The Mother of All Indians

I really have to start walking up mountains more and eating out less ... Oh well ;)

Apparently a stalwart of the Glasgow dining scene, Mother India's Cafe opened up in Edinburgh in May. It is informal Indian dining, tapas style and the latest establishment from a brand including the Cafe, a more formal 'Mother India' restaurant and 'The Wee Curry Shop',

A friend walked passed recently, smelled the food, saw that every table was full and suggested we try it.

Food

There are over 30 dishes to sample, ranging from £3.00 to £5.00 per dish, as well as the usual selection of rices and breads. Portions are small, as you would expect, and beautifully seasoned.

We started by sharing some popadoms and delicious chutneys whilst working out what dishes to order. A selection of 6 mains, including the 'signature' dish of oven baked spiced haddock arrived. My particular stand outs included the Patina Lamb, with mint and the Keema Dosa pancake stuffed with mince. As someone who doesn't particularly like fish, I even enjoyed the haddock!

The peshwari nan was so good we ordered a second, along with a few more dishes including the lamb saag. Nothing disappointed.

Overall Rating

The website points out the commitment to using the best local produce, and having tasted the dishes I can certainly attest to that - the lamb in particular was outstanding. The restaurant keeps some tables free for walk in customers, so if you haven't booked and are passing by it would be worth dropping in. However, there was a queue waiting at the bar when we left last night so I would recommend booking in advance.

If this is an example of Glasgow dining, I say bring more over to us. Mother India's Cafe delivered excellent food in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. The concept is brilliant, and it was the most enjoyable Indian meal I have ever eaten. Price??? Well, here comes the best bit: more than enough food and beer for only £20.00 per head, including tip. Go!

The Witchery: New Restaurant Review

Now I know it has not been very long since I was last at the Witchery (See my previous post). But even though I was disappointed, I knew that I would be back ...

I said last time "when the Witchery is good, it is very very good". I am pleased to say that my latest visit reminded me of why I love this restaurant so much.

Atmosphere

We were back in the Secret Garden, a bottle of champagne waiting, celebrating a birthday with 2 Witchery virgins - they loved the place. I believe that the Secret Garden cannot be beaten for atmosphere - no restaurant I have been to yet has even come close. If anyone knows of any contenders please let me know! Comparing the SG to the main restaurant I can now say that there is no contest - Secret Garden every time.

Wine List

Once again, the Wine List is unsurpassed, both for quality and size, than anything else in Edinburgh. This time, in addition to the Pol Roger, we had a lovely 2001 Gran Reserva - both bottles were beautiful.

Food

Starters were varied, but all excellent: 1 goats cheese salad with walnuts, 1 smoked eel, and 2 partridge. The partridge in particular was presented in a very 'Michelin' manner! I am pleased to say that no seasoning was required for any of the dishes.

We opted for 4 different main courses: ribeye with bearnaise sauce; breast and confit leg of duck; monkfish with baby octopus (slightly squeamish to look at, but apparently delicious); and venison with (Mmm) chocolate sauce. Once again all mains were well cooked and well presented.

And so to dessert. My other half has now started a tradition of ordering (and eating in front of me) the dessert selection which he assures me was once again brilliant! Another selection was shared, and I opted for a pistachio parfait which I was very sad to see the end of.

Coffee and port finished the meal off nicely.

Conclusion

I am delighted to say that, this time, the Witchery lived up to my high expectations. I would not recommend going during the Tattoo, but this weeks visit was one of my most enjoyable. The wine was good; the food was very good; the setting was excellent as usual; the service was excellent too.

I'm glad I returned so soon as I can keep these memories and look forward to my next visit, whenever that may be.