The best places to get a special meal – as recommended by comedians…

We asked over 170 comedians and people from the comedy industry what their favourite places were in Edinburgh, and got back so many fantastic responses that we turned it into a book. The following are select extracts, but you can pick up the book on Amazon, download the ebook or find out more about the title and who’s in it.

The Witchery

The Witchery, Castlehill, Royal Mile, EH1 2NF. 0131 225 5613, thewitchery.com. Daily 5.30- 11.30pm, Sat & Sun midday-3pm.

It is a beautiful fine dining restaurant at the top of the Royal Mile, practically underneath the castle. It is so beautiful at night with candles on the steps as you descend into the Secret Garden dining room. It also looks a bit like it has been built as the set of a Dracula movie, with candelabras, drapes, and goblet glasses. Zoe Lyons

Ondine

Ondine, 2 George IV Bridge, EH1 1AD. 0131 226 1888, ondinerestaurant.co.uk. Festival hours daily midday-3pm, 5.30-10pm.

Ondine is one of those places that changes with the day. A bright lunch soon becomes an atmospheric evening and more often than not I will be there at the bar come closing. Hardeep Singh Kohli

Sweet Melindas 

Sweet Melindas, 11 Roseneath St, EH9 1JH. 0131 229 7953, sweetmelindas.co.uk. Mon-Sat noon-2pm and Tues-Sat 6-10pm. 

It is everything a neighbourhood restaurant should be. They are next door to the brilliant Eddie’s Seafood Market, which the chef visits every morning, and the food and service are superb. I have eaten there with friends, colleagues, my parents and Rolf Harris, and have already booked a table this year. Alistair Barrie 

Bar Napoli

Bar Napoli, 75 Hanover St, EH2 1EE. 0131 225 2600, barnapoliedinburgh.co.uk. Sat-Wed noon-2am, Thu & Fri noon-3.30am.

It has a menu with over 700,000 dishes on it and the three I have tasted are delicious. The atmosphere is wonderful; it’s full of festival folk and the seafood is to die for. Marcus Brigstocke

Spoon

6a Nicolson St, EH8 9DH. 0131 623 1752, spoonedinburgh.co.uk. Mon-Sat 10am-11pm, Sun midday-5pm. 

The tables are roomy, the tea comes in china cups and the food is good. And they let you sit there; they don’t kick you out. Cariad Lloyd

David Bann

David Bann, 56-58 St Mary’s St, EH1 1SX. 0131 556 5888, davidbann.com. Festival hours Sun-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri & Sat 11am-10.30pm. 

This is Edinburgh’s finest vegetarian restaurant – we’re sure of it. We would advise booking but you can’t during the festival, so don’t. Trodd En Bratt

Leven’s

Leven’s, 30 Leven St, EH3 9LJ. 0131 229 8988. Daily midday-2.30, 5.30-11pm. 

It serves Thai fusion meals. These guys will fuse literally anything with Thaisian foods. A Thai curry sauce with a British piece of chicken, a glass of Scottish water with a Thai ice. I even once saw them Thai-dye a Welsh egg. Jamie Demetriou