Centotre

Victor & Carina Contini are of the dynasty that runs the celebrated Valvona & Crolla empire in Edinburgh, but in 2004 they decided to make a unilateral declaration of independence & set up on their own: hence Centotre. This is housed in a roomy city centre building, once a bank, now given over to contemporary fixtures & fittings in among the pillars & cornices. The aim is to provide simple, high-quality Italian food (veal chop Milanese-style, frito misto, good pizza, exemplary pasta dishes) in a buzzing caffe environment & it achieves this in spades. Children are especially welcome, have their own menu (meatballs, spinach & roast potatoes, say, or pasta with tomato & butter sugo), or can choose any pasta dish as a small starter size. The Italian Bar area at the front of the premises caters to coffee fiends, wine sippers, & snackers - the bigger space at the rear is better for meals. A huge hit in the city since it opened.