Beirut

Edinburgh's only specialist Lebanese restaurant serving a wide selection of mezze, grills and stews.

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Perched on Nicolson Square, among a host of places targeting locals and students, Beirut offers something a bit different to stand out from the crowd – it's Edinburgh's only specialist Lebanese restaurant. The service here is swift and attentive, and the exposed wooden beams and simple décor pleasing enough to the eye. The menu options are wide-ranging, offering both hot and cold starters including fateh lahem (layers of flat bread with rice, nuts, yoghurt and roasted lamb) followed by an almost baffling selection of mains from seafood to spicy stews to wraps and pastries. Vegetarian diners are well catered for, but the shawarma chicken fails to live up to expectations, with the meat quality being rather disappointing. The daoud basha (traditional Lebanese meatballs) shows more promise: tender meat accompanied by a rich tomato and coriander sauce, while the baklava is some of the sweetest in town.

• High point: Edinburgh's only specialist Lebanese restaurant
• Low point: Quality of some of the meat could be better
• Notable dish: Beirut kalaj (grilled Lebanese bread with halloumi and tomato)