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The Forth Floor Restaurant, Brasserie and Bar offer guests a stylish, striking venue for lunch, dinner or drinks; floor to ceiling windows run the length of the restaurant and brasserie giving spectacular views over the Edinburgh skyline from the Castle to The Firth of Forth, making it an ideal venue for entertaining. A thirty two metre Terrace poised high over St Andrew Square provides the opportunity to dine in the fresh air and sunshine for which the capital is renowned.

Whether dining in the more formal Restaurant, meeting friends for a casual supper in the Brasserie or starting the night with a cocktail or glass of champagne in the Bar the Forth Floor provides the very best in contemporary entertaining.

The Restaurant opens for lunch every day and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. The Brasserie serves breakfast every day; lunch and an afternoon menu from Monday to Saturday - as well as brunch on a Sunday and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. In the evening, diners enter the restaurants via a dedicated express lift situated at the side of the store off Multrees Walk.

Stuart Muir, Scottish born and bred Executive Chef, has been at the Forth Floor since day one and is passionate about the excellent Scottish produce he has available to him and the ever-growing restaurant scene. Whether using hand dived scallops from Tarbert or Loch Etive oysters, Stuart is proud to feature Scottish produce on the menu. The restaurant serves modern British cooking with a twist, while the Brasserie serves classic British and European food for more casual dining.

Lunch in the restaurant might include beetroot cured salmon with lemon salted cucumber and poached Loch Etive oyster with pickled ginger, or milk poached loin of rabbit with roast black fig, grapefruit jelly and homemade citrus cream cheese. Main courses of roast halibut with camembert fritter have smoked garlic, chive potato duchess and cauliflower puree on the side, and roast loin of pork with ginger bread Melba combines wonderfully with cinnamon apple puree, trompette mushrooms, honey comb and thyme jus. Pear bread and butter pudding with rum and raisin ice cream or a selection of Scottish cheeses with heather honeycomb and homemade crackers make a blissful end to a perfect meal with a skyline view.

At dinner dishes are more elaborate and could start with ceviche of North Atlantic monkfish with spiced candied pumpkin seeds, chilli, Thai fish bon bon and soya sauce, or tarragon and mushroom gnocchi with crispy shallots and caramelized hazelnut, before moving on to braised shin of Scottish beef with spiced aubergine puree, roast provençal vegetables, truffle potato crisp and confit garlic, or maybe smoked cheddar and thyme risotto with honey glazed beets, carrots and navets. Desserts tend to have a wow factor with chocolate assiette, saffron poached pears with honey cream and lemon sweet pastry.

The Sommelier at the Forth Floor is on hand and happy to help you negotiate your way around an extensive selection of wines, and champagnes, from all over world, with many bottles exclusive to Harvey Nichols in Scotland. The list is full of treats for every pocket from £18.50 to £2,500. Should wine not be your particular tipple, they also have a full range of spirits from small batch bourbons to unusual malts to fine cognacs.

The Brasserie offers stylish casual dining for lunch and dinner and the menu might include favourites such as Scottish rib-eye steak frites, pan-fried fillets and marinated lamb gigot. Desserts include a flourless chocolate mousse cake with berry sorbet and ice creams from S. Luca of Musselburgh.

The Bar features comfy leather banquettes, low leather stools and an unexpected view of Leith and the sea. Most importantly the extensive back bar accommodates numerous unusual spirits that help the bar team conjure up the freshest and most exciting cocktails.

In addition to Forth Floor Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie, the fourth floor also has a 3000 sq ft Foodmarket with Wineshop that sells fresh foods with a strong emphasis on local sourcing and grocery products from across the world - often sold exclusively to Harvey Nichols - as well as their award-winning own-label range. The Wineshop stocks a wide variety of interesting spirits and over 300 hand picked wines and Champagnes.

For more details please visit the Website.

Photographs - Copyright Chris Gascoigne.

