2012 Summary

OK I did go and eat out in 2012. But I posted a grand total of zero reviews.  Here is a very quick summary of some of the highlights (and lowlights). Writing it made me realise how quickly you forget details - so my New Years Resolution this year will be to write more (and promptly)!

The Cross at Kingussie  (September 2011) - Excellent

Strictly speaking this was the end of 2011 but I'll include it here anyway. So my husband gets a new job in England, necessitating working away from home during the week. He's still doing this ...  To say goodbye we decided to treat ourselves to a night at The Cross, with a final hill walk of the year squeezed in on the way back home to Edinburgh (still had to tick off some of the munroes at the Drumochter Pass).

We had a riverside room, which was excellent. Comfiest bed I've ever slept in. Bathroom was a bit old, but functional with a good shower and a bath.

We enjoyed the meal, but now 18 months on I can't remember what we ate but we had an exceptional bottle of Tiganello  (or 'Tig') at a reasonable price.  Deserving Scottish Wine List awards winners. This is largely moot as ownership and the chef have now changed (see my January 2013 blog post for an up to date review) but I wanted to record the fact that we had an excellent time.Good food, great wine, and the building itself was stunning.

Locanda de Gusti (Spring 2012) - Passable

This restaurant is situated at the bottom of Broughton Road. It now has 2 AA rosettes (although I think only 1 when we were there). Comparisons with the Horseshoe Inn at Eddlestone (also of old having 2 rosettes) show that quality can vary!  The food is nice and hearty, but nowhere near the heights the Horseshoe would reach.  Wine list was passable. The service, however, was absolutely stunning - no question too difficult to find out, nothing too much trouble.  In summary a nice restaurant to which we'll probably go back, but not a 'wow' restaurant.

Mithas (March 2012) - Avoid

OK so this is a cut and paste of my Trip Advisor review.  I am clearly at odds with many of the other reviewers though (or perhaps my 'fine dining' standards are higher than most people's ...). 

I've been twice now and can only conclude this is a conflicted restaurant. One half wants to serve good food and aspires to 'Fine Dining', the other half places the customer far from first, and comes with the service you would expect in any informal curry house,

On the first occasion myself and partner went for the special tasting menu. Absolutely delicious food, particularly the monkish, but there was far too much of it for us! When the full curry came at the end, we were beaten. Then came dessert. Could we skip that and have tea and coffee instead? Apparently the answer was 'No'. We were strongly encouraged to have dessert, and shared a sorbet. Then they came back and tried to sell us tea and coffee. Not impressed, but we didn't say anything as we didn't want to spoil what had been a nice meal.

A few weeks later we returned with family. Again the food couldn't be faulted - very good. This time though the waiters cleared the table whilst one diner was still eating the starter. When he attempted to do the same thing again at the main course we had to tell him to stop and come back when we were all finished.

Fine Dining comes with an expectation of good food, attention to detail, and placing the customer first. Mithas scores 1 out of 3 for me, and I won't be returning. It set my expectations very high and then failed to deliver. If I want a curry there are plenty other places I can go. If I want fine dining, ditto.

North Bridge Brasserie (September 2012) - Recommended

Another year, another wedding anniversary racked up. We came here for our meal this year. The food was really good, and there was plenty of it. Of particular note was my chocolate pithivier dessert (aka chocolate pie!). Wine was also good although I confess I cannot remember what we had to drink.

Koyama (December 2012) - Recommended

The pressure was on - where to go for a work Christmas night out?   Somehow I ended up being given the task of finding somewhere. Remembering a trip to Koi a few years ago I thought about Japanese (this also had the potential advantage of offering me a healthier option than curry or pizza!). A quick trawl through Trip Advisor seemed to suggest this place was fairly good. We met up at The Doctors pub fora drink first. Worringly the restaurant was looking very closed. By the time we wandered back for our table however it was fully open, and already had a few people eating.  Unfortunately for me, because I picked the place everyone assumed I knew how to order the food (this was not the case!). Happily we had at least 1 veteran Japanese food fan with us who guided us through what to order.   I started with Kara Age Chicken (lovely) and followed up with Teriyaki Beef - also very good although huge amounts of noodles.  Others were more adventurous with the sushi - all of which got great reviews.  So although it looks like a bit of a greasy spoon from the outside, the food is fantastic, the service was equally good, we all liked it, and best of all it came in under our budget!  Question is, will I now be expected to pick the next restaurant?  And where could it be???

Angels With Bagpipes (Autumn 2012) - Excellent!

I saved the best for last. I'd been hearing really good things about this restaurant, so when some friends wanted to go out for a meal this was one of the ones I suggested. To my delight they picked it!  The restaurant itself is like a tardis - a tiny entrance opening up to a long thin ground floor, with stairs down to a huge lower level. We immediately felt right at home - fantastic ambience - and having considered some G&Ts ended up ordering some prosecco to start with. Again the detail of the food escapes me, although I remember my smoked salmon starter. But I very clearly remember that all four of us had different starters and main courses, and all four of us were raving about our own food, whilst looking on in jealously at everyone else's!  A great restaurant to which I will definitely return - and often.  This is currently my favourite restaurant in Edinburgh.

