Ignite

Ignite is an attractive and trendy restaurant, serving wholesome Bengali and Indian cuisine on Morrison Street in Edinburgh. One cannot help but take notice of the interiors - tastefully done up in shades of red and burnt orange, with an intriguing display of artefacts - carved wooden elephants, coloured glass lanterns and ceramics.

An eclectic menu offers reasonably priced modern fare, alongside well-loved traditional favourites. The mood inside is warm, relaxing and the staff helpfully explain dishes, spice strengths and suggested accompaniments to diners wanting to order their food.

The set of choices opens with starters like deep-fried crispy aubergines marinated in gram flour, onion and spices, helping set the scene for a tasty meal. Due prominence is given to kebab and tandoori dishes and the bhari combi of fresh mushrooms stuffed with spiced minced lamb or the tender lamb chops are some options that are worth trying.

Mains include an extensive list of kurma, bhuna, rogan josh, dhansak, vindaloo and Madras sauces, ranging from a mild and creamy to a sour and fiery hot base - diners can pick their choice of meat or vegetables to go with it. There are recommended side dishes as well as fresh naan bread and different varieties of pilau rice to accompany a meal.

Vegetarians can choose from a range of specialities such as panchrangi dal or spinach with homemade cottage cheese. Surprises like whole pan-fried sea bass and duck jalfrezie are included as well as more familiar names on the menu. Their wine list is assembled to match the style of food.

The desserts consist of traditional Indian gulab jamoons and kulfi. The restaurant is just around the corner from Haymarket station and is hard to miss - with its location and prices.