Zazou

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

For the past six years, one constant in the transforming scene around Edinburgh's Union Canal has been Zazou, Pete Simpson's dining narrowboat. From its base between Shandon and Polwarth, it takes pre-booked parties of between eight and 12 for two-and-a-half-hour cruises, which allows for a gentle meander west to Slateford then back towards town to check out the controversial building developments along the bank at Viewforth and Edinburgh Quay. During the trip a three-course sit down meal (£32 per person, whether lunch or dinner) or buffet (£20) is served. The cooking, slanted to a Mediterranean/Scottish style, revolves around fairly straightforward but popular dishes such as braised lamb with rosemary and lemon or a casserole such as boeuf bourguignon. Menus are discussed in advance allowing purchasing and cooking to be fresh and focused on the party in question. Central heating and floodlighting make a Zazou cruise possible outside of the summer season. However, if it's the kind of thing that sounds appealing, now is the time to take advantage before the chance disappears, as Simpson is planning to wind the business down later in 2008.

• High point: Pleasant dining on the move
• Low point: Bowing out in 2008