Miros Cantina Mexicana, Rose Street, 17/03/11, ££

Miros Cantina Mexicana is a cosy 30 seater Mexican restaurant towards the west end of Rose Street. Once inside the cosy front room style set up with curtains over the windows you almost feel as if you could be on holiday, and it certainly doesn't feel like you are mere minutes away from the heart of Edinburgh. On entering the smiley waitress seated us bringing the lunch, specials and main menu cheerfully telling us "I will take orders for anything!"

Miss Twin had: Steak and Onion Tacos £6.50 + Frozen Margarita £3.50

Miss Twin: The margarita, while not the tastiest I have had was refreshing and quite boozy. The taco was a good size, with steak strips and onions and peppers wrapped in a tortilla and topped with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. This was accompanied by well cooked rice and a small salad garnish which had a dressing with a bit of a kick to it. Definitely tasty, definitely filling, definitely a good lunch.

Mrs Fish had: Borrego Con Miel £7.50 + glass red wine £2.50

Mrs Fish: When the slow-cooked lamb first arrived, the smell wafted up and I knew I was in for a treat. The lamb, honey and smoked chilli combination was sweet (in both senses) with just enough chilli to warm the belly. This was served with a small portion of rice, a tortilla and a spicily-dressed salad. The flavour of the lamb wasn't all that clear through the (very nice) flavouring, but the texture was lovely, melt-in-the-mouth. Good, but not quite as good as carnitas, which weren't on offer in this particular establishment.

They shared: Warm Waffle Pie £4.95

As a treat we split dessert, the squishy warm waffle pie which was accompanied by a scoop of ice cream and a generous amount of caramel sauce. Delish.

Entered at 1300

Ordered food and drinks at 1305

Drinks arrived 1310

Food arrived 1325

Paid and left 1355

The WestRoom, Melville Place, 11/03/11, ££

The WestRoom is an interesting wee space. It's an L-shaped cocktail-bar-cum-gastropub: well-lit, well-dressed and well-priced. From the people who brought you Sygn and Monteiths, the WestRoom is suited to being open all day (from 8am) - fresh in the morning, relaxed at lunch and cosy in the evening.

Miss Twin had: Posh pigs in blanket with mash £8, lemonade and lime

Miss Twin: The ‘posh pigs in blankets’ consisted of two large sausages of the day (beef and chilli, and possibly ginger) wrapped in a slice of bacon each. They were cooked just right (when I make ‘pigs’ the bacon usually ends up too crispy) and sat on a bed of creamy mash accompanied by some thickish gravy.

The chilli in the sausages did give the dish an extra kick which was welcome – sausage and mash is usually a pretty inoffensive dish, which can border on boring. I always assume that pub mash is microwaved from those frozen pellets caterers use, but if it was it tasted just fine.

The food was unspectacular but tasty enough and the surroundings boosted the dining experience. Over sized fixtures and fittings such as a giant mirror, huge light shades, a shiny bar area and the oversized chalkboard menu’s were all nice touches, as were the mints with the bill.

Mrs Fish had: Fish and chips in a bag, pickled onions and chippy sauce, tap water

Mrs Fish: Well they weren't 'in a bag', but these were the tastiest fish and chips I've had for a while. The batter was crunchy and golden, the chips were chunky with a crisp skin, the mini pickled onions were sweet and sharp and the chippy sauce was better than the real thing, fruity and a perfect portion. The 'bag' (piece of paper) got in the way a bit and tore unless one was genteel with one's cutlery (nope), but I wasn't too bothered by this because the food tasted so good.

The bar really is a nice space, if not slightly squished and the cocktail menu definitely warrants further exploration (when I'm feeling flush).

Entered, seated and drinks order taken at 1300
Ordered food at 1310
Food arrived at 1325
Food finished at 1335
Paid and left at 1340