Scottish Foodie Bucket List – 21 Dishes To Try Before You Die

Scottish food is often stigmatised around the world with the usual stereotypes of haggis, deep-fried Mars Bars and sickly sweet Iron Bru trotted out as the culinary delights of the nation.

The reality though, is so different. Scotland is a country that’s blossoming as a culinary destination, backed up by its wonderful produce and a new breed of world-class and innovative chefs.

These dishes are the stuff that dreams are made of. Visiting Scotland? Work your way through these for the feast of a lifetime.

Scottish Foodie Bucket List – 21 Dishes To Try Before You Die, How do these rankings work?

1. Seafood Platter – Lochleven Seafood Café – Fort William

They have their own seafood shop, cafe and restaurant all-in-one here. The portions are super generous and they specialise in fresh scallops and lobster. Add in a chilled glass of white wine and just admire the view…

2. The Cheese Trolley – The Peat Inn – Cupar

This Michelin-starred restaurant has some precise and immaculately produced food, but when they wheel out this cheese trolley things go to a whole new level. Make sure to keep lots of room after dinner, as this is an absolute treat.

3. Burger – Bread Meats Bread – Glasgow And Edinburgh

This incredibly cheesy burger is a cheat meal-and-a-half. Their burgers are stacked high and taste every bit as good as they look. Throw on some loaded fries and a bottle of beer, and this is the stuff of legends.

4. Pancakes – Cafe Gandolfi – Glasgow

Cafe Gandolfi has an extensive breakfast and brunch menu. Their fresh homemade pancakes with fresh fruit and maple syrup are an absolute delight. Weekends made perfect.

5. Hand Dived Scallops – The Ganet – Glasgow

A wonderful fine-dining establishment where the whole menu is like a work of art. When their hand dived scallops are on the menu (served with sweet mushrooms) you’re in for a serious treat.

6. Sticky Buns – Soderberg Pavillion Cafe – Edinburgh 

This Swedish bakery & café is all about the coffee and their sweet ‘n’ sticky Danish-style pastries. They’ve three locations in the city and is the ultimate spot for a treat. You’ll no doubt be craving a second bun.

7. Haggis, Neeps & Tatties – The Royal McGregor – Edinburgh

As traditional a Scottish dish as it gets, this is the perfect spot to try haggis, neeps and tatties. It comes well-presented with gravy and you can wash it down with a huge selection of beers and whisky. Delicious.

8. Hanger Steak – Chop House – Edinburgh + Leigh

In a country with such good meat this is one steak that really steals the show. Served simply with fries and sauce, because it doesn’t need anything else. This is huge on flavour and a bargain on the lunch menu at just £12.

9. Langoustines – Loch Bay Restaurant – Stein, Isle of Skye

A local restaurant where they have a wonderfully maniacal obsession of sourcing local ingredients, with a large focus on seafood and shellfish. Their langoustines are the stuff of seafood dreams – either as part of a special dish, or on their own.

10. Smoked Salmon – The Clachaig Inn – The Highlands

This pub is an institution in itself and a wonderful stop off in the Scottish Highlands, either overnight or during a long countryside drive. Their traditional Oak Smoked West Coast Salmon with a glass of white wine by the fire will right all your wrongs.

11. Fish And Chips – The Fish Hoose – Thornton – Fife

Light crispy batter combined with big chunky fresh chips and mushy peas. The Fish Hoose is a multiple award-winning spot and is known as one of the best fish and chips in the UK. Stop by for Taco Tuesdays for something a little different.

12. Sunday Lunch – Bridge Inn – Newbridge

The perfect pub to escape from the city madness for a nice drive and a spot of Sunday lunch. They’e won pub of the year three times and their food, dining room and location are all stunning. With a feast like this you’ll be rolling back home.

13. Tacos – El Cartel Mexicana – Edinburgh

If ditching a knife and fork and just wrapping up a soft, floury taco in your hands is the dream dish for you, then you need to head to El Cartel. Bursting with flavour, great beers to wash the tacos down with and a fun, lively dining room.

14. Sashimi – Yatai Izakaya – Aberdeen

Some people might be surprised to find great sushi in Aberdeen but that would be a mistake. Consider the great quality local fish, talented chefs and a passionate crew in this small spot, and you have some amazing dishes – including sashimi to die for.

15. Afternoon Tea – Gleneagles – Auchterarde

Afternoon tea here is an experience of a lifetime, when you really want to push the boat out to celebrate something special or treat a loved one. Sit back and enjoy this majestic treat while soaking in the view.

16. Special Eggs Benedict – Mountain Cafe, Aviemore

You wouldn’t expect a chef from New Zealand to be cooking food this good in such a rural Scottish location, but that’s the beauty of this. The Eggs Benedict comes with crushed avocado and black pudding and is absolute perfection. Worth a very special trip for this dish alone.

17. The Fry Up – Edinburgh Larder – Edinburgh

They put a huge emphasis on only sourcing the best ingredients here and that translates into one of the tastiest and cleanest fry ups you’ll ever have. The perfect soakage for a weekend in Edinburgh.

18. Babu Kitchen – Street Style Curry – Glasgow

There’s incredible Bombay street food and light & tasty homestyle curries on the go in this Glasgow restaurant. Their street food has loyal fans and tastes unreal. Follow them on social media for all the latest dishes to try.

19. Venison – The Cellar – Anstruther, Fife

This Michelin-starred restaurant creates food that is precise and looks like a work of art. When venison appears on the menu you need to stop what you’re doing and get here immediately. This version comes with black pudding and beetroot.

The Cellar also has stunning beef or lamb dishes depending on the season, in case the venison isn’t on.

20. Ice Cream – Janetta’s Gelateria – St Andrew’s

This Gelateria started way back in 1908 in St Andrews and is still going strong in the family. Their ice cream is to die for and the queues out the door tell you everything you need to know. Two scoops are good, but three is better…

21. Pizza – Baffo – Glasgow

You’d travel from anywhere around the country to taste this authentic pizza in the West End of Glasgow. Huge portions made with high-end ingredients (thinkprosciutto di parma, Salami Milano and spicy sausage from Calabria) make this some mouth watering stuff.