Baba Edinburgh

From the team behind Glasgow’s award-winning Ox and Finch restaurant, this grill and cocktail bar in the recently revamped Principal Hotel on Charlotte Square is inspired by the flavours of the Levant. It’s a comfortable, colourful space with a charcoal grill at the heart of an open kitchen delivering Scottish lamb, beef and seafood, spiced and grilled over coals. The short menu focuses on snacks, meze and grill dishes alongside cocktails infused with flavours of rose, sesame and pistachio. Flavours are punchy and well-balanced. Our crunchy little haggis and harissa kibbeh dumplings came dusted in salty sesame-seed spiciness, while vivid-purple earthy beetroot hummus arrived with hazelnut dukkah spices and tangy whipped feta. Next, tender lamb shoulder was accompanied by ptitim pasta, preserved lemon and tahini yoghurt, while baked sweet potato was doused with the Yemeni hot sauce zhug and tempered with cooling crème fraîche. A highlight was the grilled, gamey Goosnargh chicken leg teamed with harissa hummus, pickled cabbage and fragrant pomegranate. In all, an oasis of flavour on chain-heavy George Street.