Iris - a late night dining experience

I like to eat early, mainly because I also tend to crash out early and then get up early.  So the idea of  booking dinner at 9pm at night horrified me.  The latest I've ever booked a table for has been, reluctantly, 8 o'clock.  My other half, however, was golfing, so we had little choice but to wait for 18 holes to finish, and for him and his golfing buddy to drive into town.  A nice excuse for a G&T for the golfing widows whilst we waited for them in The Bon Vivant. Then we sauntered next door to Iris for dinner. And it was packed to the gunnels - even when we left.  

Who knew so many people liked to eat so late?

Wine List

Not bad actually.  Nothing horrifically expensive, which is always nice.  We had a couple of bottles of rioja and resisted the temptation to go for Kir Royales.  *sigh*

Food

Pretty good! I had a chorizo, apple and spanish black pudding combo for starters - classic but perfect.  2 others had prawns - both said they'd had better.  But I think we were all jealous of the gigantic spring rolls on the fourth plate.

One of the specials was Rose veal. 4 of us wanted it but when 3 of us ordered, the fourth thought he'd better be different and plumped for steak.  The veal was excellent, the steak looked great. All were cooked to perfection and accompanied by some stunning chips with chilli mayonnaise.

And so to dessert - ice cream all round, with sticky toffee pudding accompanying 1 of them.  Exactly what I was after at this late hour.

Overall Rating

I'll be going back - a thoroughly enjoyable meal.  I'll book for earlier next time though!

What can you get for £50 nowadays?

Even a tank of petrol costs more than that.  But £50 can get you a 2 course meal for 2 including generous tip at A Room in Leith (bring your own wine).  So - the verdict? Excellent value for money!


Location

A Room in Leith is on Dock Place, just off Commercial Road. Some may remember it in it's past guise as 'The Waterfront'.  The setup is much the same as I recall from those days - a bar (Teuchters Landing) at the front, and the restaurant area in a conservatory like room at the back.  The location, especially on a sunny early spring evening, is great.  The restaurant itself is airy and rather lively, so if you are looking for an intimate meal you may be disappointed.  We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Wine List

I didn't really pay much attention to the wine list to be honest, although the Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc caught my eye. You see the beauty of 'A Room in  ...' is that you can bring your own wine.  Corkage is £3 for wine and £4 for fizz.  We decided on a Felton Road Calvert 2008 Pinot Noir - and very nice it was too.

Food

The menu is not huge, but the choice is great.  Usually I end up having some kind of goats cheese tart, but thankfully there wasn't even a hint of goats cheese to be seen! Forced into being more adventurous I chose the (vegetarian) Haggis, Neeps and Tatties to start, whilst my husband selected the Stornoway black pudding scotch egg. The Haggis was elegant and tasty, and the mustard sauce a great accompaniment.   The scotch egg looked (and I am assured also tasted) fabulous.  The egg was perfectly runny, the black pudding perfect. And it was a large portion. I. was. jealous.

The mains again took some deciding. Would I be adventurous and go for the roast rabbit loin?  Or the monkfish?  Or the mixed grill of Pork? Would I be safe and plump for the Steak and Chips? Or the Chicken? In the end the Pan seared, spice encrusted monkfish on a bed of grilled asparagus, with chorizo won.  The 2nd main was the Black Isle lager battered North Sea haddie fillets with hand-cut chips, peas and tartare sauce.  Both the haddock and the monkfish were incredibly fresh, cooked perfectly and very tasty. The presentation for the monkfish was also impeccable.  As we started to eat the mains, we agreed we must come back here more often.  A side dish of al dente vegetables and boiled new potatoes accompanied the food.


No desserts, as we were tired from a weekend of walking and gardening. But so many to choose from!  How long will it be before we have to come back to try the Sticky Toffee Pudding?  Not long, I would guess.

Overall Rating

Excellent value food, great quality and lovely presentation. Service was also good, even though the restaurant was very busy. This was a meal which exceeded our expectations. We shall return.

Oh dear ...

Nothing posted for over a year? I have to rectify this. But I have to say I haven't really been eating out anywhere posh recently either.  I must also rectify that!   Watch out for a review of A Room in Leith coming up in a week or two.

In the meantime I would also recommend La Garrigue where we recently had a very lovely, and typically French country kitchen / slow food experience.

Restaurant Review: 21212

I've been wanting to go to 21212 for some months now, and earlier this year it gained it's Michelin star. The concept of a restaurant which offers only a choice of 2 starters, mains and desserts, with 1 soup and cheese in between is, I admit, slightly scary for a somewhat fussy eater like myself. However I had looked at sample menus before, and almost every dish appealed to me.

Atmosphere

The dining room is small and intimate. It reminded me of a 21st century Witchery in style - plush and opulent but at the same time light, modern and airy. Not at all oppressive.

Wine List

The wine list is not particularly extensive, but very well chosen. To start we had 2 glasses of Henriot NV, followed by a bottle of Dry River Syrah 2004 (one of our favourite NZ syrahs, and not that easy to get in the UK).

Food

With a limited choice it's not surprising that we both ate the same meal from start to finish. Each dish had about 10 to 15 ingredients, most of which I have forgotten. Even the bread (saffron with spice) was complex.

To start we had a new zealand lamb curry. This, we agreed, was delicious. Each of the many flavours was perfectly and delicately balanced. The lentil dahl was delicious. Easily the best curry I've eaten and an excellent start to the meal.

Then came the soup. This was a celeriac cream (or froth) with puréed vegetables. Again delicious, but more of an amuse bouche in size rather than a soup.

For the main we chose duck - smoked and breast, with a custard tart and, bizarrely, a spicy sausage. Overall the dish was nice, but a bit disjointed as the flavours didn't all mesh with each other. The sausage in particular seemed at odds with the rest of the dish.