Without any shadow of doubt Alla Turca is a place for enjoyment. Located in Glasgow City Centre the different facets of this award winning Turkish restaurant, grill and mezze bar combine to bring an air of jollity to a city of many unusual ingredients, causing one wag to coin the phrase, 'a funeral in Glasgow is more fun than a wedding in Edinburgh'. From the standpoint of an intimate acquaintance with both cities I wouldn't dare to comment, but I do wish that Alla Turca had been in existence when last I was there, some years ago.

This is Turkey at its best away from home. A wonderful combination of exotic Turkish dishes, the enchanting live music of Armagan Alakus and his Turkish guitar every night from 6pm, never intrusive, always entertaining, amidst a décor that is challenging enough in itself, the citizens of Glasgow, their friends and a wider public are all set to have an evening they will recal with pleasure.

Writing in Glasgow West End Roy Beers said, "For Glaswegians and also the increasing stream of visitors who seek out the city's unrivalled dining and drinking scene, a meal at Alla Turca is a journey of exploration into a world of fascinating complementary tastes and food textures, a candlelit oasis of romance and refinement at the busy heart of Scotland's Fine Dining milieu".

The tasting menu starts off with 10 classic mixed starters that include Kisir, Tabule, Borek, Falafel and Sucuk. No need to choose - all ten arrive en table with Turkish bread and - if you take heed of the recommendation, a glass of Turkey's national drink, raki, for everyone. Larger courses include the Alla Turca mixed grill special, barbecued sword fish shish, Scottish king scallops from Shetland, and sitting rather austerely amongst all this frivolity an Angus rib eye steak from the Buccleuch Estate in Dumfriesshire.

As night follows day so does the Turkish Delight and blueberry crème brûlée follow the steak or whatever else your eye lit upon, hotly contested by the much celebrated Baklava with vanilla ice cream or Turkish chocolate, cherry and amaretto mousse with ice cream.

A brasserie menu offers two courses during the day and pre-theatre at an incredibly value for money price, with sesame falafel and humus served with salad and Turkish style fusilli pasta with creamy chicken and asparagus tips, or the chicken casserole of mixed vegetables, apricots and plums with rice and salad.

Over 50 fine wines and champagnes lurk in the cellar. One looks in vain for the odd bin of Chateau Musar, but you never know ? keep on asking. There are some Turkish reds well attuned to the hearty dishes from which you are never far away at Alla Turca. Staff have the same jovial service with a flourish that drums up thoughts of holidays-past in the robust countries of the Middle East.

The live musician plays every evening until late, an ideal accompaniment to the Candlelit Romantic Dinner, meaning you don't have to shout when you pop the all-important question. On certain weekends they even have traditional Turkish dances, do enquire to get details.

And talking of weddings, such occasions are star events at Alla Turca, who if you wish will take care of the whole event, or as much as you would like them to do. From 10 to 100, you can leave it all to them.

The final word should perhaps come from Joanna Blythman, respected restaurant critic, writing in the Sunday Herald ? Feast of the East, "This is definitely one of the most professional and well-run, assured restaurants I've eaten in for quite some time. It's the sort of place where, even in a large group, you know you will be well looked after. The music makes it more attractive still".

Alla Turca has Top Table Awards for 2007-2010, an Eat Scotland Award and is a real fun place in the Glasgow tradition of enjoyment. Click on their Website for further information.

The picturesque and awe inspiring landscape of the town of Perth is home to the smart New County Hotel where the award winning Opus One restaurant continues to gather laurels and awards for their impeccable modern British gourmet cuisine. The hotel is located on County Place in the heart of Perth City Centre and is an ideal retreat whether you're there for business or pleasure. The marvellous adventure sports scene in Perth draws many an enthusiast, and at the end of the day the respite offered by the hotel is enough to rejuvenate even the most exhausted participant.

The light and airy bedrooms are furnished splendidly in stylish monochromatic colours, where white teams up with black for a classic look, and with beige for a more understated but elegant feel. The en-suite bedrooms are equipped with every conceivable comfort including flat screen TV, direct dial telephone, hair dryer and a well stocked hospitality tray.

