26 Best Restaurants in Fife and Angus, Scotland

Set in the Rusacks Hotel's sophisticated yet relaxed brasserie-style rooftop venue, 18 delivers an exquisite dining experience along with attentive service and a quality Scottish produce-heavy seasonal menu by top chef Derek Johnstone. The freshest seafood, including Orkney scallops and halibut, are accompanied by zesty but not overpowering flavors and tasty al dente vegetable sides, while the impressive selection of dry-aged Aberdeen Angus cuts on display as you enter are expertly cut, flame-licked, and seared to perfection.

Next door to the Scottish Fisheries Museum, this popular fish-and-chips shop has a functional space to eat, but most people order takeout. Try local specialties including Pittenweem prawns in batter or the catch of the day, which could be mackerel (line caught by the owners), hake, or local crab.

This homey restaurant serves lunches and dinners that offer a taste of quality Scottish home cooking, including Arbroath smokie pancakes, mince and tatties, venison with rowan jelly, and rich moist gingerbread, all at reasonable prices. It's next to Auchmithie's lovely shingle beach; a stroll here is the perfect way to work up an appetite or work off overindulgence.

Downstairs at Dundee Contemporary Arts, this lively eatery serves breakfast at the bar, cocktails and snacks on the terrace in fine weather, or dinner in the open-plan dining area with huge windows that offer views of artists at work in the printmakers studio. There are plenty of handsomely presented dishes featuring quality Scottish meat, fish, and vegetables.

Head down a country lane to this organic farm and café-bistro for a tasty vegetarian meal made of produce grown in the wonderful gardens. On a sunny day take your crepe or heaped salad to a bench outside by the nursery, or grab some take-out deli foods from the shop. Bothy (small cottage) accommodations are also available.

This hut on the pier, a hidden gem, sells beautifully cooked lobsters at surprisingly low prices, as well as other items like lobster rolls and dressed crab. They'll crack the lobster for you to allow for easy eating on a nearby bench; there is no seating, but the lobster is wonderful. Hours are seasonal (Easter to late September only) and weather dependent.

Overlooking Elie's sandy beach, the Ship Inn combines a nautically themed pub-restaurant serving superb Scottish cuisine with six pristine, tastefully white-shuttered rooms, four with stunning views of the sea. The relaxed atmosphere and views—with the comedy of a cricketing contest on shifting sands a bonus—make for an afternoon you'll never forget, especially if the weather is nice. Sports lovers visit Elie on summer weekends to watch cricket matches played on the beach outside, and it's a magic spot to dine at any time. The staff fires up a barbecue and cooks simple fare, including fish, lobster tacos, burgers, and chicken.

It looks like an old Scottish pub, and it is, but the vibrant ceramics, tapas, and sangria are so authentic they'll make you feel as if you're in España. Choose from the set menus, like a £20 lunch or £28 dinner, and you'll be served a steady stream of cracking little dishes. Booking in advance is essential. One word of warning: don't go looking for a quiet, romantic meal.

Fife foodies flock to this beautifully converted 17th-century farmhouse surrounded by verdant fields just 10 minutes outside town. The prix-fixe menus offer exquisitely crafted dishes using the best seasonal Scots produce such as beef, pork, mackerel, and wild sea trout. The atmospheric, dark-beamed, stone-walled interior has the warmth of an open fire and stunning views over the green landscape and St. Andrews. There's an attractive garden out front: the perfect spot for taking dessert and a drink or two while watching the bird life and resident rabbits.

If you're not in a rush, take time to savor excellent coffee, inventive sandwiches, pizzettes, cakes, and handmade chocolates at this appealing café and shop selling quality fare. If you're in a hurry, buy delicious cheese or chocolates to go or pick up a cheese and apple scone.

Located within Newport's handsome former Victorian ferry terminal, this is a stunning spot to dine casually while spellbound by views of the Tay River and the Dundee skyline across the water. A versatile menu includes seafood shared platters and maritime mains, Scots steaks and lamb, and plenty of vegetarian options.

Just off the A90, this small country park has lots of children's activities, including a giant sand pit, go-karts, a barrel train, and a wooden maze. Most essentially, there's an excellent café, serving door-stop-size sandwiches, full breakfasts, tasty soups, meringues, and warm scones.

This eatery overlooking the harbor run by Dundonian chef Craig Millar put St. Monans on Scotland's culinary map. The fixed-price menu has vegetarian and meat options, but with salty fruits of the North Sea on the Fife quayside—such as crab, cod, hake, and mackerel—it's all about Craig's expertise with seafood.

Seek out this fabulous seafood restaurant in nearby Blairgowrie for its beautifully cooked catch of the day specials served amid the beautiful converted church interiors and towering stained glass windows. The daily specials, such as the chunky flatfish megrim, are cooked in almond-flaked nutty butter and served with sautéed potatoes.

Tucked away in an alley off the main street, this cottage-style restaurant has earned a well-deserved reputation for top-quality cuisine that is imaginative without trying to be showy. Elegantly presented in the warm-hued, smart dining room, dishes show off the locally sourced meat and fish, as well as homegrown and foraged produce to best advantage. It's an intimate and popular place, so it's a good idea to reserve ahead.

This small basement eatery on Perth Road, with wooden tables and chairs and a quirky staff, attracts a diverse clientele. It serves well-crafted pasta dishes and mains that showcase fresh Scottish ingredients. It's a very intimate and quiet place—so usually a good choice for couples—but be warned that it books up on weekends. Many characterful West End pubs are nearby.

The line of customers outside might be a bit off-putting, but just focus on the sweet smell of fish-and-chips from St. Andrews's best chipper. There's a busy light-filled dining room and modish seating area, or you can carry out and eat on the university grounds (though be wary of the dive-bombing gulls). The menu also offers tiger prawns, seared scallops, burgers, and a fish of the day, but you can't go wrong with the battered haddock supper with chips. Reserve in advance if you want to dine in. Their basement sister restaurant in Dundee shares the same excellent menu.

Entered through a cobbled courtyard, this unpretentious, atmospheric restaurant is run by talented head chef Billy Boyter and family. The prix-fixe meals (including the six-course lunch menu for £75 and the eight-course dinner menu for £120 per person) feature locally sourced seafood and meat such as crab, hake, mussels, beef, lamb, and quail. Plates are elegant, understated, and inventive, very much in the style of the new breed of Scottish chefs. For a true gourmand splurge ask to pair your tasting menu with some wonderful wines.

Once local favorite the Westport, this reliable lunch and brunch stop has been revamped with swanky contemporary interiors complimented by a relaxed vibe, tasty cocktails, and excellent pub food. The reasonably priced menu offers everything from chunky gourmet sandwiches to seared scallops to heaped salads—all are best enjoyed in the flowery garden on sunny afternoons. Upstairs are four bright B&B rooms from £160.

The striking glass-walled venue perched above the West Sands consistently delivers the freshest and most refined seafood dishes in St. Andrews. Scottish-Italian owner Stefano keeps the emphasis on prime Scots seafood while adding il bel paese flourishes and menu staples like risotto, agnolotti (stuffed pasta pockets), and cicchetti (Venetian-style tapas). The open-plan layout and kitchen make for a buzzy atmosphere, but insist on a sea-view table for serene views. It's a fine place for a blowout meal but best be selective if on a budget: the prime location, top-quality produce and service come at a pretty penny.