Most of Edinburgh and Glasgow’s top eateries are positively embracing local produce, and in some cases even foraging for wild food, according to new research. Around two-thirds of the 800 or so restaurants in this year’s List Eating and Drinking Guide were rated good or very good for their food sourcing by the Guide’s reviewers.

Other hot items on this year’s menus have also included: afternoon tea; foraged wild herbs; piccalilli; potted shrimp; flat white coffees; sharing plates and barley risotto. And macaroons are among the contenders tipped to be ‘the new cupcake’.

The Guide has long championed the issue of food sourcing. To emphasise this, the 2010/11 Special Award has been given to Tim and Fran James, who run the Creelers restaurants in Edinburgh and Brodick, in recognition of their longstanding commitment to the promotion of sustainable Scottish seafood. 

Fran James set up the Seafood Cabin at Skipness on Kintyre in order to sell fisherman Tim’s freshly caught prawns, scallops and crabs in 1988. Two years later the couple opened Creelers in Brodick on Arran, and Edinburgh followed in 1995. Fran has also been a mainstay of the Edinburgh Restaurateurs’ Association for many years, supporting independently run eating places in the capital.

The guide covers 953 bars, restaurants, bistros, cafés, takeaways, diners and sandwich bars in Glasgow, Edinburgh and, for the first time, around Scotland. 

At least 113 new restaurants have opened this year, despite the economic turndown, of which 28 are in brand new premises.
The Guide is divided into 18 sections, covering different categories and cuisine types. Each section contains a Hitlist of the best places. The Glasgow and Edinburgh 2010/11 Eating and Drinking Guide is available free with The List magazine until Tuesday 11th May, £3.50

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Awards in 2010/11:

List Readers Awards in association with Taste of Edinburgh
Edinburgh: Urban Angel
Glasgow: Lebowskis

Edinburgh Newcomers of the Year 2010
For showcasing Scottish and sustainable seafood -- Ondine
For putting real food into neighbourhood eating -- The Water of Leith Café Bistro

Glasgow Newcomers of the Year 2010
For skilled but accessible city-centre dining -- The Dining Room
For breaking the mould of local eating and drinking -- Cookie

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Went to Citation with friends for lunch and a few drinks.  Was very impressed with food, service and atmoshere.  Citation is decorated to a high standard and the staff were very friendly and welcoming.  There was good variety in the lunch menu and the food was delicious.  Will definately be going back to sample the dinner menu.  You can also reserve areas in the bar for parties etc.  Well worth a visit.

Just thought i would post about The Hunters restaurant in East Kilbride as I have just returned from there after taking my Mum up for a meal for Mothers Day. The food is fantastic and is great value, having cost £28 for main courses and drinks for 4 adults and 2 children. Unbeatable as far as i know. AS i said the food is great and there is a wide range on offer for both adults and children, the service is good and the food is well prepared and presented. The surroundings are pleasant and spacious and there is an outside play area for the kids. So all in all, a great dining experience. Not posh or pretentious, just good food at fantastic prices. Nice one.

This house is situated on the south side of Glasgow just off the M8 and M77.The house itself is of special interest as the design for it was entered into a competition by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Years after the competition Glasgow Council decided to build the house to Mackintosh's design in the Bellahouston Park. Part of the house is used by the Glasgow School of Art and there is also an exhibition of Mackintosh's work. The restaurant at the House is my favourite place to eat out. The food is excellent, there is a good choice and it is beautifully presented. Nice friendly staff too. Well worth a visit.

As we took in the combination of industrial, sleek, stylish girlieness it is not surprising to learn that Fifi & Ally have won Most Stylish Cafe and have been nominated for Scottish Tastemakers and Top of the Shops in Elle Decoration 2006.  The bare brick walls are softened by stylish, frufru, black framed mirrors and the oversized lamp shades.  Despite the size of the place - large - it didn’t feel too vacuous, successfully maintaining a sense of cosy intimacy.

Pretty quickly we decided from the menu that the Open Boards were top of our list and so I ordered the Moroccan Board (£14.95) and my friend ordered the Celtic Board (£15.95), along with a glass of wine… When the Boards arrived, we were both delighted with what we saw.  In the centre of my Moroccan board was a bowl with a salad, then around this bowl there were little dishes holding the various accompanyments and some slices of flat bread.  Whilst all full of texture and taste it seemed a little on the megre side in comparison with the Celtic Board which contained mounds of beef, salmon and smoked wild venison as well as cheese and bread = I had menu envy!! Both boards were most enjoyable, but I would say for the price the Moroccan Board was a little mean in portion size, whereas the Celtic Board was value for money and full of satisfying ingredients.

Coffee and Curly Wurly cake to follow - I have a sweet tooth but even this Curly Wurly cake was too much for me, but deliciously moist and tasty.  My friend had the Walnut and Coffee cake which was rich in flavour.

A popular option for guests to Fifi & Ally is the afternoon tea and through this option they seem to be filling the 2pm - 5pm afternoon slot successfully, tables filling up with groups of girls/ladies going for the three plate cake stand of treats, which we both thought most appealing…. that’s for next time!  For more reviews go to - www.paolabrett.com