La Tasca

2 Greenside Pl, Edinburgh - +44 131 558 8894

9 South Charlotte St, Edinburgh - +44 131 220 0011

A fast growing chain of Spanish tapas bars, Edinburgh has been targeted and here is the result. Founded on the same principle as other successful chains that rely on rapid turnover, Las Tasca fulfills a need and on most nights you will find a swinging, relaxed crowd bustling in for maybe a few tapas and some bottles of wine before moving on to the club scene or private parties.

Others will linger for a meal, but the emphasis is on communal eating with tapas treated rather as the Chinese treat dum sim. Tapas range from between approaching £2 each to nearly £4 depending on their complexity and content, but you'll find that once you start it's not easy to stop as the conversation and the wine flow and you lose track - they are so easy to keep on ordering.

A speciality of the house is the Paella de Marisco, a great platter of prawns, squid, mussels, tuna and swordfish. The size of the platter can be varied to suit the numbers in your party but they are certainly not designed for lonely eaters.

For around £14 it is possible to eat well and with house wine from £8.95 this makes a good start to the evening.