Whether you are dreaming of a candlelit tasting menu, a special bottle in a cosy wine bar or a design-led hideaway in the Highlands, these spots across Scotland promise memorable Valentine’s celebrations for every kind of couple.
The Palmerston, Edinburgh
The Palmerston opened in Edinburgh’s West End in August 2021, and is the first restaurant from Lloyd Morse and James Snowdon. The Palmerston champions whole-animal cookery and local produce, offering a daily-changing menu that celebrates the best and freshest produce available on the day. The 60-cover restaurant is housed in a former 19th century bank, and includes an in-house bakery. The drinks offering includes a far-reaching list of world wines – including an extensive Champagne and sparkling list – sharing bottles of beer, a concise seasonally-changing cocktail list, and an extensive selection of whiskies. It was nominated for ‘Best Breakthrough’ in GQ’s Food and Drink Awards in 2023, and placed in the National Restaurant Awards top 100 restaurants in the UK 2022-2025.
Cardinal, Edinburgh
Cardinal is an intimate, fine dining restaurant on Eyre Place, Edinburgh, where chef Tomás Gormley presents his elevated take on modern Scottish dining. Gormley takes a flavour-focussed approach to his menu, with particular attention given to fermenting and pickling, as well as ingredients cooked over flame on Cardinal’s bespoke wood fired barbecue.
A natural-led wine list complements the menu, alongside a short, carefully-curated cocktail offering and in-house soft drinks programme. The 24-cover restaurant mixes shadowy hues and deep colours with atmospheric lighting, creating an elegant yet convivial dining space.
Cail Bruich, Glasgow
Cail Bruich is an acclaimed, modern Scottish fine-dining restaurant in the heart of Glasgow’s West End. It opened in 2008 and takes its name from the Gaelic phrase “to eat well.” Cail Bruich’s Head Chef is David Scott, who works alongside Chef Director Lorna McNee, the protégé of the late two Michelin-starred chef Andrew Fairlie and the only female Michelin-starred Chef in Scotland. Cail Bruich’s menus demonstrate a deep respect for ingredients, celebrating meticulously-sourced seasonal produce from Europe and Scotland’s rich larders, often from trusted local suppliers to ensure an exceptional standard of food. The culinary style blends classical technique and technical precision with a modern perspective, creating menus that are thoughtful, balanced, and refined.
The Caravan Shop, Glasgow
The Caravan Shop is an intimate wine bar and bottle shop in Glasgow’s West End. It opened in May 2025 and takes its name from the building’s original use as a caravan shop for over 40 years. The kitchen at The Caravan Shop is led by Head Chef Alan Doig, who works alongside Chef Director, Colin Anderson – also of Brett, Kelvinbridge – to bring a menu of bar snacks, charcuterie and cheese designed to be paired seamlessly with wine. Tucked away underneath The Caravan Shop, guests can find Cellar – a cosy wine den open on Friday and Saturday evenings, offering an escape from the everyday. Guests can enjoy a curated, evolving wine list full of hidden gems, including Coravin-poured wines and Cellar exclusives not available upstairs.
Newhall Mains, Highlands
Newhall Mains is a careful re-invention of the traditional “Mains” building — a Scottish term historically used to refer to the main buildings of a farm or working estate. The family-run property which, until recently, was classified ‘at risk’, was lovingly restored into a boutique hotel by owner Euan Ramsay and his family before opening in 2021.
Offering five cottages and four double bedroom suites, the accommodation has been individually designed and decorated, incorporating an eclectic yet functional twist on Highland hospitality. It is the only luxury accommodation provider in the UK with its own airfield. Newhall Mains was awarded a Michelin Key in the inaugural awards in 2024.
The Kirkstyle Inn, Northumberland
The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman’s Rest is a highly acclaimed gastropub with rooms, nestled in the picturesque Northumberland village of Slaggyford. It reopened in February 2023 under the experienced leadership of restaurateur Nick Parkinson, who revitalised the space with a major refurbishment that blends tradition with modernity to retain its signature charm, while elevating its culinary standards and offering a unique escape for overnight guests.
The property comprises a pub, four bedrooms and The Old Rectory, a neighbouring standalone cottage sleeping up to 12 guests. The kitchen is led by Head Chef Connor Wilson, who joined for the reopening and has since established The Kirkstyle Inn as a notable player in the area’s evolving food scene. The Kirkstyle Inn has also been included in the Michelin Guide and The Good Food Guide, and has earned three AA Rosettes for culinary excellence.
Twelve Triangles, Edinburgh and Melrose
Pioneering Edinburgh bakers Emily Cuddeford and Rachel Morgan met while working at Edinburgh bakery Lovecrumbs back in 2011, and went on to open their own bakery venture, Twelve Triangles, in 2015. There are now seven Twelve Triangles shops in Edinburgh and two in the Scottish Borders, each offering their signature slow, cold-fermented sourdough, pastries, bakes and retail items. The duo’s mantra is “simple things done well”, which has gained them a “cult following” (The Times) in Edinburgh and beyond, including recently being named one of the twenty best bakeries in the UK by the Financial Times. Emily and Rachel’s debut cookbook, Kitchen Table: Simple Things Made Well was published in March 2025.
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Lannan, Edinburgh
Lannan – the first bakery from Scottish baker Darcie Maher – opened its doors in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge in July 2023. Lannan, which derives its name from the Scottish Gaelic for ‘house’, offers a weekly-changing menu combining classic viennoiserie with limited-run creations using local and seasonal produce including Blood orange danish with chocolate crémeux; Rhubarb, custard and almond cake; and ‘Lannan apple pie and custard’. Lannan is flooded with natural light thanks to wrap-around windows, and mixes traditional quarry tiles with detailed panelling and brass fixtures to create a warm, welcoming space. Lannan won Pastry Opening of the Year at the La Liste Pastry Awards 2024.
