5 Best Restaurants in Edinburgh and the Lothians, Scotland

Despite its large interior with acres of seating, this bakery-café still regularly has lines out the door. The reason is simple: it bakes the best cakes in Edinburgh, using everything from Oreos to Reese's Pieces to strawberries and cream. It also serves great breakfasts, all-day brunches (with dishes like black pudding eggs Benedict and five bean chili), and an excellent afternoon tea. From the exceptional food to the fun decor, the friendly service to the reasonable prices, this is a must-try dining experience.

Set within a grand former banking hall on George Street, this superb restaurant serves light but satisfying Italian favorites divided into primi, secondi, and dolci, all within an airy setting of grand Corinthian columns, an open marble-topped bar, intricate wall hangings, and soft gray banquettes. The food choices are strictly seasonal, but regularly appearing favorites include the Scotch beef carpaccio and the homemade ravioli with ricotta and spinach. Come for a light lunch or, with the help of the extensive wine list, a long and indulgent dinner.

The city's most inventive Indian restaurant, Dishoom serves up an all-sensory experience, from the smells that greet you (delicious whiffs of incense mixed with aromatic spices) to the sight and sounds of the interior (the decor is all distressed-wood panels and chandeliers, inspired by Bombay's 1920 Iranian cafés) to the taste of the food itself. A tapas-style menu of deliciously tender meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes welcomes you, along with delicious desserts. Wash down your meal with your pick from the extensive beer and cocktail menu, or come early for breakfast (the sausage and bacon naan rolls are to die for).

This gastro-pub at The Shore in Leith combines a beautiful historic setting with great quality food and a wide selection of Scottish gins. At lunchtime, the dark-wood bar does a roaring trade in simple fare such as gourmet burgers, fish cakes, and haggis (traditional or vegetarian), but in the evening, the kitchen ups the ante with a chalkboard menu of locally caught seafood specialties, from hake to monkfish. Exposed stone walls attest to the building's 15th-century origins. Come on Sunday and choose from the legendary brunch and roast dinner menus.

This pleasant pub, set within a converted farm building on the roadside of the A702, serves traditional, freshly prepared pub food, along with hearty snacks like sandwiches and baked potatoes. It is right by the parking lot for the Snowsports Centre, from which several Pentlands walking trails begin.