Cheese next: a lovely blue cheese which went particularly well with the sweet biscuits; a soft, brie-like cheese from champagne; a couple of harder cheeses. The array of biscuits that came with the platter was fantastic and ranged from sweet wafer like ones through to thick oatmeal. What surprised me most about this course was the size of it - unlike the soup this was a big serving.

Finally the sweet. But before that a small palate cleansing porridge milk - delicious. We spurned the lemon curd and instead selected apple crumble. Both desserts came in glasses. A tokaji and a sweet shiraz accompanied this course. The crumble was delicious - a layered glass of creamy heaven.

Overall Rating

We retired upstairs for coffee in the drawing room afterwards - a relaxing way to end a great meal. If I had to be picky I would say that the main course didn't live up to the other 4 courses, and the balance of the meal was slightly skewed by the size of the soup and the cheese. Overall though - fantastic restaurant, great service, especially from the sommelier, great atmosphere, and fab company! I'll definitely be going again.

Restaurant Reviews: Italian Lunches & Prosecco

What better way to spend Sunday than to go out for lunch, drink some Prosecco and watch some rugby? Well, Scotland could actually win for a change, but apart from that ...

So a couple of quick reviews! Last week we were at Centotre on George Street, and today back to our old favourite VinCaffé

Centotre

We hadn't eaten at Centrotre since it opened many years ago, but we wanted to treat friends for lunch and thought this would be a good choice before heading off to a pub to watch the rugby.

Drinks first: Prosecco Col del Sas Extra Dry @ £26 per bottle: still too sweet for my taste, but good at lunchtime. Our good intentions vanished quickly as we drank 2 bottles ...

And now the starters: Mozzarella was ordered and came without the promised tomatoes (which were definitely on our menu but do not appear online ...). With no argument, tomatoes were added. The Bresaola was very nice, as was the Bruschetta.

For mains most of us selected the veal. This was good, but we had to ask for lemon, without which the dish would have been bland. Once again the service was great though, and lemon slices were brought from the bar. The sirloin was also good.

Eager to get a seat somewhere for the rugby, we skipped dessert.

Conclusions: the meal was OK, but I was very disappointed not to be offered fresh parmesan - I can't remember the last time that happened in an Italian restaurant. And lemon with the veal would have been nice.

As a quick aside, we ended up in Hudsons bar, which was not only an excellent place to watch the rugby (read: we got a seat and it wasn't that busy!), but they also had a fantastically dry prosecco at £17 a bottle. Unfortunately I can't remember the name, but if you are in the area ...

VinCaffé

We go to VinCaffé for lunch at least once a year, usually at Christmas. We also try and avoid the conveyor belt feel and bland menus often associated with Valentines day meals. So a table was booked, and it was confirmed that nothing at all special was happening at lunchtime - just the usual menu. Perfect!

For starters we had deep fried cauliflower and peppers, and fishcakes, washed down with a glass of Ferrari Prosecco. Both were excellent!

My main course, accompanied with a glass of La Poja Allegrini, was Pasta with pork Lucanica sausage, tomato, mushrooms and cream - seriously good pasta, and complemented perfectly by the wine. My hubby elected to try Quails with polenta and roasted butternut squash, with a glass of Gaja 1999. Incredible wine, and apparently the food wasn't bad either!

Only 1 dessert: a delicious lemon and ricotta cheesecake.

Once again, VinCaffé does not let us down. The food was excellent, compared to the food at Centotre which didn't quite hit the same standards.

And as for the rugby ... it's just a shame the Italians couldn't finish the day off perfectly (we'll not talk about yesterdays result ...)

Scotland's New Michelin Star Restaurants

Yes it's that time of year again - 3 new michelin stars for Scotland:

* Kinloch Lodge, Skye (not been there)
* The Peat Inn, Fife (fantastic food)
* 21212, Edinburgh - this was going to be the next place I eat out anyway. I may have to go sooner than intended now!

Edinburgh also now has more starred restaurants outside London than any other city in the UK. This makes me happy.

For more information see:

* The Scotsman
* EatOut Magazine

New Zealand Restaurants - A Selection

We've just come back to the snow after 1 month in New Zealand visiting family, walking and, of course, finding the time to fit in a few meals out. A quick review of the few restaurants we managed to get to:

• Andiamo, Auckland
  
• The Botswana Butchery, Wanaka
  
• The Bunker, Queenstown
  
• Fergburger, Queenstown
  
• Salt Bar and Restaurant, Whitianga
  

Andiamo, Herne Bay, Auckland

On arrival, we wanted to go out for a nice meal - cue some internet research and local knowledge. We had many candidates but Andiamo was one our hosts had never been to, was getting good reviews from friends, and had a good wine list.

The restaurant itself had a busy bar just off the main restaurant area and patio dining for those brave enough (it wasn't yet quite warm enough for us at the start of December).

Starters were good: a couple of feta salads, some scallops and calamari. The mains were hapuka, tuna, lamb and beef. Again all solidly presented. This was washed down with a nice Dry River Riesling. 2 desserts were ordered and 2 came (but not the ones ordered). Result: 2 free chocolate desserts and another 2 sticky toffee puddings. On receipt of the bill, we found we had been charged for 2 bottles of wine not 1, but it all got worked out in the end. Time for a walk home through the Ponsonby drunks, out celebrating Christmas early (just like being at home!).