The 2 AA Rosette awarded Opus One restaurant has garnered other prestigious awards too, such as a Silver Award from EatScotland at the end of 2008 and a Platinum Plate for their outstanding food with Hotel Review Scotland. And to add to that they were named the 'Rising Star Restaurant for 2009' and also achieved a runner-up place for Scottish National Hotel Restaurant of the Year in the Scottish Hotel of The Year Awards; while in 2010 they were 'Urban Restaurant of the Year' in the Scottish Restaurant Awards. Little wonder that the restaurant's popularity has been increasing from strength to strength and their Head Chef, Romuald Denesle from Normandy, who has worked in many excellent restaurants, most recently as Senior Sous Chef at The Ardeonaig Hotel on Loch Tay, is busy as ever trying to raise the bar even higher.

Opus One, we are told, could mean several things, such as the first masterpiece of an artist or composer or the famous wine from Napa Valley. The restaurant, which can be perceived as a magnum opus on its own, has been furnished with a contemporary taste where elegance combines graciously with modern style. The seasonal menu draws on the best of local produce and for lunch starters might include chicken liver parfait with red onion jam and oatcakes, or wholemeal blinis with thick cut smoked salmon with salad leaves and a grain mustards crème fraîche.

Main courses could involve delights such as slow roasted belly of pork with braised red cabbage, truffled potatoes and a sultana and thyme jus, or breast of corn fed chicken with celeriac and potato rösti, Savoy cabbage and Madeira jus. Dishes tend to become more elaborate in the evening, where meals could typically begin with goats' cheese pannacotta with caramelised beetroot and rocket salad, or carpaccio of monkfish cured in lime oil and a caviar dressing. Follow this with fresh market fish of the day or pan-fried fillet of beef.

Luscious and decadent, the desserts at Opus One could easily meet your calorific fantasies more than half way, for who can resist the pineapple and star anise mousse with roasted pineapple and green apple sorbet, or sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce? To ably accompany such excellent food be sure not to miss the selection of fine wines and spirits. Their signature wine is understandably the Opus One, a Napa Valley number that is produced meticulously as a result of the inspired collaboration between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi.

There's much more information about opening times, menus and drinks lists on their elegantly designed Website and a few clicks will bring you closer to this wonderful dining destination. Do note that they do not accept children under the age of ten.

Welcome to nouvelle Indian cuisine on the grand scale in this brilliant restaurant where contemporary meets traditional within a smart sophisticated setting in the Granite City, offering cuisine that extracts the best from both with clear evidence of time, dedication and care taken in creating dishes for a menu which changes monthly and retains the interest of an increasing number of loyal and satisfied customers. Khalis Miah and his team have established a landmark restaurant in this prosperous city by the sheer integrity of the whole operation, visible from the moment you enter, and which lasts through the lingering memories of a satisfying and happy occasion.

Cinnamon opened in June 2005, and from the very outset became notable for its wide approach to ingredients and choice of dishes. Within four months of opening they had been awarded Aberdeen City restaurant of the Year. Originating from a country that has such an enormous coastline it is always a source of dismay that in general terms Indian cooking does not take enough advantage in Britain of the wide availability of high quality seafood, but that is certainly not the case at Cinnamon where the fruits of the sea are all over the menu.

Prices are cleverly thought through in such a way that the extent of every pocket is taken into account, ranging from the whole lamb leg, or whole chicken through tiger prawns to more modest golden oldies such as chilli fish.

Small bites and appetisers include the popular chokki tikki, masala potatoes, spinach crisp bakes partnered with ginger, garlic, and sultana grapes with flakes of roasted almonds dressed with chef's sauce, offering fantastic flavour. The Rajasthani lamb shank is mixed with spices such as ginger, garlic, chilli and yoghurt and cooked with chick pea masala, diced onions and capsicums. One of the most popular street snacks in Bombay is bataada wada, mashed potatoes mixed with subtle spices, shallow fried in batter - save the air fare and taste it at Cinnamon.

