The Malt Shovel, Edinburgh

  The Malt Shovel 11 – 15 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh EH1 1BP 0131 225 6843   www.belhaven.co.uk/pubs/edinburgh/malt-shovel-inn The Bill  Starters £5.75 – £8.45 | Mains £13.45 – £20.95 Desserts £6.25 The Score  Cooking 5/10 | Service 4.5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 4.5/5 Total 18/25 Fish and chips since 1860. That is the remarkable, not to say…

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Gamba, Glasgow

  Gamba 225 West George Street, Glasgow G2 2ND 0141 572 0899  www.gamba.co.uk The Bill  Set Lunch Wed – Fri: 2 courses £30.00 | 3 courses £35.00 Saturday: 2 courses £40.00 | 3 courses £45.00 (includes glass of wine) A la Carte Starters £15.00 – £25.00 | Mains £32.00 – £40.00 Desserts £10.50 The Score …

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The Spence, Edinburgh

  The Spence Gleneagles Townhouse 39 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2AD 0131 332 3780   www. gleneagles.com/townhouse The Bill  Bread & Snacks £8.00 – £10.00 | Seafood £18.00 – £24.00 Starters £16.00 – £19.00 | Mains £24.00 – £55.00 Desserts £12.00 – £14.00 The Score  Cooking 7/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 4/5…

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Old Pal Bar & Kitchen, Edinburgh

  Old Pal Bar & Kitchen 28 West Maitland Street, Edinburgh EH12 5DX 0131 305 1981 www.oldpal.uk The Bill  Small Plates £10.00 – £12.00 | Sliders £7.50 Mains £16.00 – £22.00 | Desserts ? The Score  Cooking 5.5/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5 Total 19.5/25 Not what you expect, and not where…

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Frenchie, Edinburgh

  Frenchie 14 Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3RH 0131 556 5333   www.barfrenchie.com The Bill  Bites £5.50 – £13.50 | Bowls/Salads £7.50 – £18.50 Plates £17.50 – £23.50 | Desserts £3.50 – £11.00 The Score  Cooking 8/10 | Service 4.5/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 4.5/5 Total 21.5/25 Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. I…

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Domenico’s, Leith, Edinburgh

  Domenico’s/Domenico/Cafe Domenico/Cafe Domenico’s 30 Sandport Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6EP 0131 467 7266  www.cafedomenico.co.uk The Bill  Starters £5.50 – £11.50 | Mains £13.50 – £24.00 Desserts £5.50 – £8.50 The Score (LW’S meal) Cooking 6/10 | Service 4.5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 Total 18.5/25 The Score (TJ’s Meal) Cooking 2/10 | Service 3.5/5…

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La Riotte, Paris

  La Riotte 10 Rue de Castellane 75008 Paris France +33 1 40 55 91 71  www.lariotte.com The Bill (Euros) Starters €11.00 – €25.00 | Mains €22.00 – £39.00 Desserts €3.00 – €14.00 The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 4.5/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 4.5/5  TOTAL 19.5/25  There seemed a certain symmetry to dining here.…

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The Captain Darling, Edinburgh

  The Captain Darling 16 – 18 Hamilton Place. Edinburgh EH3 5AU 0131 563 0404  www.thecaptaindarling.com The Bill  Worker’s Lunch Lunch £12.50 Starters £8.00 – £10.50 | Mains £13.00 – £27.00 Desserts £7.50 The Score Cooking 6.5/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 5/5  TOTAL 21/25  Well the Captain had had his plumbing fixed,…

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Montrose, Edinburgh

  Montrose 1- 7 Montrose Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5DU 0131 605 0088    www.montroserestaurant.co The Bill  Set Lunch £35.00 per person Sharing Menu £85.00 per person Snacks £4.00 – £8.00 | Large Plates £12.00 – £38.00 Desserts £8.00 The Score Cooking 8.5/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 5/5  TOTAL 23/25  What’s sauce for…

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Ka Pao, Edinburgh

  Ka Pao St James Quarter, Edinburgh EH1 3AE 0131 385 1040  www.ka-pao.com The Bill  Sharing Menu £38.00 per person Small/Medium Plates £4.50 – £22.00 | Large Plates £28.00 – £35.00 Desserts £5.50 – £7.50 The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 5/5 | Value 5/5  TOTAL 22/25  When you go to an established…

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Ravintola Teller, Helsinki, Finland – Guest Reviewer Carol Main

  Ravintola Teller Fredrikinkatu 71, 00100 Helsinki, Finland Phone: +358 10 2073001    www.ravintolateller.fi The Bill (Euros) Menu Teller (5 courses) €68 A la carte Starters €14.00 – €65.00 | Mains €25.00 – €47.00 Desserts €6.00 – €14.00 The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5  TOTAL 19/25  Carol Main Sometimes,…

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Bistrot Caraïbes/ Ocean 82, Grand Case, St Martin

  Bistrot Caraïbes 81 Boulevard de Grand Case, Grand Case St Martin, 97150 +590 590 290 829         www.bistrot-caraibes.com The Bill (Euros) Starters €14.00 – €24.00 | Mains €33.00 – €46.00 Desserts €13.00 – €15.00 The Score Cooking 7.5/10 | Service 4.5/5 Flavour 5/5 | Value 4.5/5  TOTAL 21.5/25  A tale of two…

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Where Will Tom Eats! Eat in 2026?

