Nile Valley

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

As Edinburgh's only Sudanese restaurant, Nile Valley should be carving out a niche as a refreshingly different destination for diners from across the city. Unassuming and clearly not given to shouting about itself, however, this small, cosy deli-come-diner seems happy to cater to the more adventurous students from the nearby Edinburgh University. During the day, the menu consists of a range of khobz flatbread sandwiches or a limited but entirely satisfactory two-course deal, each of which will provide sufficient study fuel for an afternoon. In the evening, Nile Valley adopts a more intimate, candle-lit ambience, with the large basement dining room more than offsetting the relatively pokey upstairs area. Lamb, chicken and haddock seem to be the staple ingredients, while beans and hearty vegetables fill out many dishes – in particular, look out for the okra and the subtle but distinctive Sudanese molokhia, which complements lamb or chicken well. Peanuts and peanut butter also feature heavily in this style of cooking, with the latter turning up alongside aubergine in the Aswad salad and again in the distinctive lamb, peanut butter and lime soup.

• High point: Distinctive and enjoyable national home cooking
• Low point: The front door opening instantly chills much of the ground level