Restaurants in Edinburgh

Edinburgh's oldest-established Chinese restaurant has been serving good, reliable Scottish-Chinese cuisine since 1956. It offers the full range of traditional meals - sweet-and-sour, chow mein, kung po and so forth - as well as some more unusual noodle dishes. Chinese beer is available on draught. The Rendezvous lunchtime buffet is particularly good value, especially on weekdays.

Kalpna is one of Edinburgh's longest-established and best-known Indian vegetarian restaurants. It is small, simply decorated and unpretentious inside, but the food (all of which is vegetarian) is delicious and inspired. Specialities include huge South Indian dosas, thali set meals and vegetable-stuffed potatoes. The Kalpna lunchtime buffet is very good value and, correspondingly, popular.

This small local chain has three branches around the city, all offering modern Scottish dishes in attractive surroundings with tasteful tartan touches. The food is beautifully prepared and presented, while the staff are friendly and helpful. In season, the menu features Scottish game, such as venison and pheasant. Stac Polly's signature starter, filo pastry parcels of haggis with plum sauce, has many devotees, as does its extensive whisky list.

One of Edinburgh's longest-established and smartest vegetarian restaurants, David Bann serves genuinely interesting and innovative vegetarian and vegan dishes which ought to keep even committed carnivores happy. The award-winning eaterie is also superbly located, just off the Royal Mile. The only complaint? The dark wood surroundings are modern but the picture-less walls means the restaurant lacks warmth. However, the service is professional, light-years away from the beard-and-sandals stereotype.

This tapas bar on fashionable George Street is beautifully decorated in the southern Spanish style, with lots of tiles and blue-and-white ceramics. The tapas menu is wide-ranging; meat and fish main courses are also offered, as is a selection of paellas. The wine list, although exclusively Spanish, is extensive.

One of Leith's three Michelin-starred restaurants, Tom Kitchin's eponymous restaurant is heavy on high-quality Scottish ingredients: fish, game, beef, wild mushrooms and soft fruit. Service is sublime and the wine list is exceptional. Seasonality and sourcing are as important to Kitchin as intricate sauces. Perfect for anyone looking for a culinary treat. A six-course tasting menu is available.

The latest addition to Edinburgh's fine-dining scene, Ondine generated immediate excitement thanks to the reputation of its head chef, Roy Brett. Its menus are driven by traceability and seasonality; the restaurant works closely with the Marine Stewardship Council to ensure that its seafood is as sustainable as possible. Guests can sit at the horseshoe-shaped Crustacean Bar and watch the chefs preparing fresh shellfish.