Angels with Bagpipes

Romantic Royal Mile restaurant dishing up quality Scottish cooking.

The 2018 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £7.95 (+p&p).

This modern room with expansive window overlooking Roxburgh Court comes as a pleasant surprise after entering such an imposing tenement building at the heart of the Old Town. Their al fresco seating, with a romantic outlook directly across to St Giles, is limited but much sought-after in the warmer months. As location dictates, the menu plays heavily towards those looking for a taste of Scottish produce and tourists will no doubt be happy with the four-course tasting menu which provides creative twists on traditional, local flavours. Chef Fraser Smith more than raises the bar however, hoping to attract the local crowd too. A rump of lamb is competently cooked alongside kale and a potato terrine, but the meal shines at either end with a smooth chicken parfait punctuated by cherries to start and an equally pleasing dessert to finish: chocolate pudding paired with a tangy passion fruit curd and a cloud of creamy coconut foam, which happily encompasses fine dining and comfort eating in one.