A UK independent restaurant guide, SquareMeal, has revealed its UK Top 100 Restaurants for 2026, celebrating the very best dining experiences the country has to offer.
Unlike any other list of its kind, SquareMeal’s UK Top 100 excludes London restaurants, allowing the wider UK dining scene to take centre stage.
Compiled using a combination of thousands of reader votes and insight from SquareMeal’s expert critics, the UK Top 100 Restaurants list offers a true snapshot of Britain’s diverse and dynamic food culture.
Across the UK, regional dining scenes continue to thrive and, in Scotland, 11 restaurants made the 2026 list, with Edinburgh leading the way.
Here are all the Scottish restaurants in the 2026 SquareMeal UK Top 100. You can view the full list via the SquareMeal website here.
5. Dogstar, Leith
This newly opened Leith restaurant, with chef James Murray in the kitchen, is at number 28 | Nathan Hinze
6. Moss, Edinburgh
The SquareMeal team said of this restaurant, which is at number 42: “Henry Dobson’s farm-to-table restaurant brings a masterclass in hyper seasonality, quickly claiming its place as one of Edinburgh’s finest.” | Moss
7. Fish Shop Ballater
This celebration of Scottish seafood is at 48. | Sim Canetty-Clarke Photo: Sim Canetty-Clarke
8. Big Counter, Glasgow
The first entry for Glasgow is at 55. Big Counter’s “unfussy comfort food” makes it a favourite. | Big Counter