Vinyasa, 34 St Mary’s Street, Edinburgh

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Food and Drink Glasgow

Vinyasa Edinburgh

The Vinyasa restaurant have recently launched a Monday Curry Club, where every 4 weeks they offer up a new selection of Indian and Bengali/Bangladeshi cuisine and we were kindly invited along and try out their dishes for May. After a day wandering around Edinburgh, it was good to nip down a quiet side street (just off the Royal Mile) and get away from the crowded streets. Inside the restaurant is modernly styled and brightly decorated so we had high hopes that the food would be just as fresh and stylish.

Vinyasa Edinburgh menu

For £14.95 you get three courses, with a choice of two for the starters and a choice of three for the mains. I went for the Fiaza – lentil pakora. Crisp, not greasy at all like some pakora can be. Very light tasting. It was a little strange as I’m used to pakora with chunks of vegetable or meat. Ideal for a starter.

Mr D went for Shami Kebab, which is basically a burger of meat, chickpeas and spices. The two slices was a large portion, so good if you are hungry but too much for Mr D (and even me). The spices were very strong (but not hot) and overpowered the dish. We both thought grilling the burger would be in tune with our tastebuds. Chicken Saag – the king of meat. Mr D loved this. A good amount of spinach, tasty and tender melt-in-the-mouth chicken and full of flavour. Again the portion was a good size. Lamb with spices and baby potatoes. I love lamb curries and this one hit the spot again. Tender and almost fragile lamb pieces fell off the bone. The potatoes soaked in the spicy coating. A good balance of meat and potato in order to enjoy both parts.

We were recommended the Tarka Dhal to go with the lamb. It was a little too smooth for me, but Mr D loved it. The fried onions permeated the dhal and went well with the rice and chicken. Gulub Jamun for dessert – Thumbs up from both myself and Mr D, deliciously creamy ice cream and cardamom tasting Gulub’s completed a good meal.

Overall, friendly helpful service and good location, if you like meat on the bone then this is well worth the money for the meaty flavours and big portions (so big that we even had a doggy bag to take away with us and Mr Foodie had this for lunch the following day so he was very happy!). Although the spices used were strong, heat-wise the dishes were mild, so if you’re looking for something hot you may have to ask for extra spices or go for something from the regular menu. Recommend for a Monday night back-to-work cheer up.

Chop Chop, 76 Commercial Street, Leith

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Food and Drink Glasgow

C hop Chop is the real deal, serving food Chinese style – that is, once each dish is cooked it is ready to be served, therefore the food comes out in no particular order so if you order a soup expect it to come at any point during the meal! The food is also designed to be shared so think of it as being a bit like Chinese tapas.

The restaurant’s founder is from north eastern China who started out in business making Chinese dumplings. Mr Foodie, having visited both Beijing and Tianjin a couple of times each and stuffed his face with dumplings in both cities was eager to find out if this was as authentic as they say (and we both love Chinese dumplings anyway).

So we ordered an array of food ranging from Cucumber Salad to Chicken Wings to their famous home made jiao zi dumplings (of course!).

The cucumber and garlic salad was crispy with garlic throughout, loved it – we’d never thought about combining cucumber and garlic before, and it certainly gives a fairly bland vegetable some added flavour. (£3.20).

Chicken wings with salt and pepper (£4.80) crisp coating, and melt in the mouth chicken. lamb in cumin (£5.70). Yum!

Mixed seafood (small) – delicious mix of seafood. The squid wasn’t rubbery at all and the spices (star anise etc) were plentiful and added some strong pungent(in a good way!) flavours. Miss Foodie isn’t a star anise fan, but the taste was subtle, at least on top, Mr Foodie finished off the stuff at the bottom of the plate which was drenched in star anise goodness!

Prawn dumplings (£4.75), lamb and leek (£4.85) and pork and prawn dumplings (£4.85) – we love dumplings, and these were excellent. I’ve bought them in other places and they have been watery, doughy, rubbery or tasteless. Not these, they were full of flavour from the ingredients. Top class.

Lamb soup (£3.00) – lamb really isn’t popular in north east China (certainly not from Mr Foodie’s experience) so we were intrigued by this one and it was meaty broth filled with spring onion (which we love).

Mr Foodie washed down his dinner with a Beijing gold 5% – described on the bottle as “lightly hoppy” though it didn’t actually taste hoppy at all but was a bit wheaty and even slightly like a Belgian lambic though it still looked like a clear lager, confused? Actually as far as Chinese beers go it was OK, it’s brewed by Yanjing who brew a popular (in the Beijing area) beer called simply “Yanjing Beer”, which Mr Foodie has had on his travels. The designated foodie driver just had soft drinks.

Overall, a smashing night, quick service, great food and good atmosphere. They also have a loyalty scheme which we both signed up to.