The extent of the cuisine is outstanding. Let's take some of their 'seafood experiments' (do we detect a note of the Heston Blumenthals - actually no!), starting with cinnamon chilli fish, fillet of sea bass marinated with Dijon mustard, sea salt, lemon juice, coriander and turmeric powder and served with tamarind chutney, or garlic and chilli tiger prawns, locally caught tiger prawns marinated in garlic, chilli and ginger, then roasted in the tandoori. What really catches your eye is the scallops dish, garlic and chilli flake marinated with Greek olive oil, cooked in tandoori with lemongrass sea salt and coriander rubbed, and char-grilled scallops and ginger served with five fruit chutneys.

Amongst their less maritime experiments is Hyderabad ghosht kali mirch, garlic, ginger paste simmered and toned with cream or the butter chicken gravy flavoured with tomato gravy and Kashmiri methi, herbs, then simmered with butter and cream.

Excellent value set menus with carefully thought out dishes that complement each other, for a minimum of two people, make for good party fare. This is very much a family run restaurant, but on a scale that is well able to deal with parties of all shapes and sizes. The volume of support it receives speaks for itself.

Their attractive and easy to use Website will keep you up to the moment with that regularly changing menu. If it's not there - ask. They love a challenge.

Case Mia has rapidly earned a reputation as one of Dumfries and Galloway's top flight restaurants, serving a consistently good quality of cuisine with a decidedly modern European twist. Open seven days a week and situated literally minutes from Dumfries Town Centre, this delightful place is set in a secluded corner on the banks of the River Nith. Casa Mia has about it an air of elegance, refinement and sophistication that encourages return visits.

Under the expert management of Butrint Gashi, Case Mia benefits from his wide experience at Le Cafe du Jardin in Covent Garden and elsewhere with the result that the good people of Dumfries and Galloway find this restaurant highly desirable not only for intimate occasions when a good impression is required, but also for social and business events that demand efficient and competent handling.

Steak nights are a regular feature, so are seafood nights, and Greek cuisine gets a look in as well. From Sunday to Thursday from 5pm onwards, 5 - 7 pm on Fridays and 5 - 6 pm on Saturdays, Casa Mia is renowned for its Eat Late for Less menu, with 2 or 3 courses at under £16, that could start with chicken and apple Caesar salad, homemade beef lasagne served with garlic bread and cream filled profiteroles with warm chocolate sauce.

A lunch menu offers some twelve starters amongst which expect to find a tower of haggis, neeps and tatties with cream whisky sauce and air dried chips, or tempura battered fish skewer with marinated cucumber and sweet chilli sauce, succeeded by some 13 choices that include char grilled minute steak with peppercorn sauce and chips or fillet of plaice on baby new potatoes and mixed leaves salad with balsamic and lime juice. Wraps and ciabattas are there aplenty.

But it is the evening dinner menu, with its overtones of formality and relaxed enjoyment that brings people to Casa Mia, with homemade smoked haddock fish cakes with spring onion, tomato and salsa, cured Parma ham, melon and fresh fig platter with lemon and herb oil dressing, followed by Spanish style paella, or a rare grilled ostrich fillet on roasted red pepper and potato with port jus and mushroom duxelles.

The variety of their culinary achievements is amply supported by a wine list that bears all the evidence of a travelled approach to the subject, at prices which are a positive encouragement to combine the best of both. Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, was very familiar with Dumfries, nor was he lacking in an appreciative approach to matters of human refreshment. As a good democrat he would undoubtedly have approved of Butrint's friendly approach to local organisations, who find Casa Mia just the ticket for their fund raising dinners and events, or local artists who exhibit in the Casa Mia Gallery. Menus change fast, do keep an eye on their  Website for updates.