Verdict? Good enough, but too pricey for what it is; certainly not the best Auckland has to offer, and perhaps trying a bit too hard; waiting staff need to pay more attention to the customers rather than their friends! We weren't disappointed with our meal, but neither were we blown over.

The Botswana Butchery, Post Office Lane, Wanaka

After over 1 week of hard walking in the South Island, we marked our last evening in Wanaka with a meal at The Botswana Butchery. This restaurant, albeit the Queenstown branch, was recommended by family who had visited a few weeks ago, but was already on our list to visit.

Starters consisted of Buttermilk and Herb Prawn Cutlets and French Onion Soup. The cutlets were demolished quickly, but the soup took a bit longer - it was delicious, thick, very filling and with lots of bread! A good start to the meal.

After a suitable interval our main courses arrived: 1 sirloin with Bearnaise, and 1 venison. Both were a very good size, and delicious. The cabbage and bacon side we ordered went well with both, and there was plenty of it. The wine list had plenty of wine available by the glass so we tried a couple of Otago Pinots.

For dessert it was 1 excellent crème brulee (the soup was so filling I was practically full after my starter!).

By now the sun was setting, the few clouds that had been lingering over the mountains had disappeared, and so it was off to see Mount Aspiring at sunset - glorious.

Verdict: great food; attentive service; good atmosphere and wine list; great views! Highly recommended.

The Bunker, Cow Lane, Queenstown

Part of me doesn't want to write this review - if I keep it secret then it might remain something special.

There is a Botswana Butchery in Queenstown, but we had heard tell of something else - a small windowless restaurant which used to be used to tune skis, hidden in Cow Lane below a more easily discovered bar of the same name: The Bunker. Again family had visited a few weeks before and recommended it to us, for which we must be thankful! We phoned ahead and reserved a table, and upon arrival found ourselves in a cosy windowless room with only 6 or 7 tables and a roaring log fire, kept well stoked all night.

Starters were duly ordered, along with a bottle of the stunning, and reasonably priced, Wooing Tree Pinot Noir. I had a terrine of pheasant and duck liver parfait with walnut bread - it melted in the mouth and was delicious. My partner opted for the wild hare - seared loin together with braised hare filo rolls which (apparently ...) were stunning.

For the main course I chose the Beef - easily the best beef I have had for a very long time. My husband went for the lamb - rack and braised shoulder. Again delicious.

Dessert time: 1 dessert of the day (a delicious vanilla panacotta) and a trio of chocolate, including a mouth watering pistachio brownie. These were accompanied by glasses of Cloudy Bay late harvest Riesling and 20 year old tawny port respectively.


Throughout the night the service we received was exemplary, and we were allowed plenty of time between courses to relax - the restaurant almost demands that you relax as soon as you walk through the door. In terms of overall atmosphere this rivals anywhere I've ever been - add to that top quality food and a fantastic wine list and you have the ingredients for the perfect night out. So good we stayed at our table for an after dinner drink - we didn't want the evening to end. If you're in Queenstown book a table. This was the best meal we have had in a long time!

Fergburger, Shotover Street, Queenstown

Now strictly speaking this isn't a restaurant, but it does have tables - in fact it can probably seat more diners than The Bunker, although perhaps not in quite the same comfort! But no visit to Queenstown can be complete without a visit to Fergburger.

The last time we ate there they had just moved from Cow Lane. Doing some research before we returned we were amazed to see the advertising - they are a true phenomenon! So what do you get? Fantastic quality burgers, good chips and drinks, including beer if you require it. We grabbed a takeaway consisting of a couple of 1/2lb burgers (we'd just finished a very tough walk!) but on offer are other delicacies such as the tofu 'Holier than thou' burger! This is the nest place in NZ to eat a burger - make sure you don't miss out and remember ... "Ferg Loves You".

Salt Bar and Restaurant, Whitianga

Our final meal out was at Salt. We'd dined here before so had high hopes which weren't quite met.

I started with the chicken liver pate, served with relish and cornishons (gherkins). I wasn't convinced by the gherkins, but they worked very well! A filling starter again for me though! The gravadlax was also appreciated. Then, eventually, came the main course. We had the misfortune of being served behind a large table of 12 or 14 - and it showed. Not only did we have to wait over half an hour for the main course, but when the lamb and the fillet arrived they were overcooked: the beef was medium rather than medium rare, and the lamb hadn't been pink for a while! The salsa verde served with the lamb was overpowering, as was the imam bayildi. Not the best choice. The beef was good, notwithstanding the overcooking.

For dessert there was a crème brulee again - good but not great and, bizarrely, served with rhubarb (which didn't work).

Verdict: not a great meal for us but I'd be prepared to give them another chance if we ever go to the Coromandel again. And there doesn't appear to be a huge choice of fine dining in Whiti. The last time was far better.

Le Monde - A whole world of tasteless, cold, badly cooked food

Well the title of the post says it all really. But before I begin, can I just say that despite the food I did have a good night out - due in no small measure to some excellent company.

Le Monde is, and I quote from the website, "one of the premier boutique hotels in Edinburgh. Its popularity and reputation continues to grow." Really?

We met in the bar, Vienna. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised - the clientèle were mixed - pensioners, teenagers and a whole range in between. The bar itself was very nice. A good start. Then we went upstairs to "Paris" for dinner ...

