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The Osprey Restaurant at The Lodge on the Loch is thoroughly contemporary in a magnificent setting in Royal Deeside. It boasts a wide ranging menu, offering Mediterranean, traditional Scottish and British favourites as well as a selection of vegetarian dishes. The emphasis is on fresh, local and healthy food.

The wines from around the world are reasonably priced at, in the main, under £20 per bottle, with a Bordeaux vintage selection that should keep the most interested wine connoisseur happy and quickly planning his next visit.

The desserts are all homemade and the cheeses are locally produced, a number of which are organic and award winning; you could wash these down with a glass of one of their vintage ports.

At lunch they offer an extensive selection of light lunch Mediterranean style dishes, together with some traditional old favourites, while in the evening the dinner menu is based on the same theme, but with less snack meals and more formal choices; throughout the day there are a selection of special to choose from as well. The Lodge is fully licensed, with a wide choice of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks including cocktails, and serves excellent fresh coffees made from Lavazza beans in an espresso machine.

The Lodge is located just off the A93, 1 mile west of Aboyne and is well camouflaged by trees at the side of the road and the old Railway line. When you approach the building the views open up to reveal a true hidden gem of Royal Deeside with panoramic views over the Loch and the Cairngorms National Park.

The wood clad structure is a new one that has been custom built for the purpose. It is unique in having outstanding views from all the public areas and function rooms, not to mention the aptly named Osprey Deck which has an extensive area for BBQs and al fresco eating.

After one year of operation the Lodge passed the rigorous standards of Eat Scotland and, after two, their Head Chef Sandy Cowie won third place at the Grampian Chef of the Year Awards.

Whilst The Terrace Brasserie and Santini's offer excellent food and wines, the undoubted place to be for the more formally inclined is The Grill Room. When the Sheraton was built in 1985 the full brunt of designeritis had not hit and there was still plenty of room for the traditional. The Grill Room is lined in wood panelling, the plaster ceiling is dignified and the proportions of the room really satisfying.

One instinctively feels that great feats of culinary skill belong here, nor will you be disappointed, though the tendency is to err on the side of the well-loved and safe, with occasional flirtations into the more exotic.

The quail and foie gras terrine makes an agreeable starter followed by the roast rack of lamb with a Provencal crust and black olive sauce. Desserts tend to be works of art the destruction of which hints at acts of vandalism, nonetheless as a determined gourmet you should have no problem in suppressing your finer thoughts.

The excellent staff moved noiselessly over the patterned Usher carpet and a splendid choice of wines from across the globe matches a style of décor which would not look out of place almost anywhere in the world.

This popular and closely designed hotel seems to attract those who love international fusion food. Situated in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, it's just minutes from the financial shopping areas and the Conference Centre. The venue offers easy access to all theatres, tourist amenities and the historic old town. The highly documented Point Restaurant and Monboddo bar offer a relaxed and informal ambience with modern and classic interiors.

Kick off your meal with peat smoked haddock, white crabmeat and petit pois tartlet with horseradish crème fraiche, or truffled duck egg, smoked cheddar polenta, with organic rocket and white truffle oil. For more filling options you can try crispy panko crumbled pork belly, honey and thyme roasted roots, and mustard fruits, or lightly grilled fillet of hake sautéed jersey royals and salsa verde. Warm poppy seed and banana bread, caramelized banana with vanilla ice cream, and dark Belgian chocolate and walnut brownie with bitter chocolate sauce and clotted cream are among the crowd pullers in the pudding section.