Café Marlayne (CLOSED)

If you hadn’t guessed by the ruddy great Eiffel Tower adorning the wall of the café space, there’s a French influence at large here – though the flaky brekkie croissants and pains au chocolat are as popular as the traditional breakfast fry-up or black pudding butty.

All day ‘snacks’ range from the likes of croque monsieur to grilled paninis and salad. It’s the menu du jour though, available at lunch and dinner, that offers the tastiest scran, and best reason to loiter here. Boudin noir with apple compote, sautéed new potatoes and bacon – although heavy handed on the compote – is a tasty starter. Mains of duck, sea bream or salmon fillet are all equally decent and reasonably priced, too. Portions aren’t so huge you’d want to forgo dessert, and at £2.95 a pop why would you. The ricotta and white chocolate cheesecake, chocolate and espresso cake and banoffee pie are favourites and hit the spot nicely. Fans of a cheese board can rejoice, too: it’s an almost exclusively French affair. The brie, comté and crottin de chavignol proving a hearty end to any meal. Wash it all down with a bottle of their ‘house’ tempranillo.

The large restaurant area is more formal looking than the café sofa and comfy chair space out front, but there’s still a very relaxed vibe here, from both waiting staff and punters. The green flowery wallpaper, high ceilings and mishmash of art (including a nice John Bellany) on the walls proving as lively as the loud chatter going on at the tables around you.

It’s a handy location too, situated just across the road from the Edinburgh Playhouse theatre, and just a wee ten minute jaunt from both the bus and train stations. Look out for its more intimate and smaller sister outfit, of the same name, across on Thistle Street.