Atmosphere

Styled as "an intimate space for romantic liaisons" (I wasn't there on a romantic liaison) I expected something subtle. Instead we (not me ...!) had to ask for the music to be turned down so we didn't have to shout to one another. I was also a bit put off by people dancing when we were eating - I know, I know: I'm old (fashioned) - a restaurant should just be a restaurant ... No?

And then, as I move a water glass away it sticks to my hand - yuck! New glass requested immediately ... I am left feeling a little bit queasy. I suspect we are not the "restaurant's" favourite table.

Food

I can safely say that this is one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had!

To start: I chose the ham terrine with apple chutney and rye bread. Or to put it another way - a completely tasteless terrine with an identical (non) tasting chutney. At least the toasted rye bread had some flavour to it. There was no salt and pepper on the table either, so I couldn't try to improve it. The textures of the food were different but that's really about all I can say. I would love to admit I was exaggerating here but no - I have never eaten anything before that tastes of nothing. So to get two on the same plate ... well it certainly was an achievement.

We also had mussels, scallops and bruschetta. The most interesting comment passed was that the sauce with the mussels was hot. I said nothing, as did most others ...

For the main: there was a mix up - one person ordered a rib-eye with no tomato, 2 others ordered rare sirloin. The rib-eye came with a tomato, one of the sirloins without ... confusion reigns as I point out that a rib eye is clearly different from a sirloin and that I have the wrong dish - I was happy to swap. No that would not do. The dishes must be taken back to the kitchen because neither of the two waiters knew their rib-eye from their &!*!. Sure enough, a few minutes later, back came the plates with the tomato switched. Apparently I was correct.

So, rare steak should be (more than) a bit bloody, right?? If we peered intently at it we could just about detect a hint of pink. Our rare steaks came medium to well done. If they had been cooked as ordered they would have been very good - the quality of the steak only ruined by the incompetence of the chef. And then the temperature: the steak was cold, the chips that came with it even colder. The mushroom was quite nice (but then it's difficult to screw up a grilled mushroom). I kind of felt obliged to eat the (half green) tomato.

Lamb shanks were also ordered. I was too afraid to ask anyone what they thought, and I suspect everyone else felt the same as we talked about everything but the food.

I skipped dessert and instead chose a large espresso: it was excellent.

The Bill

So we ask for the bill. As we divvy it up, someone mentions a tip. "Have they included a service charge?" someone else asks? Yes they have: so we get a bill with a service charge included plus a space for a tip. Cheap trick? We didn't leave any extra.

Overall Rating

It's not a restaurant. A restaurant should serve good food. A restaurant should not be dominated by a huge bar - reference Harvey Nichols Forth Floor for how it could be done. You should not have to shout in a restaurant. A restaurant should not boast of the quality of its steak and yet be unable to tell the difference between cuts, or be able to cook it correctly. This was a truly terrible dining experience. Burger King is far better - at least you get what you expect there. And I have to say the food is a damned site tastier.

If only 1 person reads this and decides not to go, my work is done. This was a huge letdown.

The Champany Inn: Restaurant with Rooms

For our wedding anniversary this year we decided to go to the Champany Inn for a meal. We had visited the Chop and Ale house last year and vowed at the time to come back to the restaurant. With an eye for the bargain (and in the hope of offsetting some of the cost of the wine!) we plumped for a summer offer - Dinner Bed and Breakfast for £170. This did limit us to the quick supper menu, rather than the full menu, but the range of food looked excellent so we were more than happy to compromise.

Accommodation

It's not an hotel, it's a restaurant with rooms. But I have to say that the rooms were excellent. At what was effectively £90 for bed and breakfast, the price wasn't all that bad either. Facilities included free-view TV, wireless internet, a large super-king bed, and a spacious bathroom (even if the bathroom décor and design was somewhat dated). A very good room indeed.

Wine List

When we decide where to go for a meal, more often than not the choice is governed by how good the wine list is - if it's bad, we probably won't be going ...

The Champany wine list seemed to me to be larger than the Witchery list, which in itself is an accomplishment. But, of course, size isn't everything: the content was equally as good. As usual we found ourselves drawn to the Burgundy, something we don't drink much of at home, but instead settled on a 2001 Delas Hermitage Les Bessards which was stunning: hints of woodsmoke on the nose, red fruits on the palette and complex yet smooth.

Food

Never before have I been offered chorizo bread, or pesto bread - and those were only a small selection of what was available. An excellent and unusual start to the meal.

The Quick Supper Menu had a small but good range. We enjoyed perfect chicken liver pate and brioche, and a Stilton salad for starters. The pot roast was oxtail, but we both chose the sirloin - a large (8oz?) steak on the bone, served perfectly with freshly made chips and the largest array of vegetables I have ever been served in a restaurant: French beans, baby leeks, baby carrots, asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower. All of these were very al dente, which wasn't to my personal taste, but very nice.

Thoroughly full, we finished the wine, and looked at the desserts. In due course waffles arrived, with a delicate maple syrup, and crème brûlée - the latter came, surprisingly, with a pot of ice cream. Whilst nice, it seemed to me like 2 separate desserts rather than 1, and that was the way I ate them. An odd way to serve the pudding.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served in a country style kitchen. I found it slightly off-putting to have the food cooked in the same room, in an open-plan layout, but apart from that it was very good. A choice of fruit juice, cereal, yoghurts etc, and a full Scottish breakfast. We were not overly keen on the sausage (beef) - excellent quality but I think we are traditionalist pork sausage people (you learn somehting new every day). There were more mushrooms than I have ever seen in my life (a plus for me), well cooked eggs, tasty bacon, black pudding and tomatoes. Not a baked bean in sight (!).

