During the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2025 on 5 January in Glasgow, Michelin announced this year’s Bib Gourmand awards.
Named after Bibendum – the Michelin Man – the Bib Gourmand distinction highlights restaurants which offer ‘good quality, good value cooking’.
The Bib Gourmand distinction is The Michelin Guide’s way of recognising restaurants that offer good food at a great price.
While all Bib Gourmands are unique in style and approach, they share the same spirit of generosity and a commitment to quality cooking.
This year, no less than 36 restaurants have been newly awarded a Bib Gourmand, showing the wealth of restaurants around the UK and Ireland that are committed to offering affordable, high-quality cooking. Of this 36, five are in Scotland.
This year’s new Bib Gourmand restaurants are: Gaga in Glasgow, Margo in Glasgow, Skua in Edinburgh, Ardfern in Edinburgh and the Fish Shop in Ballater.
Of Gaga, Michelin said: “a fun and fresh restaurant from Malaysian-Scottish chef Julie Swee Lin. A successor to her previous venture, Julie’s Kopitiam, Gaga is a bright delight that never backs away from bold flavours.”
Of Margo, they said: “The team behind Ox and Finch and Ka Pao have another Bib-worthy hit on their hands in the thriving Glasgow dining scene. Like its siblings, Margo delivers eminently satisfying food that’s low on frills and big on flavour – wrapped up in a busy, well-run restaurant with a crackling atmosphere. The dishes take a Mediterranean slant, but Scottish produce is at their heart.”
While over in Edinburgh the said Skua ‘packs in plenty of flavour.’ “One of two projects in the north of the city from Chef Tomás Gormley, Skua is a compact place serving a suitably concise menu of small plates; each one packs in plenty of flavour, thanks to the quality of the produce and the skill of the chefs.”
While of Ardfern they said: “A new project for 2024 from local chef Roberta Hall-McCarron, Ardfern sits next to her flagship The Little Chartroom in Edinburgh’s renowned foodie suburb. A café in the day, the place transforms into a wine bar and small-plates eatery in the evening, with each well-priced dish coming with a warm, comforting deliciousness.”
Finally the Fish Shop Ballter, whose Jasmine Sherry won the service award. The Guide said: “The best seafood restaurants often adhere to the maxim that less is more – and so it is with this loveable operation located close to Balmoral Castle and the Cairngorms. The fish and shellfish are invariably of excellent quality and the kitchen has the good sense to let them shine; the cooking of the ingredients is spot-on and any accompaniments are finely judged.”
