Edinburgh is fast becoming a city with a reputation for fine restaurants, and this addition to the restaurant scene is long overdue. L'Artichaut sees a marriage between two seemingly incompatible types of cuisine - French and vegetarian. When Jean-Michel, the chef and owner of La Garrigue, decided to add another restaurant to his portfolio - in the middle of the most severe recession for decades - he needed guts and vision and, some might say, a large dose of madness.

Jean-Michel's vision began with a simple idea - to serve quality food in pleasant, informal surroundings. This soon developed into a desire to open a wholly vegetarian restaurant based on his understanding of the changing trends and desires of diners. With more customers wanting to see better vegetarian options on the menu, Jean-Michel decided to go the whole way and dedicate an entire restaurant to the celebration of vegetarian cuisine. Fully accredited by the vegetarian society just a few months after opening, L'Artichaut has remained true to Jean-Michel's original concept, and has received glowing reviews in the national and local press. Jean-Michel speaks with pride about his restaurant and admits that finding the right staff was no mean feat, saying, 'I was looking for talented and passionate chefs who understood the challenge of vegetarian cooking'. It seems he has succeeded - the fabulous menu is testament to the chefs' talent, with 'ripe time' and 'seasonal' sections. To Jean-Michel, the quality of the food is paramount - and this is where the restaurant truly shines. Magical-sounding ingredients like salsify, kohlrabi, wild sorrel and alpine grass appear in a mouth-watering, ever-changing menu; chefs Belinda, Barry and Mark use these alongside the best organic, fresh seasonal produce available, producing some really imaginative, unusual and interesting dishes. Take a seat on one of the stylish, hand-crafted chairs - made by furniture maker Tim Stead - and receive a warm welcome from the waiting staff, before picking a drink from the organic and vegan wine list and beginning your wonderful vegetarian dining experience. This is arguably one of the most unusual French restaurants in town, and is definitely worth a visit.