Seasons

Long gone are the days when going out for dinner meant sitting down to a conventional à la carte menu. With gourmet restaraunts popping up left, right and centre over Scotland's capital, more and more Edinburgh diners are throwing caution to the wind and leaving their dining choices in the hands of some of the city's most capable chefs.

Cashing in on this trend is Seasons Restaurant on Broughton Street. Although it's nicely placed for Edinburgh Playhouse, this is not the kind of place where you're going to a want a rushed pre-theatre snack. At Seasons, dinner is the show.

With five and seven course tasting menus on offer, one of the first things that might surprise customers is that they will not be presented with a traditional menu; rather, they will be given a list of ingredients, seasonally sourced and lovingly chosen by executive chef Matthew Urry.

Dishes can vary on a daily basis, but what never wavers is the quality, or the Scandinavian vibes which weave themselves throughout the courses and are echoed in the Nordic decor. Pair each course with some carefully chosen beers and wines and learn how to put the fine in fine dining.