1. Bacon chips with sriracha mayo from Bread Meats Bread in Edinburgh.
This award-winning Scottish restaurant is famous for its incredible burgers, but they also do delicious sides like this mound of chips topped with sriracha mayo and sizzling bacon; perfect for a cold winter's evening.
2. A spicy kimchi cheese toastie from Brew Box Coffee in Glasgow.
This pint-sized café in the heart of the Merchant City sells soup and hot sandwiches, like this oozingly delicious toastie filled with cheese and kimchi (a super-spicy Korean dish made with fermented vegetables and chilli). If that doesn't warm you up, nothing will.
3. Harissa baked eggs with chorizo at The Bach Bistro in Dundee.
This funky bistro is owned by two Kiwis who recently moved to Scotland, and sells incredibly hearty dishes like this sizzling bowl of eggs, tomatoes, and chorizo, with a side of freshly-baked bread. Thanks for leaving New Zealand, guys.
4. A Black Forest Gâteau doughnut from Tantrum in Glasgow.
Everyone needs to try this fresh-from-the-oven doughnut packed with cherry jam, chocolate custard and topped with a boozy kirsch frosting, freeze-dried cherry shards, and shavings of luxurious Valrhona chocolate. And if that isn’t chocolatey enough for you, you can wash it down with their hot chocolate, topped with a whole, toasted homemade marshmallow. Get in my face.
5. A Sunday roast from Kyloe Bar and Grill in Edinburgh.
If you're looking for comfort food, you can't beat a great big pile of beef, potatoes, and veg, topped with a fat Yorkshire pudding. This busy restaurant has a gorgeous view of Edinburgh Castle, too, so you can soak in your surroundings along with the gravy.
6. Bubbling barbecue shrimp from Maggie's Grill in Aberdeen.
Maggie's is a soul food diner with a great reputation in Aberdeen. If you don't like shrimp, you could always try their glazed, bacon-topped ribs, or their obscenely huge portions of chilli cheese fries.
7. Spiced double cream porridge with berries from The Scottish Café in Edinburgh.
No winter's morning is complete without porridge, and this fancy AF porridge made with double cream by Edinburgh's famous Contini family is the best around. It's topped with a spiced compote of seasonal berries as well, for extra insulation against the cold.
8. A roast pork bun with chilli and caramel 'slaw from The Crafty Pig in Glasgow.
This stylish, laid back bar in Glasgow does great food, like this bun stuffed with thick slices of roast pork, bratwurst and their signature homemade chilli and caramel slaw. And as if that wasn't warming enough, it's also served with paprika fries. Yum.
9. Pork sausages, black pudding mash, and onion gravy at Mum's in Edinburgh
Mum's (originally Monster Mash) lets diners choose between six varieties of sausage, twenty varieties of mash, and three types of gravy, so you get exactly what you want. As well as black pudding mash, they also have chipotle and cheese, courgette and garlic, and a Moroccan-inspired mash packed with cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and paprika.
10. Spiced butternut squash soup from Kailzie Gardens Restaurant in Peebles.
Peebles is a little town in the heart of the Midlothian countryside, and there are no end of cute places serving seasonal fare, like this pretty restaurant in a walled garden. This warming soup is a case in point, packed with butternut squash, green chilli, and coconut.
11. Cauliflower cheese at The Scran and Scallie in Edinburgh.
This rustic, dog-friendly gastropub is a side project by Michelin-starred Edinburgh chef Tom Kitchin. The food is great quality and the portions are huge, which is definitely what you want in winter (especially if you've ordered a dish that's mainly molten-hot cheese).
12. Twice-cooked slow pork with barbecue beans, buttered mash and onion rings from Jackson's Bar in Glasgow.
This mountain of tasty food pretty much speaks for itself. Beans? Good. Mash? Amazing. Crispy onion rings? Check. Meltingly soft pork belly? Yes please. In fact, there's so much to like about this dish that we can forgive the fact it's served on a chopping board.
13. Sticky toffee pudding from The Doll's House in St Andrews.
The Doll's House is a gorgeous bistro in the heart of historic St Andrews. It serves up hearty casseroles, and its puds are well worth sampling too, especially this stunning sticky toffee pudding, served hot with toffee sauce and Isle of Arran ice cream.
14. Vegan black bean and bulgar wheat chilli from Union of Genius in Edinburgh.
Union of Genius offers a changing daily menu with at least six freshly-made soups, some meaty, some vegetarian. They also make one-pot dishes like this hot, spicy vegan black bean chilli, packed full of healthy veg to keep those winter colds at bay.
15. Black pudding scotch eggs at The Mountain Café in Aviemore.
The mountain town of Aviemore is a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders. These delicious nuggets of spicy black pudding wrapped round a meltingly soft quails egg make the perfect post-piste snack, and you should definitely follow them with some spiced rum and salted caramel hot chocolate.
16. Deep-fried haggis doughnuts at The Beer Kitchen in Dundee.
Don't be put off by the word "doughnut"; these balls of spicy meat only have a slight hint of sweetness to them. They go perfectly with Innis and Gunn's wide range of beers, which include rum and whisky cask finish ales, and a lovely, light signature lager.
17. Ox cheek pie with carrots and buttered mash from The Westroom in Edinburgh
This hearty beef pie is part of this bar's winter menu, which also features a cullen skink fish stew packed with haddock, potato, onions and cream. The pie isn't too pricey, either, which means you can afford to buy a dram of whisky or two to accompany it.
18. A spicy Moroccan tagine from Cafe Eighty2 in Drumnadrochit
This wee Highland café is located right beside Loch Ness. It does a range of traditional dishes, as well as more exotic fare like this delicious tagine full of lamb meatballs, paprika, and cinnamon, topped with plenty of cheese. It's a true (Loch Ness) monster of a dish.
19. Beef and chocolate stout stew from Earthy Foods in Edinburgh.
This incredibly hearty beef stew made with rich, chocolately beer is a popular option at this wholesome restaurant in Edinburgh. It's served with salt and pepper roast pumpkin, and a goats cheese polenta loaf. If you've got any space left after eating it you should definitely sample a slice of Earthy's home made carrot cake as well.
20. A full Scottish breakfast at The Wee Guy's in Glasgow.
A full Scottish breakfast should contain several crucial ingredients: two types of sausage (square and link), black pudding, bacon, a fried egg, tattie scones, beans, mushrooms, and a fried tomato that no one ever eats. This cute little deli in Glasgow gets it spot on, and bonus points for putting the beans in a little cup.
21. A hot chocolate ice cream float from Mary's Milk Bar in Edinburgh.
Don't worry, these stunning hot choc floats will still warm you up as the ice cream melts almost instantly. The float on the left is a dark chocolate and sea salt hot chocolate with hand made salted caramel ice cream, and the one on the right is a white chocolate and cardamom hot chocolate with dark chocolate ice cream, but customers can choose between over 30 different combinations.
You might want to Mary's early in the day, though. There tends to be a be a bit of a queue.