La Locanda, Edinburgh

Cockburn Street

Edinburgh in the summer can assume a surreal, sometimes magical quality. The surrealism from simultaneously hearing twenty languages as you struggle down the Royal Mile. The multi coloured shops as you follow the curve of Victoria Street have a magical feel to them. So much so that it is said to have inspired J K Rowling's Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books. There's a little bit of that too in Cockburn Street. Created in the mid 19th century as a convenient access to Waverley Station, many of its majestic but quirky buildings have less than a metre separating them at the top.

When you enter La Locanda you may not immediately be aware that you have been transported ten years into the future, but, trust me, that will dawn in you in due course. I had been on a fact finding walk with nephew Andrew. For once not wearing my tour guide hat, but tapping into his encyclopaedic knowledge of Edinburgh banking history. A spot of lunch was called for. Our first choice establishment being full, we squeezed in here.

Two things at the outset. Firstly, don't confuse this with the long established Locanda di Gusti in Dalry Road. Secondly, both of us enjoyed everything we ate. The sour taste in the mouth wasn't the kitchen's fault. There are half a dozen starters. When it comes to mains, confusingly described as primi piatti, be aware that your  eight options are all pasta. There is a daily specials board with a starter and main of the day. The former was a trio of bruschette. The arancino of the day was stuffed with cheese and mushroom with a tomato sauce.

We decided to share both. The rice balls were pretty decent, the accompanying sauce having a bit of zing. Each of the crostini was little more than a couple of bites. Tasty bites, it must be said. They included focaccia with 'nduja. ricotta and caramelised onions, and one with gorgonzola, walnuts and honey. Good stuff, but at five pence off sixteen quid, so it should be. If you are considering a visit, don't be misled by the prices on their website. They're not accurate.

Oh, did I mention the prices? Your cheapest pasta dish is the peasant staple, linguine with aglio, olio and peperoncino. I think they throw in a cherry tomato or two and some breadcrumbs with the garlic, oil and chilli. Ingredient cost - about two quid max. £19.90 to you, sir. We had pappardelle and paccheri. The sauces were a red wine beef ragù, and piccante sausage with mascarpone and ricotta respectively. They cost £22.90 and £23.90 plus twelve and a half percent service charge.

To put this in perspective, at Angela Hartnett's Café Murano in the St James district of central London, linguini with basil pesto costs £16 and rigatoni with spicy fennel sausage ragù will set you back £17. Ten years in the future, Angela's prices may have reached those of today at La Locanda.

Is there an atmosphere or ambience to make La Locanda sufficiently special to be worth it? I read about about the usual family owned stuff, and a hands on Italian greeting can indeed make you feel very welcome. But we were served by Dorisela from Mexico and Laura from Lithuania. Nice, competent ladies both. Passing by the impossibly tiny kitchen, I encountered no one with whom I could practise my fluent Italian. In other words, no Don Giuseppe or Nonna Maria to embrace you with open arms.

When next I encounter Elena my Italian teacher, I must get her to teach me the Italian for what a ripoff.*

*La fregatura, since you ask.