Novotel Edinburgh Centre

You'd walk past this corner of Lauriston Place a hundred times without thinking twice about popping in for dinner, but that would be your loss. The restaurant at this well-positioned hotel manages something most chain establishments fail at spectacularly: actually decent food that doesn't taste like it's been sitting under heat lamps since the Blair years. The dining room feels more brasserie than corporate canteen, with big windows looking out towards the Meadows and George Square. They do a solid line in modern Scottish cooking—think proper haggis that won't scare the tourists, decent steaks, and surprisingly good fish dishes. The breakfast spread is genuinely impressive if you're staying over, and the bar does cocktails that don't taste like they've been mixed by someone who learned their craft from a laminated card.