Howies Restaurant

Sleek, dependable, contemporary and a wee bit Scottish.
Don't be put off by the fact that Howies is a chain. Neither does it serve fast food, nor is it overly formulaic. Instead it's success is based on local restaurants that have proved themselves among discerning local diners for a long time, allowing it to add branches throughout Edinburgh and more widely in Scotland. All serve contemporary food, sometimes with a bit of a Scottish flavour, using locally bought produce and at set meal prices which help avoid runaway costs: two courses go for 18 (14 MonThurs before 7.30pm; three for 20).

The one I ate in was in Edinburgh's Bruntsfield where the sleek minimalist wood and a high-ceilinged whitewashed walls with traditional cornices had much the same flavour as the. There's nothing mind-blowingly experimental here, rather the food concentrates on executing traditional dishes with flair. Presentation is spot on with every dish.

The menu changes monthly and according to season, so perhaps its of limited use to pick on any particular dishes. Suffice to say though that the sweet potato soup or the balls of goats cheese drizzled with raspberry compote both formed an excellent way to start a meal. Mains included a good tangy nutloaf and an excellent roast chicken with creamy mash and accompanied with a strange but surprisingly delicious large tomato stuffed with olives and capsicum. Both came with tasty salads.

Howies describes its banoffee pie as infamous, so clearly that was one dessert that had to be tried. In the event it was great, a lightly whipped topping, burying some real bananery zing, but thankfully not the treacly base that so often weighs the dessert down.

Any one of the restaurants can get busy with groups, so it's as well to call ahead: 0131 225 5553.