Overall Rating

A great evening with very good food. In terms of value for money this was excellent. Was it Michelin star dining? For me the food was slightly below that standard, but we were just having the Quick Supper. The whole experience, however, was certainly up there with the best: the waiting staff, and owners, were attentive and knowledgeable; the sommelier was very helpful in narrowing our choice down from an excellent list; the dining room itself had a very relaxed and intimate atmosphere.

The only downside was that we forgot to check when the wine shop opened. Assuming it opened at 10am in line with licensing laws, and planning a visit after we checked out, we were disappointed to find out it opened at 12pm. Never mind, at least our wallets are a bit less empty than they might otherwise have been.

Go to the Champany Inn at least once in your life. If you don't mind spending £40 on a steak, opt for the full menu: you get a much greater range of steaks to choose from. But the Quick Supper menu offers a great choice and a 3 course meal for the same price - if you like the contents, as we did, it's an excellent option. Either way I am sure you will have a fantastic time.

This could be our last meal out in Scotland for the 2009. The next reviews may be of restaurants and wine slightly further afield ...

Next up in this country, we have 21212 in January - I'm looking forward to it already :-)

Plumed Horse - Best Restaurant in Scotland?

Leith Michelin starred restaurant The Plumed Horse has just been named AA Scottish Restaurant of the Year 2009-2010. You can see the full results from Monday's award ceremony here.

Is it the best restaurant in Scotland? You tell me, as I've not been (yet) although it is creeping higher up my list and we nearly went there last night. Instead we ended up at the Champany Inn - review to follow shortly.

Another winner was The Cross at Kingussie, which got the gong for best wine list - I think this has also just made it onto our 'must go to' list.

Restaurant Review: Cafe Andaluz

With La Tasca seemingly offering a permanent 50% discount on food, could any other tapas bar beat it? I hoped so, because whilst La Tasca is great value, the quality of the food has much room for improvement. So it was with great hope and expectation that I arrived at Cafe Andaluz on George Street, having salivated over the menu a few times whilst waiting for a bus home.

Wine List

OK, we've already established that if you want a cheap tapas night, go to La Tasca. Which is just as well, because the wine here ain't cheap. £18 for a house wine, Siglo crianza, which you can buy in the shops for £7, is expensive. I think La Tasca offers the same wine cheaper (but they don't have their list online so I couldn't confirm this). Other than that the list is limited, but offers a really good selection of styles, including a priorat at £55 and some gran reservas. No vintages are mentioned on the menu, so you'd have to ask to be sure of what you are paying for.

Food

There were six of us in total, and we polished off 2 set menus and a couple of other dishes between us. A menu for two is recommended, but you'd have to be seriously hungry to finish all that between you. The choice was excellent though, and the food fantastic.

From the start, when we were served fresh bread, great olive oil and olives which were so tasty I found myself eating the black ones (which I usually don't like), I knew exactly why I would be coming back here rather than returning to La Tasca - the food is delicious!

We then tucked into a vast array of dishes, including mushrooms in wine and garlic sauce, tiger prawns, tortilla, very spicy patatas bravas, and very smelly goat's cheese and marmalade.

Dishes to highlight for me included the chorizo and the battered chicken. But the star dish of the evening, selected on a friends recommendation, was the chorizo and black pudding - this is a very rich dish, so best shared between a few people!

Overall Rating

Cheap food or great food? Limited menu or a choice including some dishes you certainly won't have tried before? Crammed tables or a bit more space?

The atmosphere at both La Tasca and Cafe Andaluz is equally as good, but the food is infinitely better at the latter establishment. Now I know why the food is always discounted at La Tasca - I'd rather go out less often and pay more. Cafe Andaluz is my new tapas destination in Edinburgh, and I can't wait to go back!

Restaurant Review: Wok and Wine

I'm not ashamed to say up front that Wok and Wine is a huge favourite of mine, so I was looking forward to visiting it last night, as I hadn't been for a while. I'm pleased to say that once again it loved up to my expectations!

Wine List

A great range of reasonably priced and very drinkable wine (although the website is slightly out of date - both range and price).

Food

There were seven of us eating last night, so we were able to order a good selection of starters. For those who have eaten there before, it goes without saying that the chicken moneybags were almost an automatic choice for some (including myself) - minced chicken in a coconut cream, deep fried in filo pastry: delicious! Also on the menu was a won-ton platter, thai fish cakes (spicy but lovely), chicken and corn soup, deep fired aubergine, and a starter sized king prawns in black bean sauce: the prawns were perfectly cooked.

The main courses were of an equally high standard: shredded duck, beef udon, chicken and cashew, whole sea bass steamed with ginger and spring onion, crispy beef, and, the star of the show for me, sizzling hong kong style beef.

Overall Rating

Great service: very attentive and friendly, all the staff seem genuinely happy to be serving you. Excellent food. Lovely basement restaurant, clearly full of return customers. They also operate a takeaway service. Highly recommended.

Tailend, Take Away

A short post on what is rumoured to be the best fish and chip shop in Edinburgh. The Tailend is a restaurant and a traditional chip shop - 2 separate rooms keep the queue at the fish bar away from the diners.

