La Garrigue - City of Edinburgh

A taste of the Languedoc in Auld Reekie is what you can expect at this cool relaxed restaurant with its hyacinth walls, Tim Stead furniture and displays of original artwork.

Chef Jean Michel Gauffre named the place after the shrubby vegetation of his native homeland – a region stretching from the Cevennes to the coast and from the Camargue to the Pyrenees.

Meals begin with Le Pausse Rapière – a rare cocktail of Armagnac with sparkling white wine, before a cook's tour through the specialities of the region. Here you will find classic Provençal-style fish soup and the legendary cassoulet of Castelnaudary as well as that other famous Languedoc dish, cod brandade – which is used as a stuffing for sea bream.

Elsewhere, Jean Michel's repertoire extends to pigeon breast on celeriac and black pudding salad with hazelnut dressing, saddle of rabbit with walnut stuffing and wilted greens, duck breast with apples, blackberries and raspberry vinegar jus, and desserts ranging from iced nougat with apricot sauce to lavender crème brûlée. The wine list naturally focuses on the fascinating and little known treasures of the region.