North Berwick Restaurant Guide

Gob-smacking views over the North Sea underpin the appeal of this down-to-earth caff, which occupies six shipping containers perched on a cliff edge and a converted horse trailer (opened by Jo and Stuart McNicol as a farm diversification project in 2018). It was highlighted this year in the Times by Chitra Ramaswamy who noted “one of the best tables I’ve sat at this year. No, ANY year” and "brilliantly done” Korean panko-fried chicken bo ssam with “giant chips, skin on, dusted with plenty of paprika and drizzled with aioli”. Reports please!

2022 Review: “A very classy experience with little or no fault to find”, say fans of the Roux-branded operation at this well-known Lutyens-designed golfing hotel, which looks towards the Firth of Forth, although it again attracted only a limited volume of feedback. Also acclaimed: “a lovely country-house ambience for a perfect afternoon tea, with spot-on service”. (Albert Roux, who passed away in early 2021, had been in charge of managing the cuisine here, but now it’s handled by his son, Michel Roux Jr).

Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s restaurant-with-rooms in the village of Gullane on Scotland’s East coast sits just a stone’s throw from Muirfield golf course, and a 30-minute drive from Edinburgh. All reports are complimentary without ever hitting any heights – viz. “great place to stay and a good restaurant, if you do stay the breakfast is spectacular”.

Mitchell Ramsay was just 21 when he took on ownership with his older sister, Alannah, of this wood-panelled harbourside fixture in April 2025; the siblings had worked in the kitchen under former owner Jack Findlay for two-and-a-half years, earning praise as “young chefs performing to a consistently high level”. Their cooking makes the most of the region’s larder and seafood in a menu of ‘modernised classics’.

2022 Review: “Fresh-as-you-like seafood, cooked perfectly with stunning views over Elie Bay – what more could you want?” – that’s the deal at this terrific shack “right on the harbour with a view of the glorious beach” run by Amy Elles of Great British Menu fame. Closed in winter.

2023 Review: “A lovely local restaurant with a high level of cookery” – Craig Millar’s bright coastal dining room provides “a good choice, especially fish at reasonable prices, plus beautiful sea views”. He follows a tasting menu format, offering 5-course and 6-course options.

“Fabulous” and “innovative modern cuisine” have earned an outstanding reputation for this “welcoming and unpretentious” village inn from chef James Ferguson and front of house Alethea Palmer, who worked together at London’s Rochelle Canteen. One reporter hailed it as their “current favourite Scottish restaurant”, while Chitra Ramaswamy of The Times, in her January 2025 rave review, was brought “close to tears” by warm madeleines at the end of a “peerless” meal. Top Menu Tip – “the flatbreads, humble as they may be, are outstanding with a warm garlicky bean purée”.

On the pretty harbour of this attractive town which overlooks the mouth of the Firth of Forth, the Smith family’s celebrated venture is arguably Scotland’s most famous chippie. The ‘Catch of the Day’ board highlights the day’s specials – almost all the fish is bought on the day served and hand-filleted by a local fish processing business, with haddock their best-seller.

This small, family-operated trattoria in “a popular seaside town” celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, with a reputation for cooking that’s “always delicious” backed up by “excellent service”. Founder Angelo Cocchia is the welcoming face out-front, while his daughter Daniela and her husband Daniele di Marco run the kitchen.

2024 Review: “It’s just a shack on the port but the lobster or fish ’n’ chips are spectacular” at this venue perched on North Berwick Harbour, which is open seasonally from April to October. Their suppliers are accredited by Marine Scotland, and if you fancy a change from the national dish opt for crab tacos or chowder.

“Now reopened as a tapas restaurant with a Spanish chef” – this well-known and picturesque, stone-walled destination (previously named without the ‘at 24’) was taken over by Nicola & Sian Linton in 2024 and relaunched with a tapas-spin learnt from a food-truck business. Early reports are raves: “it’s exceptional in every way” with an “excellent menu featuring fish, meat and vegetable dishes – everything is delicious!”

This two-year-old revival of an 18th-century watering hole in “the culinary no-man’s-land between Dundee and Edinburgh” is “just perfect”, with a “confident, pared-back menu” from chef Craig McAllister that has “an emphasis on local produce” and is “reasonably priced for the quality of the cooking”.