Side Dishes: June 2026
Among this month’s new openings, Suzy Pope finds big names, Italian favourites and plenty of pastries
In Edinburgh, Ottolenghi is the name on everyone’s lips as chef and deli magnate Yotam Ottolenghi prepares to open his first restaurant in Scotland on George Street. Expect aubergine drizzled with olive oil and Levantine flavours in small-plate form. For further upscale casual dining, Ash Bairstow (formerly of Herringbone) has turned a 250-year-old building on Victoria Street into Whirlybird. The all-day spot serves pastries and coffee at sun-up, with nightcaps and a Scottish produce-led menu at sundown. And chef Julie Lin is set to join the ranks at Bonnie & Wild in St James Quarter with her new venture Tacos Lah.
After their previous home was sold, no doubt Glasgow will welcome back Celentano’s with open arms as the acclaimed Italian restaurant takes its seasonal menus and hand-cut pasta to the Arthouse hotel on Bath Street. Over in the West End, a couple of cheap’n’cheerful Italian spots have cropped up: Pappa’s Pasta Bar on Great Western Road and Neapolitan-style pizza at SpaccaNapoli on Byres Road. The people behind Kelvingrove Café are adding a little Basque flavour to Finnieston with Dani, a bar and grill with a focus on wine and vermouth, just across the road from the café itself.
Finally, if you’re looking for even more info, recommendations and general tea on Edinburgh’s amazing food and drink scene, may we guide your hungry eyes towards our brand-new edition of Eat & Drink 365 Edinburgh? Fully revised for 2026, it aims to answer all your burning questions, like where are the best noodles in town and where’s good for a pint before the theatre? Find it wherever you get your copy of The List.
Picture: Alix McIntosh.