In recent years, Scotland has witnessed a remarkable uptick in the popularity of Italian cuisine, as evidenced by a significant increase in online searches for Italian restaurants.
This trend, revealed through newly analysed internet search data, showcases a growing fascination with Italian flavours nationwide, particularly in cities like Edinburgh and Stirling.
The surge highlights changing culinary preferences in Scotland and positions the nation as a notable contributor to the broader UK-wide trend of increasing interest in Italian dining experiences.
Online searches for Italian restaurants have boomed in Scotland in recent years.
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This has been revealed through newly released internet search data which has been analysed by Lucia, revealing that searches for Italian restaurants rose by 49% from 2021 to 2023.
In terms of Scotland cities, Edinburgh saw the biggest rise with a massive 132% increase. Stirling came second (91%), and Dundee was third (56%).
| City | Percentage Increase from 2021 – 2024 |
| Edinburgh | 132% |
| Stirling | 91% |
| Dundee | 56% |
| Inverness | 53% |
Inverness was the only other Scottish city that saw an increase which was still high with 53%.
When looking at the United Kingdom as a whole, Scotland came third (49%). Northern Ireland came first (120%) and England came third (83%).
| Country | Percentage Increase from 2021 – 2024 |
| Northern Ireland | 116% |
| England | 83% |
| Scotland | 49% |
| Wales | 22% |
Wales came in at the bottom with a 22% increase.
Speaking on the findings, Georgina Pellant from Lucia said “It is amazing to see the incredible rise in searches for Italian restaurants in Scotland.
“Seeing such high increases in places across the country from Edinburgh to Stirling shows that there is a craving for those comforting and authentic Italian flavours.
“Whether that would be a hearty pizza or delicious lasagne there is an Italian dish for anyone.”
