The Pompadour

If the name of this restaurant didn't already contain the word pomp they'd have to fit it in somehow. Rococo-a-go-go, with the odd modern flourish, in an Edwardian railway hotel at the west end of Princes Street, is not your average Hilton Hotel dining room With a first floor location and windows facing east to Edinburgh Castle, you can even specify a table with a view although someone may have beaten you to it. Foodwise it's very French with Scottish raw materials - so no surprises - with three courses bringing smoked duck salad before rump of lamb with a sweet jus, then citrus creme brulee with chantilly cream. Service is extremely polite and the wine list long and far from cheap. It's a big wow with tourists but also attracts regulars who have been coming for years. Just so.