Golden Dragon Castle

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

In 2014 Golden Dragon Castle celebrates its fiftieth anniversary on Castle Street. In almost half a century of bringing Cantonese food to Edinburgh’s city centre, they've presumably seen one or two changes in clientele. They have stuck to their guns, however, and kept the original features of the cosy red and gold interior intact, sprucing it up as needs be over the years. The menu has also stayed ostensibly the same, sticking to a predictable formula repeated throughout town. A prevalence of western favourites like lemon chicken, crispy duck and sweet and sour pork all lend the impression that there’s not much to see here, but dig through the standard stuff and some gems appear. Siu Mai, from the small homemade dim sum selection, is textured and delicious, and specials such as the beef brisket hot-pot is hearty, warming and delicately spiced. As its location dictates, this is a hotspot for tourists, but that hinders neither the gracious service nor the returning regulars, suggesting that the Golden Dragon Castle is very much in it for the long haul.

• High point: The historical feel of the interior
• Low point: The historical accuracy of the menu