December tends to be a quieter month for openings, as most places will have tried to get the paint on the wall and the menus on the blackboard in time to catch that all-important Christmas trade. Still, Edinburgh has a few new spots to look out for (and handily, they might not already be booked out with office parties). Stuart McCluskey, of Paz Taqueria fame, has opened the doors to Little Capo on Howe Street. The menu will evolve as things bed in but expect home-style ‘Italian-ish’ cooking and, obviously, great cocktails. Manahatta, a mini-chain with NYC vibes, has landed in Rose Street, bringing piano nights, boozy brunches, small plates and burgers to the party. The Pitt officially re-opens this week, creating a new hub for community groups as well as street-food fans in Granton. And just in case it passed you by in the autumn buzz, Cabo is now on Hanover Street, fusing Mexican food with Latino inspiration.

Glasgow has a couple of great pop-ups to check out. Tagliotello will be operating out of Serendipity West for the foreseeable; and yes, the pasta looks amazing, but have you seen that mozzarella in carrozza? Smokey Trotters have taken over Inn Deep’s kitchen, as well as opening Smokey’s Dairy in Ibrox for BBQ deliciousness all round. The chefs are busy an’ all: Roberta Hall-McCarron has a new cookbook, The Changing Tides, out just in time for Christmas, while Cail Bruich’s Lorna McNee is off to judge Great British Menu, which she won in 2019.