261439 Tue Jun 04 09:16:08 -0700 2002 4 26 International 0 1381500 I will be in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and traveling between the two, this August. Does anyone have restaurant recommendations based on recent experiences? Budget is not an issue but we are focused more on the quality of the food than the setting. Tue Jun 04 09:16:08 -0700 2002 0 MZeats 1 1381522 Jackson's, is a basement restaurant just off the Royal Mile (closer to the castle). Food is Scottish products w/a modern twist. Tried the haggis even, but just could not stomach it (very bad I know!!). I then ordered the King Scallops w/lemongrass and white wine. Very good all around and a tremendous selection of scotch (Huh, what a surprise!) Stac Polly, two locations, We ate at the Dublin St. location. Again, traditional Scottish products w/a twist. I had the haggis in filo pastry w/plum sauce (VERY GOOD, I liked it this time). Sig other had a mushroom pate w/roasted peppers. Our chicken and lamb main courses were great. The Mussel Inn, on Rose ST which is our favorite of the bunch. The mussel pots are great, all of them (the five different ones I tried at least) It had great bread that I could dip into my mussel juice and sop it up (w/no one looking at me strangely). The scallops and oyster dishes were judged as terrific by my other. Tue Jun 04 20:41:45 -0700 2002 1381500 0 Sweet Willie 2 1381707 Thanks BJ. Jackson's has actually been recommended by several sources, I appreciate your confirmation. The Mussel Inn sounds interesting and I will give it a try. I will report back upon my return in Aug. Wed Jun 12 11:35:09 -0700 2002 1381522 0 MZEATS 1 1381869 Just had a superb dinner at Martin Wisharts, 54 The Shore (in Leith - the seaward end of Edinburgh.) It's recently won a Michelin star, so should be good. And it was, very. Not over-formal or stuffy, but great food and service. Wines quite pricey. Tel. 0131 553 3557. Also good, and closer to the centre of town: Reform Restaurant, 267 Canongate (just a couple of hundred yards downhill from Jackson's, which I personally would say tries too hard to demonstrate its Scottishness). It's small, with young enthusiastic staff, and some interesting dishes: creme brulee flavoured with basil, for instance. 0131 558 9992. There's a good book called Scotland the Best which I find very reliable: have a look at that, if you can, for dozens of solid recommendations. There really are very many good restaurants of every type and budget in Edinburgh and Glasgow these days, you should be spoilt for choice. PS Don't miss the classic pubs either, like Canny Man's in Morningside and Bennet's in Leven Street by the King's Theatre! Fri Jun 21 18:21:49 -0700 2002 1381500 0 Duncan 1 1381871 We have spent long weekends in Glasgow in late August the past 2 years and its a great time to go. Best weather -- often sunny and 70s. There are quite a few very good restaurants, and I second the recommendation on checking out "Scotland the Best," which we found dependable. We particularly enjoyed our dinner at the Ubiquitous Chip, where we ate in the main restaurant. For anyone from the SF Bay Area with a fondness for Chez Panisse I particularly recommend giving it a try because the owner has much the same philosophy and the restaurant is also 30 years old and still wonderful. A real showcase of top-notch Scottish ingredients. If you like game, I had a fabulous wood pigeon and the side of four types of wild mushrooms was equally wonderful. It is also a good place to try Scotches, as they have about 300 available and can make spot-on recommendations based on your taste. Another great meal was at the Babbity Bowster's upstairs restaurant, Schottische. The duck breast with strawberry sauce was really fabulous -- enough so that I've been working on duplicating it at home. The Babbity is also a very good real ale pub -- one of the best in Glasgow, and it has the city's only outdoor beer garden which actually was very appreciated in August. For a classic cafe and Glasgow institution, you can try Cafe Gandolfi -- nice lighter fare. Both Cafe Gandolfi and the Babbity Bowster are in the Merchant City, an area undergoing a revival. We really loved Glasgow, and you should enjoy the trip. Fri Jun 21 18:34:56 -0700 2002 1381500 0 Joan Kureczka