Hanoi Bike Shop
8 Ruthven Lane
Places hidden down lanes always excite. A garland of plants and Vietnamese flags herald your entrance into this canteen-style space of wooden benches and hanging bikes, with vibrant renderings of street foods and hearty dishes. Try the pho, and anything with the homemade tofu. 

Nonna Said . . .
26 Candleriggs
This place picks up on our ongoing love affair with all things Neapolitan, throws in some eyebrow-raising toppings, and indulges an equally potent crush with old-school hip hop. Munch on fried carbonara bites or a lamb doner pizza, while Biggie blasts out of the speakers.

Battlefield Rest
55 Battlefield Road
This restored tram shelter in the heart of the urbanscape has a history going back to 1914. Since 1993, its petite confines have housed a quaint Italian with bistro-ish plates (smoked haddock crêpe, black pudding salad) alongside pizzas and pastas. Lunchtime offers particularly good value.

The Wee Curry Shop
7 Buccleuch Street
Twenty-odd seats, an open kitchen and the steady stewardship of the Mother India group make for a delightfully quaint ‘front room’ experience where dishes of chicken and lamb are matched by aubergines and chickpeas, all classically composed but light and modern.

The Tiki Bar + Kitsch Inn
214 Bath Street
Quirky is kind of the point of tiki bars. Foosball, shuffleboard and popcorn machine downstairs, Thai eatery above doing some fantastic work on sticky and aromatic curries. You can also order food amid the 50s Americana of the bar while supping on a Zombie from a Polynesian tankard.

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