Channings Bar and Restaurant

Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton once lived in one of the quintet of classic Edinburgh townhouses that make up this classy foodie haven in the fashionable urban village of Stockbridge. Channings offers a polished boutique hotel experience on all fronts: from the moment you enter, the whole place exudes a relaxed, unstuffy quirkiness, and the wood-panelled basement restaurant has a classy vibe, since it is a well-frequented neighbourhood bistro as well as a hotel dining room. The kitchen takes an intelligent, fuss-free modern approach that might send out celeriac soup with lemon oil and crispy monkfish cheek, ahead of pan-fried fillet of black bream with braised fennel sautéed ratte potatoes and lobster oil. To finish, there may be hot chocolate fondant with espresso ice cream.