EATING & DRINKING GUIDE HIGHLIGHTS
EATING & DRINKING AWARDS
As always, our Eating & Drinking Awards recognise the most exciting places and people on the scene, while our Reader Awards, generously sponsored by Birra Moretti, put
the power in the people’s hands
WINNERS WINNERS
P H O T O : J A M E S G O U R L A Y
Nauticus Five March
A pocket-sized bistro halfway down Leith Walk, The Little Chartroom is navigating its way to a bright future after one of the year’s most talked-about openings, with precise cooking, ever-changing seasonality and relaxing service. 83 Hanover Street blends Chilean flavours with Scottish produce to produce bright, bold small plates in a sunny basement space, with meticulous yet laid-back service. Nauticus is a new breed of local pub – championing Scottish drinks and producers with one of the best cocktail lists in the city, it’s equally good for a pint pitstop on your way home from work. And there’s special recognition for local hero Stuart McCluskey, whose family of bars and restaurants (including Bon Vivant, the Devil’s Advocate and newcomer Lady Libertine) have done so much to influence Edinburgh’s bar scene over the past decade, with a focus on good drinks, good people and good times.
EATING & DRINKING R E A D E R AWARDS
In association with
The Finnieston scene continues to evolve, and Five March’s inventive, confident Middle East and East Mediterranean-influenced small plates and exotic cocktail list exemplifies the area’s vibrancy and innovation. Over in the Southside, Justin Valmassoi’s tiny 14-seat diner Nanika shows that exciting dining often comes in small packages with his passionate take on South East Asian street food, with exceptional cooking at affordable prices. Also on the Southside, we were thrilled to see Locavore, a dynamic community-oriented food project, expand into bigger, better, busier premises in the past year, adding a cracking communal café and organic grocery shop. And heartfelt congratulations to Mhairi Taylor and the Zique team for a remarkable run, with recent arrivals Bakery by Zique and sophisticated Gather by Zique joining the much-loved Cafezique family of good food establishments in the Hyndland area.
P H O T O
: J A M E S G O U R L A Y
TAPA
WINNER BATTLEFIELD REST
WINNER
EDINBURGH READER AWARDS GLASGOW READER AWARDS
TAPA
The Birra Moretti Readers’ Awards saw a nail-biting finish in Edinburgh, with Tapa being crowned the eventual winner. This locals’ favourite has offered a nuanced take on contemporary Spanish cuisine and wine in Leith’s Shore for the past ten years. Our two fantastic runners-up were the powerhouse that is Bross Bagels, who’ve taken Edinburgh by storm with two new branches this year; and Contini George Street, a temple to authentic Italian flavours and impeccable Scottish sourcing, all wrapped up in genuinely warm hospitality. 76 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2019
BATTLEFIELD REST Thousands of readers’ votes saw Southside favourite Battlefield Rest become the worthy Glasgow winner. They’ve been serving Italian food for an incredible 25 years in their elegant former tram stop waiting room, and our readers recognised their endearing hospitality and skillful ability to keep things fresh and interesting after a quarter of a century. Runners-up were idiosyncratic West End steak house and bar-diner Finsbay Flatiron, while eclectic menus and local sourcing saw readers voting in their droves for Broomhill bistro The Square Bar and Restaurant.