Forth Floor at Harvey Nichols

Harvey Nicks descended on Edinburgh in 2002 with a fresh & spacious fourth-floor dining area offering excellent views of the city out towards the Firth of Forth. In the formal restaurant, eclectic culinary partnerships might yield confit duck roulade with black pepper & red wine syrup, potato scone & confit rhubarb or blackened turbot paired with sticky pork-cheek pie, spring cabbage & Thai oysters, & the same theme runs through to desserts such as passion fruit soufflé with coconut sorbet. The adjoining brasserie (separated by subtle screens) offers simpler stuff – think chicken Caesar salad with anchovy dressing, 8oz rib-eye steak & pickings from the seafood bar. For something more economical, try the restaurant’s ‘Scottish provenance’ menu or the brasserie prix-fixe; there’s a splendid wine list too. Certainly worth a visit, even if you hate shopping.