Velvet booth seats and wine glasses winking in soft light welcome you to Celestia. Located in the former home of New Chapter on Eyre Place, its décor is dark, dramatic and undeniably stylish, just like its predecessor. The food is just as eye-catching, served with sprinklings of pomegranate seeds and edible flowers, but the kitchen doesn’t rely solely on dishes being photogenic: they taste good too.

To start, spicy garlic Kerala prawns pack some heat: fat, juicy and cooked just right. For mains, lamb in signature biriyani flakes like it’s been slow-cooked for hours and comes with a cooling raita to quench the satisfying heat. Vegetarian options are plentiful and plant-eaters will not feel left out: starters include jackfruit and sweet potato kebab, which comes with a moreish sweet and sour chutney, and mains include a filling urlai roast potato curry, nicely balanced with smoky, sharp masala. Garlic naan is served crispy, rather than fluffy, and laden with butter.

The drinks menu holds few surprises, but Bombay Bicycle IPA satisfies that classic beer-and-curry combo with a little more class than a Kingfisher (also available), and there’s a nice selection of affordable and crowd-pleasing wines. Celestia sits comfortably between fine dining and casual; the kind of place that’s great for impressing a date or celebrating a birthday, without having to plan and book months in advance. A tasting menu is coming soon, but hopefully the focus will remain on flavourful dishes in this classy space. 

Celestia, 18 Eyre Place, Edinburgh; average price £35 for starter, main and side.