Navadhanya

Expect fresh and innovative cooking from this understated Haymarket Indian restaurant.

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You don’t often find pan-fried scallops on an Indian restaurant menu and it’s equally rare to enjoy them as gently seared as they are at Navadhanya. Lightly crusted with fennel and spices, these lovely little delicacies are topped with a mound of mango and sit on a tomato coulis, quickly establishing that this is indeed the food of kings. It’s a bit of surprise as this neat but not particularly stylish shopfront establishment near Haymarket station is easy to overlook. Locals have clearly cottoned on though, as Navadhanya is thriving a year or so after opening. The pièce de résistance of the main courses is a beautifully presented fresh lobster curry, lightly spiced without overpowering the taste of the sea. That’s not to overlook a hefty portion of feathery slow-cooked lamb shank, which comes in a gorgeously gooey coconut milk-infused tomato sauce. Desserts are freshly made, so it’s well worth trying a syrup-saturated gulab jamun donut or a pistachio kulfi. Navadhanya successfully takes Indian dining up a notch.

• High point: Unique in Edinburgh
• Low point: The décor doesn't do justice to the menu
• Notable dish: Malabari scallops