  Where Will Tom Eats! Eat in 2026? Help Required   Yes, I know I said that we wouldn’t be back until February. But I can’t let the month of January go by without wishing you all a very happy new year, and expressing once again my thanks for your support and feedback. Feedback, in…

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Review of 2025 Part 2: 1 – 15=

One word. Wow! In the first ten years of Tom Eats! we had precisely two perfect scores. And in this year of grace 2025 or Food Date TE! 11, we end up with two more. Wow! as I said. But which of the two will get the nod, the coveted prize, the restaurant Oscar, Tom Eats!…

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Review of 2025 Part 1: 19 – 32

Another year of great eating. As you’ll see next time, scores at the top have never been higher; however, the middle ground is really strong. Two places scoring 19.5 – that’s 78% – but can’t get into the top half. Incredible. As ever, I doff my hat to restaurateurs everywhere. Despite the difficulties they still…

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Hôtel Majestic, Paris – Guest Reviewer Binkie Johnston

  Hôtel Majestic Rue la Pérouse, Paris (There is still a hotel of that name, but on a different site to Binkie’s dinner. The photograph shows the current hotel) We are virtually at the end of the Tom’s Food! season. We’ll be away for a couple of weeks, then it’ll be Review of the Year…

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The Khukuri, Edinburgh

  The Khukuri 8 West Maitland Street, Edinburgh EH12 5DS 0131 228 2025  www.thekhukuri.com The Bill  Starters £3.95 – £8.95 | Mains £10.95 – £20.95 Desserts £3.95 – £7.95 The Score Cooking 6.5/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 5/5  TOTAL 21/25  Nepal. It’s different. Not just for the litter encrusted monster mountains and…

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The Bailie, Edinburgh

  The Bailie  2 – 4  St Stephen Street, Edinburgh EH3 5AL 0131 225 4673    www.thebailiebar.com The Bill  Starters £7.00 – £9.50 | Mains £14.00 – £32.00 Desserts ? The Score Cooking 5.5/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 4.5/5  TOTAL 19.5/25  It was one of the more unusual nuisance calls. There I…

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eòrna, Edinburgh

  eòrna restaurant 68 Hamilton Place, Edinburgh EH3 5AZ 0131 531 4680     www.eornarestaurant.com The Bill  Set 6 course dinner £105.00 The Score Cooking 10/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 5/5 | Value 5/5  TOTAL 25/25  In the career of every food genius, there some seminal moments. Obviously I know about these things. There is one…

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Petiscais, Olhão

  Petiscais Restauracao Rua Candido do O Ventura 11, 8700-373 Olhão +351 918 707 936     Facebook www.facebook.com/Petiscais   The Bill (Euros) Starters €2.50 – €22.00 | Mains €15.00 – €20.00 Desserts – sorry, forgot to look The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 4.5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5  TOTAL 19.5/25  While the lyrics of…

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Gloriosa, Glasgow

  Gloriosa 1321 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8AB 0141 334 0594      www.gloriosaglasgow.com The Bill  Bites £6.00 – £9.00 | Plates £13.00 – £28.00 Desserts £8.00 – £14.00 The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 3.5/5  TOTAL 17.5/25  Gloriosa I can be sniffy about restaurant names. Perhaps a little unfair,…

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Sandemans, Fonab Castle, Pitlochry

    Sandemans, Fonab Castle Foss Road, Pitlochry, Perthshire PH16 5ND 01796 470140  www.crerarhotels.com/collection/fonab-castle/dine/sandemans/ The Bill  7 course Tasting Menu  £120.00 The Score Cooking 9/10 | Service 3/5 Flavour 5/5 | Value 5/5  TOTAL 22/25  All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his. Oscar Wilde, A Portrait of…

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Taberna El Pórtico de San Lorenzo, Córdoba, Spain

  Taberna El Pórtico de San Lorenzo Plaza de San Lorenzo, Centro, 14002 Córdoba, Spain +34 957 15 68 88  Facebook: Taberna-El-Pórtico-de-San-Lorenzo The Bill (Euros) Starters €3.00 – €22.00| Mains €7.50 – €18.00 Puds €4.50 – €6.00 The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 5/5  TOTAL 21.5/25  When abroad, how do…

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Parador de Málaga Gibralfaro, Málaga, Spain

  Parador de Malaga Gibralfaro Castillo de Gibralfaro, s/n 29016 Málaga, Spain +34 952 221 902   www.paradores.es/en/parador-de-malaga-gibralfaro The Bill (Euros) Starters €14.00 – €22.00| Mains €14.00 – €32.00 Puds – Didn’t Get There The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5  TOTAL 20/25  My, oh my. While I’ve been away you…

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