We decided to eat at home, so popped out for a takeaway. 3 Haddock Suppers, and 1 Scampi supper, we headed home. The haddock was freshly cooked and very tasty, the chips were also cooked to order and not greasy. The only disappointment was the scampi: it came in a packet, frozen. In fairness to the restaurant they didn't try to hide the fact as they poured the fish straight from the packet into the oil. When it was eventually unwrapped, the batter was overcooked and dark brown.

Overall Rating

Pretty good for a chippy, but considering their emphasis on fresh fish, I was very disappointed to get frozen. Recommendation: ask about the scampi before you decide to buy it. The fresh fish, however, was very good.

La Tasca - Great Value Tapas

3 months since the last post - what can I say? I've been working hard, doing a bit of running, and sadly, not eating out. All this is about to change though. In the next few weeks I'll be eating at Tail End (acclaimed chippy - can it live up to the hype?), Cafe Andaluz (I've just heard great things from a friend so am very excited), and Wok & Wine.

The more observant amongst you may have noticed that there are no high end dining nights out here ... I'm dropping hints with a view to going to 21212 (I can only hope).

In the meantime, I visited La Tasca last week with the in-laws, so a quick review.

I love tapas, but I haven't tried too many restaurants in Edinburgh recently, apart from La Tasca - see my review from earlier this year.

The Tapas Tree always used to get good reviews, but didn't impress me too much. So far (and this may change soon) my favourite has been in Newcastle - El Torero. It's been a few years since I've been, but if you're in the area I'd recommend giving it a try. La Tasca, for me, has always been good, serving all the favourites and doing a reasonably good job. What elevated this visit for me was that all food was half price (again). If you want to keep abreast of offers on national chains like this then www.vouchercodes.co.uk can send you a weekly email with all the best offers (not just restaurants).

Wine List

Pretty standard list with a good range of value wines and beers. I especially love the cava (!) and the sangria.

Food

Nothing adventurous, nothing spectacular, but pretty tasty and great value. All the usual favourites were there: meatballs, croquettes, prawns, calamari, chorizo ...

Overall Rating

Needless to say the place was filled to the brim. We were on a small table, but all that made us do was order the tapas in stages, which is a good thing. At half price you can't go wrong: 8 or 9 tapas, 2 bottles of wine and a tip for £60. I would highly recommend it for a relaxed meal with friends.

Achiltibuie: The Summer Isles Bar

You've hopefully read the review of the Caberfeidh in Lochinver. Now for The Summer Isles Bar. The Hotel restaurant has a Michelin Star, but we weren't going there. Still, I was hoping for a good lunch in the bar. Sadly the experience did not live up to my expectations, although I have to say that what food we did eat was excellent.

Atmosphere

Somewhat lacking. The bar is very small (some might say intimate). There were a couple of local beers on tap, which is good, but nowhere to sit and eat. Instead the tables were in an adjoining area (fairly open plan) which had little atmosphere and reminded me of a clean roadside café.

Food

Make no mistake, the food was excellent. We had a smoked salmon sandwich and a steak sandwich. Both were high quality: the salmon was delicately smoked and melted in the mouth; the steak was top quality.

My reservations on food came with the choice: sandwiches; a bowl of soup; salads; seafood platters. That was it - and of source a dessert menu. True: for dinner there were a couple of hot meals (literally 2 plus vegetarian) - but they're not served until 5pm. Good for the waistline though, as this is possibly the first 'pub lunch' I've had where there haven't been any chips available.

Overall Rating

Tricky. I expected a good range of pub food: I didn't get it. I expected high quality tasty ingredients: they were there all right. I expected all the best things about a good highland pub: maybe a real fire; relaxed atmosphere; comfy chairs; eating in a pub. I got to eat in an annexe to the pub with little atmosphere on metal chairs. I hoped to be able to drive up there, spend an hour or two relaxing, perhaps even drinking a pint, letting the alcohol wear off, and, eventually driving back home. Instead I had a quick half and a sandwich.

Disappointed? Yes. Would I go back to the bar? No - there are far better bars out there for my taste. Would I consider going to the hotel? Undoubtedly yes, at some point - but I think that at the end of the day, a bar is a bar - it should stick to doing what bars do well: serve a good range of hearty food. In a bar affiliated to a Michelin starred restaurant, you might expect that food to be of a higher quality, but it should still be bar food - not just salads and sandwiches.

Lochinver: The Caberfeidh Restaurant

I'm just back from a week in Ullapool. We were self catering - in these crunchy times it's a good way to keep costs down. We didn't go out for dinner at all but we did venture out for lunch a few times (when it was too wet to walk). Coming soon a review for the Summer Isles Hotel bar (importantly not the Michelin starred restaurant - crunch, crunch). But first the Caberfeidh in Lochinver - so good that we went back for seconds.

We'd been to Lochinver for lunch a couple of years ago, and our choice of venues was decided by going to somewhere we hadn't been before. Fortune, as they say, favours the brave.

Beer

There wasn't a huge selection on tap, but all I really want is a good guest beer or two - and the Caledonian XPA on offer certainly met my expectations.

Food

On our first visit we had a light lunch of a couple of baskets - small portions, but only £6. Scampi and chips and home-made fishfingers with tartare sauce (also home-made). Both were delicious and the tartare sauce was stunning - this from someone who is not a fan in general.

