Chop House Market Street

Calling all carnivores! If you're serious about meat, then you might want to check out Chop House's second installment and book yourself a table there for life.

What was once a Leith-based institution has now expanded with the opening of a second restauraunt in Edinburgh's iconic East Market Street Arches. Just a stone's throw from Waverley Station, this newbie to the capital's restaurant scene is worth the train ride alone. The destination? Steak.

While there are other tasty treats to consider on the menu (half lobster, anyone?), there's no point shying away from what these guys do best. Their 'off the coals' steaks are made from the very best of British beef, and because they are butchered and dry-aged (for 35 days, no less) in house, you can rest-assured that these guys have taken the time to serve you up a meal crafted with love.

The meats are cooked to your preference (though they'll recommend you go rare), and come with a choice of sauces, from the classic bearnaise and peppercorn to a creamy blue cheese or zesty chimichurri. There's a banging mix of starters to get the juices flowing too, with short rib scotch egg, mussels and crab claws all coming high up in the popularity stakes. This is not food for the faint hearted, but they've made sure to account for herbi-lovin' clientele too, with tasty, albeit scarce, salad options thrown in for good measure.

Like the Leith-based division, the Arches restaurant has an ambience to match the quality of its food, with deep, dark wood and leather furnishings complimented by candlelit tables when the sun goes down. It's the kind of place where you'll want to hang out with a cocktail long after you've finished your meal, so it's just as well the drinks menu is up to scratch too.

The city centre joint is proving just as popular as its elder sibling. In fact, if you take a glance at our 2018 Food and Drink Survey, you'll find that the chain was voted in the Best Sunday Lunch category. That's some serious accreditation, right there.