The Dog House
18–24 Clerk Street
A friendly, quirky and lively bar that’s much frequented by Edinburgh’s students. There’s always an interesting food pop-up on the go here; at time of going to press, vegan chippy The Happy Fish are in residence. The bric-a-brac décor makes it one of the funkiest spots for a pre-show pint in the area and there are lots of events too.

Kampong Ah Lee
28 Clerk Street
Kampong Ah Lee is always a busy little place where you can grab flavour-packed Malaysian food. The chicken satay is drowning in sauce and spicy bowls of laksa warm the back of the throat. You can order a cooling bottle of Tiger beer or BYOB. Fun, fast and casual.

Kim’s Mini Meals
5 Buccleuch Street
No bookings and no takeaway here; just show up, queue up and eat up some of the best bibimbap in town, served in sizzling stone bowls and topped with a raw egg, as it should be. This family-style joint makes you feel like you’re eating in someone’s living room and that’s very much part of the charm.

Macau Kitchen
93 St Leonard’s Street
Inspired by the street food of Macau, spices of Goa and tropical climes of Malacca, this compact spot claims to be the only Macanese restaurant in the UK. The duck glazed in plum wine is worth a detour from wherever you are, corkage is reasonable and there’s certainly nothing like it anywhere else in the city, let alone the UK.

Tapas3
6 Howden Street
Ditch the hubbub of Clerk Street and enjoy some calm at this tucked-away Spanish tapas bar. Head for classics like chorizo in red wine and padron peppers, or more adventurous dishes like crisp tempura aubergine with sticky sugarcane treacle. The sharing aspect (and sangria) makes this a solid choice for larger groups. 

Also try... cocktails and people-watching Southpour’s big windows, al fresco drinks at The Royal Dick in Summerhall’s mega courtyard or Greenmantle Rum Bar & Kitchen for a huge range of (that’s right) rums. 

This TipList is taken from Eat & Drink 365, our sister mag recommending the best in restaurants, bars, cafés and more across Edinburgh. Want a copy? It’s available online or across all good stockists in Scotland’s capital; main picture: @vandepeearcreative.