It's always worth keeping an eye on the Town House Collection, one of Edinburgh's boutique hotel companies, to see how it adapts its dining options. Here at the Howard, the Atholl dining room was formerly residents-only, but no longer. Now anyone can work their way through smoked oysters to start, followed by venison with sweet and sour red cabbage, then summer fruit pudding with clotted cream. Tiny, Georgian and elegant, the Atholl is smart and discreet, almost secret, and has so few tables that booking ahead is essential.
Area West End & New Town
Transport Bus 13, 23, 27
Telephone 0131 557 3500
Open 7.30-10am, noon-2pm, 7-9pm Mon-Sat; 8-10.30am, noon-2pm, 7-9pm Sun.
Main courses £22.
Share your thoughts