Later that week, when finishing a short walk in Lochinver, we returned. I suspect this visit was prompted by the mouth watering sight of fish and chips at tables other than ours ... I was happy to agree though! Funnily enough fish and chips (beer battered haddock to be precise, with lashings of tartare sauce) was ordered, along with catch of the day - monkfish wrapped in parma ham. Once again the food was delicious. We left quickly before the table next to us had their sticky toffee pudding delivered as our resolve to skip pudding might not have lasted very long.

Overall Rating

This is a great pub and I would highly recommend it: there were locals there both days we visited, as well as tourists; the riverside view is great and on a summers day I can imagine the beer garden would go down a storm; the service was fantastic - the staff made us feel welcome from the moment we stepped through the door, and looked after us superbly. This last quality is something which can be sadly lacking in some highland establishments we have had the misfortune to visit.

If you happen to be in the area, this is a great pub for lunch - they do dinner too. The nearby Michelin starred Albannach also does dinner (we didn't go there either - we must try and make time for fine dining in between walks ...)

Restaurant Review: La Tasca

I love going out for tapas, and over the years I've been to La Tasca many a time. Edinburgh's West End, The Omni Centre (where we were last night) or even in the middle of Liverpool - no matter what branch you go into, you know what to expect, and that is good solid tapas, with all the crowd pleasers, good service, and, especially with a group of people, a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

Wine

You can never go wrong with Rioja, and as for the sangria - delicious. Last night we opted for cava - at £23 not cheap (compared to Scotmid's great value £5 bottles), but excellent. And if you're not in the mood for wine, there's always a good range of Spanish beer. So, 2 bottles of cava later ...

Food

Made all the more tasty by the fact that we had a '2 for 1' voucher, the food was of the usual high standard. We ate a huge selection, including calamari, langoustines, chicken croquettes, spare ribs, meatballs (of course!), chorizo and patatas bravas (and more ...).

Overall Rating

Better than the tourist trap tapas I had in Barcelona, La Tasca remains a firm favourite of mine. Excellent service, good food, nice wine and fab company - a very good night, and great value for money.

Restaurant Review: The Vintners Rooms

And so it transpired that it was time to go out for a special meal somewhere. But where? We researched every restaurant in Edinburgh we could think of, as we really wanted to go somewhere new: once again The Kitchin's menu did not appeal - there's always so much that I don't want to eat; Oloroso, where I have been wanting to go for a long time now, failed to impress on the website; the time was not quite right for The Witchery (you can have too much of a good thing); Martin Wishart doesn't even make our shortlist (we've been once and had 'the experience' but didn't particularly enjoy it - the experience that is - the food was great).

A couple of places appealed to me: The Stockbridge almost made it - the food looked good, but the winelist didn't really impress too much - its definitely made my lunch list though; Wedgewood also looks good, although don't expect too much from the 'private wine cellar'...

But in the end none of the restaurants we looked at could dislodge The Vintners Rooms from prime position. We've been before, we'll probably go again, and we had a great meal there this weekend.

Wine List

The Vintner Rooms is situated in a building steeped in wine history, with wine trading going on at The Vaults since the 15th century. Raeburns supplies at least some of the wines on the wine list, and it is excellent. This time we had a 1999 Bandol - full of great flavours, but slightly alcoholic towards the end. This was our first old Bandol and I'm sure it won't be our last.

Food

I place a lot of store by a website, and one thing which impresses me is that the menu on The Vintners Rooms website is completely up to date. Now as I don't dine there every night, this may be coincidence, but I don't think so. We had a Trilogie of Foie Gras (seared, pâté and soup) and Sauteed Scallops with Whisky, Smoked Haddock and Brown Shrimp Risotto. The Foie Gras was excellent, although a little rich (entirely to be expected - I should have chosen the goats cheese!) and the scallops, including the risotto, similarly well received. For mains we had Rack of Lamb with Aubergine Caviar and Pommes Dauphine, and Roast Aberdeen Angus Fillet with a Perigord Truffle Sauce. I have to say that the rack of lamb was perhaps the best I have had in this country (the only one to surpass it being a rack of New Zealand lamb in Whitianga ... melt in the mouth). The Fillet was of an equally high standard, and the truffle sauce was gorgeous.

What followed was a lesson in how to serve dessert. My Dark and White Chocolate Fondant with Pistachio Ice Cream was perfection on a plate: the fondant was meltingly gorgeous, the pistachio ice cream my favourite, and the brandy snap basket and caramelised grapefruit just heavenly extras. My partner had Coffee Crême Brûlée with Iced Whisky Truffle, which he assures me is better than mine (!) and he left me none to try ...

Overall Rating

If I was being picky I would say that I would like to have had a choice of bread, and perhaps olives with stone in are not the thing to serve in a restaurant. But I am not being picky, and I didn't go to the Vintner Rooms to have walnut bread or suchlike. The food was excellent, the desserts superlative, the wine list very, very good, and the atmosphere welcoming and convivial. The main dining room is an intimate candle-lit affair with 18th century decorative plasterwork and I can think of fewer more appealing restaurants in Edinburgh.

If you want a special meal without going through the full circus of a Michelin star restaurant, then get yourself down to The Vintner Rooms now. You will not regret it.

Kushis to Open in Leith

Exciting news - According to Bite's April issue, Kushi's are to open up a new restaurant in Leith, on Dock Place. I can't find an opening date but a colleague will undoubtedly get an invite to the opening night, so I will find out. Given my recent experience of eating Indian in Leith I am very happy.

I've only ever had good food and service there in the past, although if you read reviews on the List, you may find differing opinions. When it opens it will be reviewed!