Dumfries and Galloway is a wonderful area of enormous scenic beauty attracting residents of skills and talents, and it is greatly to the credit of Casa Mia that they can rise to the implicit challenges so successfully.

The Malmaison group of hotels has established throughout Britain a collection of centres of excellence where nothing but the best will do. As a concept alone this is exciting, but the reality is brilliant, so that at last there is a hotel group where uniformity of standards is of the same high calibre. Perched on the banks of the Forth in Leith, it is within walking distance of the great restaurants and bars in Leith and only minutes from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

Inside the décor is stylish with marked French overtones, matching the general buzz factor that makes this one of the more popular places not only to stay in Scotland's capital city, but also to eat in comfort surrounded by good taste. As you walk in, you'll be met with grand staircases, slinky sofas in the lobby and the doorways to the brasserie and Bar Nirvana.

The bedrooms are all that one would expect from a hotel that has genuine regard for its guests and is concerned with every aspect of their wellbeing and they are uniquely designed in either vibrant colours or muted shades. Room 121 deserves a special mention - a four poster bed with regal fabrics, a stunning high ceiling and views of the cobbled courtyard to the River Leith - it's pure decadence.

Amidst elegant surroundings, with spotless gleaming glassware and shining cutlery, an essentially brasserie menu is offered from which lovers of seafood will be delighted to note that their particular needs are well heeded, starting with a delightful mussel and saffron chowder or devilled whitebait. That very brasserie dish, eggs Florentine with fat cut chips, has staged a comeback, and can be taken here as a starter or main course. Smoked ham hock seldom fails to please, and the Tamworth pork cutlet is served with apple compote, red cabbage and prunes.

An inspired choice is the beef bourguignon for those seeking by this time a slightly more carnivorous - approach. Which leads us neatly to the, wait for it - Mal burger, a 250 gram burger made from ground beef tucked into a floured bap to join bacon and gruyere, served with homemade relish and some fries. Vegetarians are well looked after - the pumpkin and gorgonzola filled gnocchi sound appealing.

Over the years the number of outriders surrounding a good honest steak on the plate has grown to unacceptable dimensions. At Malmaison the thought and care is centred on the 35 day aged rump steak frites and that's it - except for the chips. If you want all the rest go for the side dishes, but steak and chips on its own takes some beating.

Heading the puddings is the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce, a triumph of timing and co-ordination, supported by other choices amongst which expect to find rhubarb and apple crumble. Their homemade ice creams and sorbets are dreamy.

The wine list is a symphony of its kind, clearly compiled by an enthusiast who knows his wines well enough not to disappear into a world of hyperbole when describing them.

Their Website is a wealth of information that will, I predict, only serve to increase your resolve to make Malmaison your next stop in Edinburgh. It is worth noting that you can also make reservations Online on their Website.

The first Browns opened at Brighton in 1973 with one simple guiding belief, that classic food, well delivered in a stylish environment, would be a recipe for success. The only thing that has changed since then is the number of Browns, now running at fourteen, of which six are in London, all prospering with the same theme.

Some of their buildings are particularly legendary in style, sometimes listed and always interesting. The premises at Edinburgh are located in George Street, the street that runs parallel with Princes Street and is, in a Sassenach view, far more Scottish.

The main menu, available throughout the day, starts with appetisers, designed for sharing, with antipasti of Italian meat, vegetarian or seafood. Try also the flatbreads with a range of interesting toppings. In amongst the thirteen starters expect to come across smoked duck, crisp noodle and cashew nut salad with red peppers, tumeric cauliflower, spring onions and a sherry vinaigrette. The fish and salad choices include fish and chips tempura battered cod with minted mushy peas and tartar sauce and seared beef fillet salad with chilli, garlic, soy and spring onions.

The same theme of comfortable food, well-cooked and presented, continues throughout the mains course with roast chicken breast in sour dough bread with baby spinach, tomato and mayonnaise, served with seasoned chips, and steak frites 6oz prime sirloin, served with a lemon, parsley and peppercorn butter.