Chop Chop currently has 2 Edinburgh restaurants, 1 in Haymarket and 2 in Leith. We visited the Leith restaurant but plan to visit the Haymarket one soon as we have heard that it is even better! We also urged them to open one in Glasgow! Watch this space…

Kingsburgh House, 2 Corstorphine Rd, Edinburgh, EH12 6HN

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Food and Drink Glasgow

Kingsburgh House is a 5 star gold rated (rating from Visit Scotland) guest house in the Murrayfield district of Edinburgh; ideally located for Murrayfield stadium if you happen to be in town for the rugby, concert or other event. There’s a bus stop right outside offering easy access to Edinburgh city centre (10 – 15 mins away by bus) or Haymarket (5 mins) or the airport (about 15 – 20 mins) and there’s also free on-site parking should you choose to drive.

The building is a well looked after Victorian Villa with garden at front and side of the building – complete with a few garden gnomes!

Inside the hallway it is bright, clean and tidy with a stack of information for nearby attractions and contemporary lighting.

We were greeted by Alan and a bottle of wine! Well this a is a novel and most enjoyable way to check-in!

After a good chat about restaurants recommended by previous guests as well as Edinburgh attractions and features of the house, leaving to enjoy the wine and nibbles was a chore. Alan is a most knowledgeable and amiable host.

All rooms are en-suite and a few have four-poster beds and we were lucky enough to stay in one of these – the Kingsburgh suite no less! A spacious high-ceiling room with ornate cornicing, the room also had a large wardrobe, 2 sofas, TV, bedside lamps and a great selection of tea (numerous fruity flavours), coffee and hot chocolate…

But as if that wasn’t luxurious enough the room also came with a decanter of sherry, 2 bottles of local Deuchars ale, a box of Lindt chocolates, 2 Bells whisky minatures, 2 bottles of Strathmore mineral water, mint chocolates and a selection of cakes and muffins. Wow! Not one for a diet though!

Robes and slippers were also provided, and after taking one look at the en-suite bathroom knew I’d have to test it, it was huge; a good selection of toiletries was also provided. After an enjoyable toasty soak we got stuck into the chocolates!

Do not be put off by the Kingsburgh House being on a main road as there is secondary glazing – the building retains its Victorian character with sash windows on the exterior but there’s an extra glass on the inside to keep the heat in and traffic noise out. We slept soundly, and no wonder in such a large comfy bed. Ample pillows, cushions and even teddy bears to cuddle up to are provided.

Breakfast

A great selection of items awaited us in the morning…

Plenty of meat and especially cheeses…and this was the first time we’d ever tried Babybel goat cheese, which was surprisingly good!

A great selection of fresh fruit – the passion fruit was delicious, the berries were sweet and tart. Physalis – an unusual but welcome addition to the breakfast table.

Full Scottish breakfast – an absolutely enormous feed – 3 sausages! 2 potato scones! 2 rashers of bacon, 2 lovely tomatoes (and with a large sprig of basil), haggis, fried egg, beans and mushrooms. All tasting great and cooked to perfection – one of the best fry-ups we’ve ever had and so big we couldn’t finish it!

There’s a real fire in the dining room too, though when we stayed the weather was good so there was no need to light it, but I’m sure the room will be very cosy in the winter.

Check-out was quick and easy, we said goodbye to Alan and made the long walk to the old town to burn off the breakfast!

There really isn’t anything we can fault at Kingsburgh House as we had a fabulous time; it clearly warrants it’s 5 star gold rating! It’s a great place to stay if you’re looking for a decadent romantic getaway, a business trip or are attending an event at Murrayfield and don’t walk to walk too far and enjoy comfort!
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable; the welcoming is warm, the rooms are clean and spacious with comfy beds, they all have en-suites, complimentary drinks and snacks are provided, as are a good selection of toiletries, the breakfast is excellent and the guest house is in an attractive part of Edinburgh with decent pubs and cafes within walking distance, and a dis-used train line and Leith walk way are nearby for walking/cycling. The bus stops right outside, or if it’s a nice day Haymarket station is a 20 minute walk away. Would gladly stay here again!

The List Eating and Drinking Guide

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Food and Drink Glasgow

20 years of The List Eating and Drinking Guide have flown by in a flash, you can find a feature on the last twenty years here.

With over 950 places reviewed, there’s bound to be something for everyone. New entries this year include The Vintage in Leith as well as Hanoi Bike Shop.
This vibrant food community means that Eating and Drinking Editor Donald Reid and his team have a demanding job.

‘With over 140 new openings this year it’s an exciting – if demanding –
challenge keeping up with all the comings and goings. There’s little doubt that
outside London, Glasgow and Edinburgh are the most dynamic dining cities in
the UK.’

Here’s to 20 more years!

