The 5pm Dining blog likes hip, shiny hangouts as much as the next forty something bloke chasing his lost youth.

We are all for smoked cocktails, lumbersexual beards that hide our multiple chins and the wearing of flash trainers which are, to be honest, at least two decades too young for us.

However, there are also times when we want to act our age and enjoy a cosy meal in a more traditional setting.

And, by traditional, we mean a place where using cutlery is generally expected and the sight of a chap in a tie won’t prompt the younger staff members to point and whisper ‘What is it?’ to one another.

To this end, here are five Edinburgh restaurants which are cosy, classic or traditional – the sort of places where dinner generally follows the conventional starter, main course, dessert pattern and One Direction are but a mercifully distant rumour.

Bliss.

 

Whighams Wine Cellars

Originally a wine cellar for a Georgian townhouse, Whighams sits just off Charlotte Square.

There is an airy, modern dining area but we prefer the old candle-lit vaults – much cosier and better for gossip/plotting mischief.

Whighams has a festive menu at £29 a head. You may also want to consider the house seafood platter – a selection of langoustine, oyster, clam, tiger prawn, shrimp, mussel, smoked mackerel and trout.

The extensive wine list means that it shouldn’t be too much of a struggle to find something suitable to partner with the seafood.

A cheeky Albarino or more assertive New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc? Or both?

eh2 Tempus

 

In the George Hotel, on George Street, the eh2 Tempus restaurant also has a timeless charm. We like the booth seating, high ceilings, chandeliers and gargantuan flower displays.

The raised table with the steel ball curtains at the back is the one to bag if you really want to make a night of it.

There is a festive menu running in December. Alternatively, you could eat from most parts of Scotland from the a la carte.

We would start with the Isle of Mull crab cake, move on to the 28 day-aged Orkney sirloin and finish with some Dunsyre Blue.

Another option would be to retire to the bar and explore their whisky and cheese pairing menu.

The Dining Room at The Royal Scots Club

Located on Abercrombie Place, the Royal Scots Club is part of a terrace of New Town, Georgian townhouses. It bills itself as offering the charm of a country house hotel with a cosy club atmosphere.

It is actually a private members’ club but diners are welcome to enjoy meals in the first floor Dining Room which overlooks Queen Street Gardens.

The surroundings are plush, comfortable and classic. The food makes good use of Scottish ingredients.

While the kitchen may occasionally send out a dish like the ceviche of monkfish with pak choi and pink grapefruit salad, in the main, the dishes are modern British.

A typical dinner dish might be the braised haunch of venison with a red onion and cassis sauce or, from one of the Christmas menus, grilled lamb rump studded with rosemary and garlic, served with redcurrant jelly.

A smart casual dress code is in place at the restaurant, with jacket and tie preferred during high tea and dinner and a necessity at lunchtimes in the members’ dining room. Needless to say, jeans and trainers are an absolute ‘no-no’.

The Cellar Restaurant at Ryan’s

Just around the corner from Whighams, The Cellar Restaurant at Ryan’s has a similarly cosy, subterranean vibe.

Especially if you reserve one of the alcoves, the restaurant also has just the sort of pleasantly dim lighting which enhances the features of those who are not in the first flush of youth.

And the 5pm Dining blog is always thankful for that.

The resident jazz trio adds to the laidback atmosphere.

Their Christmas menu has turkey with all the traditional trimmings but we like the look of the roast rib of beef with Yorkshire pud and so on.

Ghillie Dhu

This is a generalisation but we think it’s fair to say that Ghillie Dhu on Rutland Place perhaps attracts a younger crowd than the other places mentioned in this list.

However, if you can bag a booth, then it fits the cosy specification down to a T.

From Cullen skink to whole roast chickens via the roast turkey on the three course festive menu, the food at Ghillie Dhu can be as trad as you want.

Regular live music and weekend ceilidhs keep it all lively.