I've been a Scotsman restaurant reviewer for nearly 20 years, but 2026 is special

Avery’s cheese and honey tart | Gaby Soutar

placeholder image — Avery’s cheese and honey tart | Gaby Soutar

It’s been an unusual vintage

I think I’ve reached my restaurant reviewing nirvana.

I’ve been doing this job for nearly two decades and have visited over a thousand places.

In the beginning, there were so many terrible restaurants, then the scene slowly improved. It seemed to happen in conjunction with the rise of social media. It’s like people knew more about food. There were fewer stodgy old rules. Reviewers stopped being sniffy about fusion cuisine and global influence reigned.

Anyway, this old lady is reminiscing, because 2026 has been a spectacular vintage.

I went to three unmatched restaurants in quick succession and they totally blew my support stockings off. I thought, this is it. THIS is the pinnacle of eating out.

They included the decadent Eleven Fifty Five in Glasgow, where a visit felt like the cherry on top of a perfect day. There were beautiful oysters, a crisp Martini, and mussels in Cafe de Paris butter.

Remember in the naff Eighties film Weird Science, when those teenagers designed the perfect woman? Well, this was like that, except for me and a restaurant. Eleven Fifty Five is my Kelly LeBrock.

Then, I visited the Michelin-starred Avery in Edinburgh. It had taken me a while to get there, and I was slightly dragging my feet, as 13 courses is OTT IMHO. However, it was an unforgettable experience, and I have regular flashbacks to the tortellini in brodo, the fluffily cheesy tart and the matched whisky.

The most recent mind-blower was Edinbane Lodge on Skye. It was pitch perfect - the service, the space, and all the glorious hyperlocally-sourced grub. I will never forget the Venus of scallops, or the barbecued oyster.

I feel like a very lucky duck, and 2026 ain’t even over yet.