The Mussel and Steak Bar

For many first-time visitors to Edinburgh, the Grassmarket is the epitome of cool – vintage shops competing with pubs and boutiques on the historic square, and not a Starbucks in sight. It’s a stone’s throw from the Royal Mile and yet, in terms of its atmosphere it couldn’t be further from the tourist trail: some of Edinburgh's best-loved establishments to grab a drink and a quick bite are here. At first glance it’s easy to dismiss The Mussel and Steak Bar – the alfresco seating out front seems almost out of place on the cobbled streets, and the feel of the place is certainly more Riviera than Robert Louis Stevenson.

But despite being an elegant affair, the interior is far from soulless. Big groups of friends sharing pots of mussels soaked with white wine and garlic provide a welcome, convivial break from well-mannered one-on-one dining. A flat-screen TV in the main restaurant displays a live feed of the kitchen staff stirring bubbling pots of prawns, a personal yet not pretentious touch, which shows the place’s commitment to well-sourced and well-cooked ingredients. These people know that good seafood speaks for itself: the Hot Roast Seafood Platter, although not a steal at £20, comes loaded with haddock, clams, mussels, oysters, crevettes and scallops. The waiters are eager to recommend dishes from the ‘catch of the day’ menu. Even the most cynical diner who doubts the freshness of anything and everything will be swayed. The fillet of sole, for example, was anything but tired, buried in a tender heap of melting vegetables.

The Mussel and Steak Bar isn’t cheap, but in Edinburgh it is necessary to pay just a little more for a stand-out meal. If you do not, restaurants begin to blur together in a haze of unimpressive steak and risotto for the vegetarians. The chefs at Mussel and Steak are clearly eager to show they can be both edgy and traditional, and the restaurant not only deserves its prime location, but also its reputation for being one of the best places to get great seafood and steaks in the city.