Zest

Zest occupies a quiet stretch of North St Andrew Street, one block behind the busier commercial frontage of St Andrew Square, and has built one of Edinburgh's stronger reputations for Indian and Bangladeshi cooking since it opened. The dining room is clean and contemporary — white walls, blond chairs, no flock wallpaper — which sets the tone for a kitchen that works with precision rather than formula.

Local Scottish produce threads through the menu in ways that read as natural rather than promotional. The tandoori trout is the restaurant's own creation and earns consistent praise; the Jaipuri chicken, cooked with mushrooms, onions and capsicums in a medium-spiced Punjabi masala, is one of the more interesting preparations on the menu. Sir Walter Scott lamb — named for the Scottish author rather than any tourist-trail impulse — appears among the main courses alongside king prawn jalfrezi and lamb bhuna. Peshwari naan and bhajis are both recommended as accompaniments. The business lunch during the week draws a steady office crowd from the financial district around St Andrew Square, keeping the room lively at midday through the week.

A strong Google rating above 4.4, drawn from well over a thousand reviews, reflects the consistency that has kept Zest running for more than two decades. Open for lunch and dinner seven days.