Oloroso

Oloroso, which translates as aromatic, the brainchild of Tony Singh and the late James Sankey, opened its doors in 2001 and from the outset its meteoric rise to the top in this city of fine restaurants was never in doubt. Now that James is no longer with us, Tony has ensured that maintaining and improving their joint legacy continues with undimmed fervour, and Oloroso is the place to be.

Whilst the majestic views from their rooftop deck are a major feature of the restaurant, never let it be thought than anything takes precedence over the quality of the food, and the essentially Scottish contemporary cuisine that Tony has established.

Tony has had an interesting and star-studded career, which includes periods with The Royal Scotsman Train, The Balmoral Hotel, Martin's Restaurant and the Royal Yacht Britannia. In 2000 he was awarded the prestigious title of ITV Chef of the Year.

A subdued approach to the elegant décor is seasoned by the background music and the voices of the Edinburgh professional classes and intelligentsia in full cry. Three menus embrace a grill, a la carte and bar. Tony Singh categorises his food as 'global comfort food' and items such as rib eye steak, Highland beef sourced with all the precision of a surgeon's scalpel combine with Béarnaise sauce, chilli jam or salsa Verde to keep the customers guessing. Well marbled cuts, the sources of which are well known to the restaurant, are aged according to the size of the joint.

The grill menu also features 16oz T-bone veal steaks, and the Scottish-caught fish comes from some of the cleanest waters in the world, often at temperatures which help to produce fish that are well structured and with good flavour.

The bar food is also wildly popular, served every day from midday to 10 pm, with a simple easy-to-choose menu featuring amongst other delights Tony Singh's favourite, the BET, smoked bacon, fried egg, potato scone and brown sauce. It is somehow refreshing to find the same degree of care being applied to this robust fare as to the more sophisticated cuisine in the restaurant - as it should be.

By contrast the fact that the wine list tops out at £900 for a bottle of 1959 Dom Perignon should not be allowed to worry you overmuch since there are options at under £20, though the great majority of this majestic list is above that mark.

In these days of increasing awareness by those who are particularly selective in their choice of places to go, the elegant Cocktail Bar is one of the 'must-be' locations. The views from the rooftop terrace of Edinburgh Castle and the Kingdom of Fife as you sip a hot cocktail devised by their mixologist must be some of the best in this outstandingly beautiful city, as well as being ideal for a pre theatre supper, quick lunch or somewhere to hang out with friends.

Oloroso is, in the view of many, the pick of the bunch in Edinburgh and one can only endorse that by saying what a pity it is there are not a few more like it. Check out their Website for menu changes and news of any fresh developments.