Phuket Pavilion

It doesn’t offer the tropical sunshine or golden sands of Thailand’s popular southern playground, but Edinburgh’s Phuket Pavilion offers a hefty dose of its Asian tastes and flavours. Sure, decent neighbouring eateries have cropped up in recent years, but PP remains a firm favourite with lovers of all things Thai. Handily situated opposite the Edinburgh Playhouse theatre and Vue cinema - and set just around the corner from Broughton Street’s fine array of drinking dens - the clientele here is a steady stream of culture vultures, pre-night outers and locals in search of some tasty scran. And none should be disappointed. All the usual suspects are here: a sticky pad thai, a rich red or green curry, a moreish massaman. But it’s the seafood and duck specialities that really sing, with the Phuket Jaan Roen (a juicy mix of king prawns, mussels and squid with sweet basil and chili) and Chu Chi Ped (duck breast topped with red curry sauce) proving particularly memorable. A decent wine list and attentive service round things off nicely.