Embo

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

Embo is everything you could wish for in a café. With a menu that ranges from the predictable to the exotic, it is the epitome of freshly sourced, well-prepared and simple but thoughtful catering. Take their wraps and rolls policy – the name of the game here is to create your own fillings from the excellent meat, cheese, seafood or vegetarian ingredients on offer, but on top of that there is a dizzying selection of reasonably priced extra ingredients that you can add, such as sugar snap salad or baba ganush. The café's highlighted suggestions for fillings are also well worth taking note of – they change daily and may include combinations as delightful sounding as crayfish tails, avocado, sweet pepper, salsa and rocket, or goat's cheese, pesto and grilled vegetables. The Middle Eastern mixed plates (vine leaves, tabouleh salad, aubergine pâté dips) are small but enticing, as are the Thai fish-cakes. With its heavy accent on organic and quality ingredients (it is one of the few places in the capital where you can find Rare Tea Company teas) Embo is a must for visiting and local foodies.

• High point: Rosemary focaccia or chorizo? It's a tough call
• Low point: Negotiating the Leith Walk roadworks