Old Pal Bar and Kitchen

Old Pal Bar and Kitchen rounds out the five as the value-and-choice pick, a well-liked, unpretentious gastropub on West Maitland Street near Haymarket station. Its draw is breadth: the Sunday roast offers a choice of joints including beef, lamb-stuffed shoulder and porchetta alongside a vegetarian option, at keen prices (indicatively around £16–19 per person) that sit below the city-centre steakhouse picks. It is the most convenient pick for anyone arriving by train, sitting right by Haymarket. The trade-offs are that it is less decorated and lower-profile than the recognition-laden names above, and some diners have flagged the service charge, so check your bill; go for the choice of meats and the price rather than a special-occasion setting.