Songkran

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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the 2010 edition.

Down in a West End basement, Songkran is in its tenth year of serving local professionals and those patrons who look hard enough to find it. The small venue maintains a very personal operation through staff that make that extra effort and does a brisk trade at lunchtime. The single room is simply decorated in a Thai theme, the mood understated and not fussy. Across town in a quiet Stockbridge side street, Songkran II is a slightly more formal affair, also making the most of a single-room venue, this one stone-walled and intimate. Here, carved Thai woodwork and painted masks bring a charming touch to candlelit evenings, as staff ensure the lively venue buzzes along. The identical menus are similarly delivered in both venues. Starters are a bit pricey and don’t particularly stand out in novelty or value. Main courses, however, represent steady, solid Thai cooking through a wide menu of dishes which may be rich but aren’t heavy or oily. Songkran duck sizzles on its tray; pad Thai is light and well seasoned; pad prig taley’s use of lemongrass and lime leaves accents the sweetness of the mixed seafood, then freshens the combination with coriander. A full vegetarian menu of a dozen curries and stir-fries are tasty but could benefit from further creativity. All in all both Songkrans provide pleasant and relaxing meals with a local feel in active Edinburgh neighbourhoods.

• High point: Central locations run by charming staff
• Low point: Starters are costly for what is produced