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hand picked restaurants

Loon Fung is well up the scale when it comes to sorting out the Chinese restaurants in Edinburgh. As Cantonese come in the city few are in the same bracket as Loon Fung. It is very much a haunt of politicians and, even more significantly, the Chinese themselves, always a source of confidence to those treading warily outside their own national cuisine.

The spare ribs are spoken of in hushed tones, judged by some to be the best obtainable in the country. Perhaps too many people tend to judge a Chinese by its dim sum and there is no doubt they have become widely popular. Here again Loon Fung scores highly.

Situated in the heart of Edinburgh city centre, Manna Mahal offers customers a unique opportunity to sample traditional South Indian and Pakistani specialities under one roof. Manna is the Hebrew word for heavenly food and a mahal is a palace. Therefore the restaurant's very name suggests diners will receive quality and authenticity.

Trust Travancore beef cutlets, Hydrabai tangidi kebab or lamb chop tikka to provide you with a flying start. The haggis fritters are an unusual blend of Scottish vegetarian haggis and Indian spices in gram flour batter.

Mains rest on the able shoulders of the masala dosa pancake; steamed idli, and palappam or coconut milk pancakes with stew. Amongst meat and poultry a very hot mutton vindaloo and home-style cettenadu lamb with black pepper, curry leaves, and mustard seeds vie for attention with murgh 65, and flavoursome butter chicken. Seafood is represented by Quilon king prawn masala and Kerala's meen mulaku curry. Bhoona, karahi, sizzlers and vegetarian sides complement the food.

To conclude expect Indian desserts like gulab jamun and ada pradaman. Well chosen wines are always available.

Edinburgh seems to abound in what might be termed quality chippies, which makes the demise of a certain popular chain example down by the water even more strange, particularly as the Glasgow version continues to thrive. There must be one of those Glasgow-v-Edinburgh analogies to be drawn here. Anyway L'Alba has to be in the top flight of its kind, furthermore it has other attractions attached, such as a very credible off-licence, and a sandwich and pizza bar with superb Italian coffee and yet another off-licence. Are there friendly family rivalries at work I wonder?

This is certainly not one of those thick batter with fish establishments. Great care and precision is exercised in producing a perfectly cooked range of fish, both well-known and more obscure. However, the days of crocodile and chips are past and squid, swordfish and shark are more likely to represent the exotica now, though the chips retain their special quality. Filipo Crolla, very much the working proprietor has been using the same supplier for over a quarter of a century, which suggests a certain confidence that is clearly shared by his many customers and friends.

The Jurys Inn at Edinburgh offers comfortable accommodation in pleasant surroundings, while proximity to various attractions makes this the perfect spot to stay, whether you're in the city for business or leisure. Their Innfusion Restaurant brings top notch cuisine, with some commendable wines, all at reasonable prices, and their service is friendly and welcoming. Informal yet stylish, the ambience encourages you to relax and enjoy the wide range of international dishes, be it for breakfast or dinner.

The contemporary cuisine is impressive in presentation and execution and whether you're looking for a light snack or a hearty meal, they have it all. Their menu brings starters of shredded duck and spring onion filo parcel nestled on wild rocket with a hoi sin dip and this could be followed by a main course of slow braised lamb shank in redcurrant and thyme sauce. Desserts are indulgent and could feature Belgian waffles with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup.

If the passage of social history can be measured by the uses to which a country's buildings are subjected, The Dome poses an interesting sequence of events. Formerly the Physicians Hall, built by James Craig, it was replaced with a rather similar building in 1843 that housed in classical splendour the headquarters of the Commercial Bank of Scotland, only to become a magnificent bar and restaurant in more recent times simultaneously gaining a dignity that derives from a combination of banking, the leafy purlieus of George Street and the provision of a highly successful restaurant with leisure.

Once inside, grand architecture offers a reassuring backcloth for enjoyment, even a certain hedonism, with The Dome setting out to provide the surroundings of a London Club as a situation for more leisurely pursuits, of which eating and drinking are the staple diets. An impressive range of cocktails is well supported by more traditional forms of Scottish liquid intake. The food, served with a restraint that may derive from the lofty decor is an interesting blend of Scottish and French influences, perhaps even the odd touch of the Orient introducing a welcome deviation. Chicken breast filled with black pudding, sitting on creamed potatoes, given a final flourish with a smoked bacon and shallot jus could be said to summarise the approach.

The legacy of banking lingers on and nothing comes cheap, but given the sense of wellbeing and security that envelops the place and its occupants, nobody minds too much. Just bang it on the overdraft will you?

Reviewed by Michael Tebbutt