logo
Much-loved 90s restaurants in Scotland

Much-loved 90s restaurants in Scotland

Scotsman6 days ago
These photos take you back a quarter of a century to show the nation's best-loved places to eat at the time.
Celebrity chefs and some famous diners, from DJs to footballers, feature in this retro photo gallery, which also shows the hard-working staff who contributed to the restaurants' success.
Some of the restaurants pictured are still going strong, but many have sadly closed over the intervening years.
Have you dined at any of these places, and which lost restaurant from the 90s would you most like to see reopen? Let us know in the comments section.
1 . McEwan's
esley McEwan at McEwan's The Mugwump restaurant on Stafford Street, Edinburgh, in 1999 | TSPL Photo: Paul Raeburn Photo Sales
2 . Golden Dragon
Mr C C Chan, owner of the Golden Dragon Chinese restaurant on Castle Street, Edinburgh, pictured in 1999 | TSPL Photo: Bill Henry Photo Sales
3 . Banks
Chef Peter Banks pictured at the Banks restaurant, of which he is patron, on Newington Road, Edinburgh, in December 1999 | TSPL Photo: Susan Burrell Photo Sales
4 . Jolly Restaurant
Vito Alongi at the Jolly Restaurant, Elm Row, Edinburgh, pictured next to his wood-burning pizza oven, in 1999 | TSPL Photo: Jon Savage Photo Sales
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Chefs from Portugal and Japan come together for The Art of Tasting Portugal in Osaka
Chefs from Portugal and Japan come together for The Art of Tasting Portugal in Osaka

Time Out

time15 hours ago

  • Time Out

Chefs from Portugal and Japan come together for The Art of Tasting Portugal in Osaka

While dozens of countries have gathered at Expo 2025 in Osaka to showcase their innovative technologies and sustainable solutions for a better future, another exciting highlight at the mega-event is the remarkable gastronomic collaborations on show. One such project is The Art of Tasting Portugal supported by VisitPortugal, which showcases the culinary creativity of Portuguese chefs on a global stage. As part of the lead-up to the Expo, a special dinner brought together culinary visionaries from two Michelin-starred restaurants: Portuguese chef Vasco Coelho Santos of Euskalduna in Porto and Yuji Fujita, executive chef of Chi-Fu in Osaka. The chefs crafted a menu highlighting the appreciation of seasonal ingredients shared by the two countries. Chef Vasco presented refined takes on Portuguese classics such as seafood rice, beef tongue and his signature Portuguese French toast – the perfect sweet ending and one of our favourite dishes of the night. Meanwhile, chef Fujita showcased his twist of Japanese and Chinese cuisine with dishes including Ise lobster and lamb chops. The menu was complemented by a curated pairing of Portuguese wines and Japanese sake, highlighting the growing interest in Portuguese wines in Japan. Chef Vasco is a key figure in contemporary Portuguese cuisine, known for blending tradition with innovation across multiple acclaimed restaurants, including his very own Euskalduna Studio which renewed its Michelin star in 2025. In 2024, he contributed some of his signature dishes from Euskalduna Studio at Time Out Market Porto. Yuji Fujita, head of Chi-Fu since 2018, has elevated the Osaka restaurant into a leading name in fusion dining, combining Chinese culinary traditions with Western and Japanese influences. Chi-Fu was awarded a Michelin star in 2025.

EastEnders fans stunned as soap icon returns to TV leaving them 'obsessed'
EastEnders fans stunned as soap icon returns to TV leaving them 'obsessed'

Daily Mirror

time17 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

EastEnders fans stunned as soap icon returns to TV leaving them 'obsessed'

