Smart City Café

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

With its pristine bar, outdoor courtyard and ample restaurant, Smart City Café adeptly caters for the travellers who make up the bulk of its clientele. The eating and drinking side of the operation is just one part of an upmarket backpackers' hostel, which plays host to numerous nationalities at any one time. Groups of travellers new to the city can get comfy with a beer in the large lounge and meet like-minded souls within minutes. If locals are yet to take full advantage of the slick, wood-furnished canteen and lounge bar, then it's for no better reason than that the location of the restaurant isn't immediately obvious to passers-by. Food prices here are low but standards aren't. Meals, served until late, match the quality of decent pub grub and are served in ample portions. Beef casserole and new potatoes is the kind of hearty Scottish staple that will warm a bedraggled visitor just landed in Edinburgh on a cold winter's day, while an array of freshly made pizzas is likely to prove popular for those in need of a quick, good value bite to eat.

• High point: Superb value for money and great service
• Low point: Queuing at the bar to order