A macaroon (but make it savory), partridge ravioli topped with golden trompette mushrooms and salt baked golden beetroot perfectly paired with black truffle and burrata. The combinations may be unusual, though trust Martin Wishart to make it work. 

Relaxed fine dining is having its moment. We see why when we enter the Michelin-starred spot, Heron on Leith shores. Here, hand dived scallops are served with a spoonful of pata negra on a bed of squash, chipotle and juniper, the langoustine comes as a nori crème patissiere and mackerel is rightfully paired with hand-foraged gooseberries. 

A cross between a gallery and a shop – albeit one with a homely domestic layout – Bard has work by around 50 makers on rotation. The line-up includes Juli Bolanos-Durman, who transforms recycled glass into vessels and objects; Joshua Williams’ drip glaze caramel-coloured bowls; merino throws by Drove Weavers that use surplus wool; and Jasmine Linington’s cushions, made from SeaCell (a fibre derived from seaweed) and embroidered with metallic bamboo silk threads.  

On a cobbled lane just off the Shore, Custom Lane is one of Leith’s most creative corners. Set inside a restored customs building, it’s a collaborative hub for designers, makers and cultural projects, with studios upstairs and a public ground floor housing a café, gallery, shop and event space. Exhibitions, talks and workshops run throughout the year, while the resident community spans jewellers, architects, photographers and artists. It’s part workspace, part cultural venue, and a genuine engine of Edinburgh’s design scene.