With its striking blue frontage and colourful hanging baskets, Maison Bleue is something of a local landmark in Edinburgh’s historic Old Town. The interior is equally impressive, with stone arches, a wooden spiral staircase and lots of idiosyncratic features dotted around four separate dining rooms – all creating a mood of intimate conviviality. Despite the French moniker, the cooking has a strong international flavour, with ideas from North Africa, the Middle East and the Orient sitting alongside assorted Gallic and home-grown favourites. Kick off with South-East Asian-style Cullen skink, haggis balls or scallops with crispy boudin noir and sauce vierge, before tackling seafood gumbo, lamb shank tagine, slow-cooked confit duck with bean cassoulet or a 28-day aged Donald Russell steak. After that, keep it Scottish with raspberry cranachan. Good-value set lunches and pre-theatre deals too.