Soap fans were thrilled by the unexpected return of EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison to TV screens after she opened up on her financial struggles since leaving Walford A fan-favourite EastEnders made an unexpected return to TV, leaving viewers thrilled. Cheryl Fergison, who played the iconic Heather Trott on the BBC soap, has been open about her lack of work in recent years. ‌ The actress revealed her financial struggles after leaving the soap in 2012, and shared how she got help from a foodbank as well as EastEnders legend Dame Barbara Windsor. Following the challenging time, Cheryl has made a comeback to the small screen. ‌ She shocked viewers when she rocked up in BBC Two's comedy series Mandy. The actress made a guest appearance in the show, which is written by Diane Morgan. ‌ It follows the goings on of permanently out-of-work Mandy Carter and her best friend Lola. Mandy was forced to attend a restart scheme at her local job centre, where she encountered an unimpressed Stella, played by Cheryl. Stella only said one worked to Mandy, as she called her "dirty". Cheryl's fans were thrilled by her return to screens as one said: "Obsessed with Cheryl 'two words' Fergison. She did a cracking job." ‌ Another added: "Congrats Cheryl!" Someone else commented: "Can we talk about the amount of cameos in Mandy cuz what do u mean Cheryl Fergison and Martin Lewis casually popped up within the first ep of series 4?" A fourth declared: "Ar Cheryl is in the new season of Mandy." While on EastEnders, Cheryl racked up a huge fan following until her character was sensationally killed off. Ben Mitchell smacked her over the head with a picture frame, causing her to hit her head on the way to the floor. Life after the soap hasn't been quite so straightforward, with Cheryl opening up on her struggles earlier this year. ‌ She revealed she had turned to a food bank for help and was relying on benefits. In order to try and make ends meet, Cheryl settled for far smaller jobs including opening a Chinese takeaway in Cleveleys earlier this year. The actress told 'My health is good, but my finances will take a long time to recover. Until I have steady work, I'm not rich or comfortable—I'm just surviving. "I've been saying yes to everything for no money, but I need to start valuing my work and asking for fair pay. Even my agent insists on it.' ‌ She added: 'Still, I'll never give in. I want to keep singing. If people criticise me for singing in small restaurants, so be it. At the end of the day, I'm an entertainer. Community has always been important to me, and I'll perform no matter the crowd.' Once at the top of her game as a primetime BBC star, Cheryl fell into dire straits after she was conned out of a 'humungous' amount of money. She said on This Morning: 'There is a circumstance that started this, which I can't talk about at this moment in time, but it started to spiral. "The only way I can say it is I was conned out of a humongous amount of money. That led to the cancer thing and everything spiralled. I was robbing Peter to pay Paul. I ended up having to sell my house. Now I am living up north and renting."

Bargain Hunt's John Cameron's life from health scare to sad reason he quit first job
Bargain Hunt's John Cameron's life from health scare to sad reason he quit first job

Daily Record

timea day ago

  • Daily Record

Bargain Hunt's John Cameron's life from health scare to sad reason he quit first job

Bargain Hunt expert John Cameron had a terrifying health scare just minutes before he was due on air Bargain Hunt, which is broadcast on BBC One, featured John Cameron as the expert guiding amateur teams in their quest for hidden gems. ‌ John made headlines in 2024 when he took to social media to reassure his followers after a frightening health scare occurred just moments before he was set to film the popular BBC programme. John was swiftly taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, where he underwent an urgent operation to have a stent fitted. ‌ Expressing his gratitude on Instagram, John praised the NHS staff, saying, "The paramedics 'Jess' and 'Cat' who transported me to Queen Alexandra Hospital with sirens blaring, and the amazing emergency team in theatre who fitted me with a stent unblocking the artery that caused me to have a heart attack just 10 minutes before I was about to film a BBC Bargain Hunt auction at my firm Nesbits in Southsea". ‌ Visibly affected by the incident, he continued: "Not sure how many of my 9 lives still remain but I definitely lost one yesterday." He also reflected philosophically, adding, "To quote the great ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, 'we have two lives, the second one begins when you realise you only have one'." ‌ Following his hospital stay, John returned home to rest and seems to have made a good recovery. Back in the swing of things, he shared insights into his early life and the reasons behind his choice to pursue a career in antiques. Explaining his background, he mentioned: "I grew up around antiques as my grandfather was a dealer, however, on leaving school I served a five-year apprenticeship as a carpenter/joiner. ‌ "As my £27.50 weekly YTS wages weren't enough, I supplemented my income by stripping, restoring and waxing antique pine furniture which was very fashionable in the late 1980s." Yet, an injury compelled him to abandon this line of work, as he explained: "A re-occurring prolapse disc in my back forced me to give up my physical job and return to college where I undertook a three-year degree course at Southampton, studying fine art valuation. ‌ "I followed this with two further years studying whilst working at an auction house to become a chartered surveyor of antiques and fine art." Despite being content with his career trajectory, he did reveal an alternative path that intrigued him. "If I wasn't working in the antiques trade, I would have loved to train as a chef," he confessed. He expressed his enthusiasm for gastronomy and oenology, saying: "I am passionate about good food and wine, and love nothing more than watching cooking programmes over antiques programmes! Failing that, I would probably use my knowledge of carpentry and general building to renovate property." Catch Bargain Hunt on BBC One, weekdays at 12.15pm.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store