China Town

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.

Talk about bad timing. For most of its short life, China Town, on the corner of Atholl Place in Edinburgh’s West End, has been sitting slap bang in the middle of the capital’s notorious tramworks. It’s been something of a struggle for owner Thomas Chan over the past four years but he’s succeeded in building up a loyal clientele attracted by the restaurant’s quality cuisine and pleasantly tranquil ambience. Service is friendly and attentive and might even include an impromptu lesson in using chopsticks. There are various menu options, ranging from good-value lunch and pre-theatre deals to a number of set dinners for up to eight people. Highlights from the à la carte menu include starters of sweet scallops served on skewers with a satay sauce and juicy, spiced and salted spare ribs. Meat dishes, which come in generous portions, include roast pork char sui with green pepper in black bean sauce and tender roast duck chow mein. The restaurant does not usually cater for very young children but it’s open later in the evening than most of its contemporaries and has a better than average wine selection to complement the impressive menu.

• High point: Good-quality food in a relaxing atmosphere
• Low point: Not particularly child-friendly