Liam Rudden: Chef Sue's duck samosas are quite simply to die for

The occasion was the first of Toyah’s 60th birthday gigs, though she looks a fraction of her age. The same could not be said for the vintage teenagers who turned out to see her.

I doubt I was the only one in pain after an hour and half bouncing up and down to the soundtrack of my youth.

Needless to say, the punk princess herself was the usual ageless little dynamo of energy.

The concert marked the end of my first staycation for some time and I realised it can be easy to take your home city for granted.

I was reminded how lucky we are here in the Capital during my week off when I was fortunate enough to be invited to dine in three of the city’s finest restaurants.

An afternoon whiled away in The Dome on George Street, led to the discovery of a fantastic new starter from Chef Sue and her team in the kitchen. As I tweeted at the time ‘...the Duck Samosa is absolutely to die for, quite my favourite thing In a long time.’

I followed that with The Dome’s always perfectly balanced chicken main, although I’m told the individual Lamb Wellington is a bit special too.

Don’t do much meat these days myself, a taste thing not a conviction. Oh, and when offered a choice of bread, go for the onion, another winner.

Make sure you book soon though, as the venue’s famous Christmas decorations are up, transforming the former bank into a twinkling winter wonderland.

Victoria Street’s Maison Bleue turned 20 recently and I was delighted to be invited along to their celebrations by owners Dean and Layla Gassabi. A great evening, it boasted some of the finest seafood I have tasted in Edinburgh, again a tweet was called for, ‘Enjoying some amazing food and the odd glass of fizz @MaisonBleueEdin’s 20th Anniversary celebration. With its exquisite cuisine, service, ambiance and warmly intimate feel, it’s not surprising it has wowed #Edinburgh for two decades. Here’s to the next 20 years.’

Last of my holiday treats was an invitation to Cucina at the Radisson Collection Hotel on George IV Bridge.

‘Fancy a glass of Rosé? Let me recommend this beauty... #Monrouby from the Languedoc. Divine...’ that was my first tweet as I settled down to sample the new menu.

My verdict? ‘Vital, traditional with a contemporary twist and tantalisingly tempting, the new menu at Cucina in Radisson Collection Edinburgh is a delicious combination of fine flavours, old and new.’

Worth splashing out on, we enjoyed immaculate service provided by Clemence and Jonathan.

If you visit do visit the Radisson, make sure to pop into Epicurean Bar before or after your meal to try bar manager Jamie’s new seasonal cocktails.

His Smokey Old Fashioned and Jamie’s Dream, a Mescal based drink with Grand Marnier, were perfect additions to the cool, stylish surroundings.

Enjoy.