Hidden behind Market Street, Forgan's brings together Scottish produce, private bothies and Saturday-night ceilidhs inside a former workshop where some of the world's finest golf clubs were once made.
St Andrews has no shortage of connections to golf, but at Forgan's that history is quite literally built into the restaurant.
Step off Market Street and inside the cavernous dining room and you're entering what was once a cleek factory — the old Scottish name for a golf club-making workshop. The restaurant takes its name from Robert Forgan, one of St Andrews' great clubmakers, whose business produced clubs on this site.
Today the workshops have been replaced by long tables, a busy bar, private bothies and a kitchen built around Scottish produce.
But Forgan's hasn't entirely left its past behind.
From Golf Clubs to Dinner Tables
Robert Forgan was one of the most important figures in St Andrews' early golf industry, and the restaurant deliberately retains that connection to the town.
It gives Forgan's something many restaurants can't manufacture: a genuine sense of place.
This isn't Scottish styling dropped into an anonymous building. You're eating inside a piece of the town's golfing story.
Yet Forgan's doesn't feel like a golf-themed restaurant.
The atmosphere is warmer and more theatrical than that — high ceilings, communal tables, cosy corners and four private dining bothies inspired by the simple shelters traditionally found across rural Scotland.
What to Eat
The kitchen describes its approach simply: Scottish produce-led food.
Menus change with the availability of locally sourced ingredients, but the cooking is recognisably Scottish without being overly formal. Current menus include the likes of Cullen skink alongside meat, seafood, burgers and plant-based dishes, with local suppliers appearing throughout.
It's the sort of place that works particularly well when different people around the table want different things.
Come for lunch after exploring town, dinner with friends, a family meal or drinks that unexpectedly turn into dinner.
The drinks offering is similarly broad, with cocktails, wine and a dedicated whisky selection.
Book a Bothy
For a group, we'd seriously consider asking about one of Forgan's four private bothies.
The idea comes from the traditional Scottish bothy — a simple shelter offering warmth and refuge to travellers — reinterpreted here as intimate spaces within the restaurant for eating and drinking together.
Unusually, Forgan's says there is no additional charge for booking one, subject to availability.
For a birthday, family dinner, golf group or simply a night when you'd rather have your own space, they are one of Forgan's most distinctive features.
Come on a Saturday Night
There's another reason we'd choose Saturday.
Every Saturday from 10pm, Forgan's hosts a live ceilidh with Scottish music and dancing, with free entry.
For an international visitor, particularly someone spending their first few days in Scotland, it's difficult to think of a more entertaining introduction to the country's social side.
Have dinner beforehand, stay for another drink and then join in when the music starts.
You don't need to know the dances.
You'll learn.
Right in the Heart of Town
Forgan's sits at 110 Market Street, putting it right in the middle of St Andrews and within easy walking distance of the university, shops, Cathedral and Old Course.
It's open from 11.30am until 10.30pm Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Walk-ins are kept available, but Forgan's recommends booking ahead — advice we'd follow during weekends, graduation, golf events and the busy summer season.
It's also wheelchair accessible, with step-free entrance access and accessible toilet facilities.
Who Is Forgan's Best For?
Forgan's isn't where we'd send someone looking for hushed fine dining.
It's where we'd send someone wanting atmosphere.
Groups of friends, families, golfers, couples wanting a lively Friday or Saturday night and visitors who want somewhere that feels unmistakably Scottish without becoming a tourist cliché all make sense here.
And that's really Forgan's strength.
It manages to be a restaurant, bar and gathering place at the same time.
Know Before You Go
Where: 110 Market Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9PB.
Opening hours: Sunday–Thursday, 11.30am–10.30pm; Friday–Saturday, 11.30am–midnight.
Reservations: Recommended, particularly at busy times. Some space is retained for walk-ins.
Saturday ceilidh: From 10pm until late; free entry.
Private dining: Four private bothies are available.
The Visit St Andrews View
Come for dinner, but if you can, come on a Saturday. Forgan's is at its best when the tables are full, the evening is running late and the ceilidh begins — giving you food, history and a proper dose of Scottish hospitality under one roof.
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