Desserts include some indulgent Browns cheesecake with a selection of baked vanilla, chocolate, lemon, strawberry, banoffee or rum and raisin. By the way their breakfast and brunch menu is just one of the best as is the lunch and early menu. Little ones have their own dedicated menu where they can choose between tomato penne pasta and smoked fishcake with a hollandaise sauce and green salad.

The wine list is masterful and not over long, sometimes a great relief to those who find it difficult to navigate their way through a lengthier list, however interesting. Many bottles are available by the glass and helpfully each group of wines is classified under headings such as white, red and rose with house recommendations, New and Old World wines under them.

Browns in Edinburgh are well able to deal with groups, and have special menus to look after their particular interests. Click on their excellent Website for further details and menu changes.

We hear a great deal about recycling these days - du Vin recycles attractive but sometimes un-loved buildings to restore real gems in the best tradition of British understated style.

Complement that with all that is best in the French bistro ethos, bars that reach out to please, and you have a setting that provides an inspirational background for people to meet, do business, get married, provide a base for golf or fishing, somewhere you can call your own for a private celebration, a spa or - most engagingly - a wine school that breaks the mould.

In Glasgow, du Vin has taken on the notable and highly respected One Devonshire Gardens, set in a tree-lined Victorian terrace in the fashionable and exciting West End of Glasgow. The list of awards would take up the whole of this review, each one of which must give its own particular pleasure to du Vin's owners; suffice to say that an appreciative press and côrps de critiques has not been slow off the mark to demonstrate its feelings.

Spread over five joined Town houses, the luxurious collection of bedrooms offers an unparalleled level of luxury, with luxurious duvets and Egyptian cotton bedding, fluffy bathrobes, satellite TV, CD and DVD player, mini bar stocked with treats, fresh tea, coffee and milk, and generously sized and plentiful toiletries. Some rooms forsake Victorian splendour for a more contemporary feel, including monsoon showers.

In the classy hallmark du Vin bistro a choice of four starters could include capuccino of lobster and pernod, truffle infused oil and organic smoked salmon cannelloni, spinach purée and plum tomato.

Main courses demonstrate a prime contribution to those Awards, with finesse and imagination from Executive Chef Paul Tamburrini and his team involved to a remarkable level. The poached and roasted breast of mallard comes with goats' cheese emulsion, toasted barley and xérès vinegar whilst the butter roasted line caught halibut is served with pommes purée, fine beans, and curried mussel jus. Round off with crème brûlée, with amaretto ice cream and financiers, or the chocolate marquis with pear sorbet, sesame tuile to complete a meal that has taken you to the stars.

Whilst one might argue that the whole point of being in a du Vin is to snuggle up to the wine list, this list is designed to march with the food and can only be described as superb. With a team of two sommeliers, headed here by Sebastiano Ingaliso, there is no room for anything but the best. Service is telepathic in the best possible sense.

Click on their Website for full information and rates. Hotel du Vin, with fourteen options throughout Britain, awaits your call.

The Malmaison group of hotels has established throughout Britain a collection of centres of excellence where nothing but the best will do. As a concept alone this is exciting, but the reality is brilliant, so that at last there is a hotel group where uniformity of standards is of the same high calibre.

Malmaison Aberdeen is a note-worthy addition to the Malmaison family formerly known as Queen's Hotel, where guests receive the treatment befitting royalty. The 80 bedrooms are all that one would expect from a hotel that has genuine regard for its guests and is concerned with every aspect of their wellbeing, blending in period features with modern designs in everything from the art-nouveau style cast iron entrance to the large bedrooms and suites. The Slains Suite might allure the sporting enthusiast, with a private terrace overlooking the local rugby pitches, a football table and a massive eight-footer sleigh bed.

