearty pub food right through to the evening all make for a great atmosphere, and you can still get a bit of sun in the smoking terrace out front.