Meet your meat match

Noteworthy for: Named after an old Scots word for Highland beef cattle, they use cuts of pedigree Aberdeen Angus from carefully selected suppliers, including family-run Hardiesmill, who know each of their 400 cows by name.

Word to the wise: Part of the boutique Rutland Hotel, this also makes for a charming base during your stay in Edinburgh.

They're serious about their beef here. Before you order, the waiter will appear wielding what must be a very heavy carving board of more than a dozen glistening cuts, and knowledgeably talk you through the characteristics and provenance of each as you salivate.

This isn't all talk and no action, however, and they know exactly what they're doing in the kitchen. While the menu has many other interesting options, you would be a fool not to tackle the meat.

As a gourmet steak house, the interiors are suitably themed with great cowhide booths and a glamourous, cosmopolitan feel. Buzzy by night, by day the Castle view from the surround windows is pretty special.