The brasserie is a haven of fine foods selected from local produce such as Aberdeen Angus sirloin, a knickerbocker glory or line caught sea bass The brasserie seats 100 and is complemented by two luxurious private dining rooms, The Chef's Table and The Hauf, with elegant décor in cerise, pinks and blacks. Their Josper oven is unique to Aberdeen and powered only by coal to give all the meats the smokey full flavours they merit.

An inspired choice amongst the main courses is the confit belly of Packington pork with apple aaroncini, cèpe cream and crackling while the duo of beef with roast autumn root vegetables and sauce bordelaise is just perfect for those seeking by this time a slightly more carnivoristic approach. Which leads us neatly to the, wait for it, Mal burger, a 250 gram burger made from ground beef tucked into a floured bap to join bacon and gruyere, served with homemade relish and some fries.

But at Malmaison Aberdeen the signature steak is not for the faint hearted and The Butcher's Favourite is a 700 gram 'bone in rib steak', only one example of the quality meats supplied by local butcher Donald Russell. Vegetarians are well looked after - the courgette and gruyere soufflé with bitter leaves, wet Italian polenta with wild mushroom and poached egg and the sweet corn risotto with basil pesto sound appealing.

Heading the puddings is the House crème brûlée, a triumph of timing and co-ordination, supported by other choices amongst which expect to find the warm Dundee cakes with whisky ice cream and a steamed blueberry sponge with custard. Their homemade ice creams and sorbets are dreamy while their renowned cheese trolley has a selection of British and French farmhouse cheeses served with an assortment of breads, biscuits and a choice of fig, apricot or date loaf.

Their wine list is a symphony of its kind, clearly compiled by an enthusiast who knows his wines well enough not to disappear into a world of hyperbole when describing them. Thank you, Johnny!

Their Website is a wealth of information that will, I predict, only serve to increase your resolve to make Malmaison your next stop in Aberdeen. It is worth noting that you can also make reservations online on their Website.

We hear a great deal about recycling these days - du Vin recycles attractive but sometimes un-loved buildings to restore real gems in the best tradition of British understated style.

Complement that with all that is best in the French bistro ethos, bars that reach out to please, and you have a setting that provides an inspirational background for people to meet, do business, get married, provide a base for golf or fishing, somewhere you can call your own for a private celebration, a spa or - most engagingly - a wine school that breaks the mould.

In Edinburgh, du Vin has taken on the site of a former lunatic asylum, squirrelled away deep in the Old Town of Edinburgh, only a short walk from the historic Royal Mile. Next door to the well-known Bedlam Theatre, this striking luxury boutique hotel has 47 timelessly furnished rooms and stunning suites offering monsoon showers, luxurious Egyptian cotton linen, and air conditioning. Plasma TVs and DVDs are also standard. As a comfortable base from which to explore the fascinating city of Edinburgh, with its great historic and cultural heritage, as well enjoy the nightlife and entertainment scene, the hotel could hardly be bettered.

In the trademark classy bistro the choice of starters could include shell on prawns with garlic mayonnaise, an Isle of Mull soufflé, pig terrine with homemade pickle, or duck rillette with crusty bread. How often the simple things in life are the best, and it applies here to the classic dishes on offer, amongst which the devilled lamb's kidneys, or the choux farci a l'alsacienne, are notable.

Head Chef Matt Powell leaves no recipe book unread in his quest for new dishes, including those of his own, and main courses demonstrate his success. Natural smoked haddock cassoulet with Montgomery's cheddar crust, char-grilled squid, fennel, leeks and a warm chorizo dressing and chicken Cordon Bleu with potato salad all demonstrate an independence of approach that is mirrored throughout the menus, which change daily.

Whilst one might argue that the whole point of being in a du Vin is to snuggle up to the wine list, this list is designed to march with the food and can only be described as superb. With a team of two sommeliers, headed here by Romain Audrerie, there is no room for anything but the best. Service is telepathic in the best possible sense.

Click on their Website for full information and rates. Hotel du Vin, with fourteen options throughout Britain, awaits your call.