Souq Edinburgh

Colourful Southside restaurant with beautiful interior serving Moroccan and Middle Eastern mezze and tagines.

The 2019/20 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

With rows and rows of stunning Arabic-style lamps suspended from the ceiling, Souq is certainly eye-catching. And the welcome is just as twinkly as the lamps, with lovely staff who are just as happy to give recommendations as they are to offer more of their warm, fluffy naan bread at the exact moment you realise you are about to run out. Sister restaurant to Pomegranate, Laila’s Bistro and Hanam’s, Souq is the only member of the family to serve tagines — hearty, rustic comfort food, with the chicken and lemon a particular highlight (and also the server’s favourite). If you’re more into sharing and snacking though, there is a broad range of mezze too. Fried cauliflower is light and crispy (but the whipped feta dip steals the show), while soujuk — spicy lamb sausage — comes with a generous puddle of sauce that’s perfect for dipping. With lots of different spaces for various sizes of groups, BYOB, and belly dancing on Saturdays, Souq is an equally good choice if you fancy getting the team together for something a bit different, or for when you need the equivalent of a culinary cuddle on a cold night.