Stac Polly - Grindlay Street

Yet another of these wonderful little two room restaurants tucked away in ancient parts of Edinburgh, doing wonderful things with food and usually carrying a devoted clientele with them, swollen during the tourist season and manic when the Festival is on.

Each has its own distinctive décor, many are tucked away in cellars and basements, collectively they form an essential part of the Edinburgh scene. Stac Polly is quite formal compared to many and colours are striking and bold against a warm background.

The emphasis here on Scottish food is even more pronounced and a starter of baked filo pastry parcels of finest haggis, served on a sweet plum and red wine sauce sets off on the right note. It would be difficult to avoid the roast fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef with Arran mustard champ, wild mushrooms and a rosemary jus to follow.

My choice of the roast figs with black cherry ice cream and champagne syrup would be made on the understanding that I could at least inspect (and probably savour) some of those incredibly good Scottish cheeses which Mr Mellis is so good at locating, perhaps some Dunsyre Blue, the only credible alternative to a well-matured Stilton.