The country and city code for Edinburgh is 44-131. Prices quoted are for the current month. The U.S. consulate is at 3 Regent Terrace (556-8315; www.usembassy.org.uk).

Lodging
Two grandes dames, built to house the crowds brought by the arrival of rail service in the 19th century, bookend the central Princes Street Gardens. The Balmoral, next to the station, still has a neo-Gothic exterior, but the interior was recently remodeled by owner Rocco Forte. Rooms, in muted neutrals, are sleek and soothing, and the Art Deco brasserie Hadrian is worth a stop if you feel like mixing with the hip young crowd who drop in for drinks (556-2414; www.roccofortehotels.com; doubles, $545-$640; wheelchair-accessible). Along Princes Street, the Caledonian Hilton has also been renovated, but its interiors match its Georgian facade and the atmosphere is elegant and opulent—which is perhaps why celebs like it, including favorite son Sean Connery (222-8888; www.hilton.com; doubles, $366-$440). My favorite is The Scotsman, a baronial pile right in the center of town that was once home to the great newspaper of the same name and is now completely 21st-century in its comforts and standard of service (556-5565; www.thescotsmanhotel.co.uk; doubles, $250-$295).

In the New Town, The Glasshouse is a modern design shrine despite its neo-Gothic front. Its 65 rooms are all fluffy-white bedding and dark-wood furnishings (525-8200; www.theetoncollection.com; doubles, $337-$440; wheelchair-accessible).

If you seek a good deal and stylish digs, check out the local Apex Hotel chain, which stresses minimalist lines and has three locations in Edinburgh: Apex City and Apex International are in the Old Town; the smaller and more out of the way Apex European is at the city's west end. While far from luxe, the rooms, bars, and restaurants are in the sleek, modernist mode (845-608-3456; www.apexhotels.co.uk; doubles, $146-$422; wheelchair-accessible).

Dining
On North Bridge in the Old Town, in the basement of The Scotsman hotel, Vermilion is superb. Its intimate dining room, lined with bottles of wine and Scotch, serves dishes made from local ingredients: civet of rabbit with Granny Smith jelly, venison with goat cheese dauphinoise (20 N. Bridge St.; 556-5565; entrées, $19-$45).

Behind a nondescript New Town office building facade and at the end of a short elevator ride is one of Edinburgh's most talked-about restaurants, Oloroso. Diners enjoy both sunset views of the Firth of Forth and chef Tony Singh's multicultural innovations, such as the dressed buckie crab with Thai mayonnaise and toast and the kathi kebab with mint chutney. Especially delectable are specialty cocktails like the tarragon martini (33 Castle St.; 226-7614; entrées, $31-$47). Opulent, over-the-top, and romantic, the candlelit Witchery serves traditional food in a series of grand yet cozy rooms in an old house near Edinburgh Castle. It also has a few beautifully furnished rooms in an annex across the street (The Royal Mile; 225-5613; entrées, $28-$93; suites, $515, including a bottle of Pol Roger; wheelchair-accessible). Leith, just a 20-minute cab ride from the town center, has the Vintners Rooms, probably my favorite Scottish restaurant. The building dates from the early 1700s and was, until recently, the office and warehouse of wine importers. Much of the 18th-century decor is intact, while the fine food is classic French/Scottish (87 Giles St.; 554-6767; entrées, $45-$60).