YummyTori, 92 Lothian Road, Edinburgh

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Food and Drink Glasgow

We came across Yummy Tori on twitter whilst looking for interesting and different places to visit in Edinburgh. Their twitter feed was friendly and helpful so we jumped in and booked a table for the weekend.

Arriving the place was jumping, it was a Saturday night after all but I was still surprised at how busy it was compared to other places we had passed by.

Whilst waiting on our table, we spied some huge glass jars of plums soaking, their own plum wine. We didn’t get a chance to try this, but will certainly do next time, as well as their sake flights. (Saki taster 4 different sakes for £6!)

An appetizer of cabbage slices with a nutty spicy sauce kept us going whilst looking at the menu and waiting on our drinks order.

A Cherry Margarita (£5.90) and a Lychee surprise (£5.90)

Lychee Surprise

Mmm lychee floralness, easy to drink

Cherry Margarita

After this the dishes came thick and fast, japanese food tapas style.

wasabi prawns

Each dish came out beautifully presented,and pipping hot. Lovely crunchy batter but still fluffy, soft warm prawns, subtle wasabi, nice and creamy and fish roe on top

calamari

Garlic Rice

The garlic rice was a favourite of Ms M, blew away her cold! fried rice with the occasional burnt garlic, yum, I love garlic, and you can definitely taste it

chicken balls

potato wrapped in pork

yum, again sweet sticky sauce, really soft potato

Octopus Balls

Covered in the flakes which looked alive! octopus balls lovely, like croquettes, chewy but tasty meat nice savoury sauce

Edamame

In total we had nine dishes and two cocktails for £48, and although it doesn’t look it,we were stuffed with the portions.

Laird and Dog, 1- 5 High Street, Lasswade – Bar and Accommodation

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Food and Drink Glasgow

Laird and Dog, Lasswade, March 2013

Handy for the bus from Edinburgh as the Lothian Buses number 31 (both regular and express) literally stops at the entrance (in both directions). The stop is actually named “The Laird and Dog”. The number 40 also stops here which travels between Portobello and Penicuik.

The bar open until 1am on Saturday nights, there’s a pool table and 3 real ales on tap – currently Deuchars, Independance Lia Fail and Caledonian Over the Bar.

Twin Room (room 8) with en-suite bath and toiletries included. The room was very warm when we arrived but the radiator was in working order and controllable so we brought the temperature down. The windows opened and closed fine and looked out onto the main road. The small kettle held enough water for 2 cups of tea/coffee, both of which were unbranded, Bei & Nannini sugar and both milk and cream were included. Also a small flat-screen TV picking up plenty of channels on the wall and 2 bed-side lamps. The bath was a bit slippy – could do with a bath mat perhaps, also grout in tiles and shower curtain dirty, it took a few moments to get to grip with the shower as you had to turn…and turn…and turn the dial before the water came out but once it did it was hot and easy to control.

Breakfast

A choice of 3 cereals and selection of fruit yogurts. Orange Juice available as well as choice of tea/coffee.

Full Scottish – fried mushrooms, whole grilled tomato (halved) with 2 sausages, rasher of bacon, potato scone, beans and egg (either fried, poached or scrambled). Good portion so very filling but the scrambled egg was watery and the water made the bottom of the potato scone soggy.

Poached eggs and toast –  perfect, both fully cooked and runny bits for the toast.

Lunch

Sauteed Tiger Prawns 5.99  Buttery, garlicy and covered in hot chilli, packed a good kick and certainly hotter than I expected. The ciabatta was fresh, soft and not crunchy or crispy.

Crayfish cocktail 5.99  not watery and vinegary like they can be in other places. Fresh unbuttered bread but came with soft butter for spreading.

Beef Stroganoff 10.95  A filling portion with a good amount of rice and meat with thinly sliced mushrooms in a very creamy sauce and a leafy salad with a standard salad dressing, but it was very nice.

Rack of ribs 14.99  Sticky sauce, very more-ish, melt away from the bone meat. Messy! Came with wipes. Wedges good, coleslaw tasted bought in, a nice homemade coleslaw could be an improvement.

Dessert specials

We fancied the choc truffle cake but someone else had taken the last one! So we went for…

Choka rocka cake 4.25  Soft mallow, soft base, very chocolately, drizzled with a chocolate sauce and had white and milk choc shavings on top. All very soft so would’ve liked some crunch. We had this with very yellow vanilla ice-cream.

Also went for raspberry choc tart 4.25  Tart raspberries, soft, chocolately We were offered a choice of ice-cream or pouring cream with each dessert.

Overall, friendly staff, decent real ale selection and tasty no-nonsense food which was popular with families. A handy location if staying in Edinburgh (around 20-30 mins from City Centre on the regular bus service) and there’s car parking at the back. It’s also good for visiting Rosslyn Chapel as the number 40 Lothian bus also leaves from outside, it only takes 15 minutes to Roslin Hotel and from there it’s a short walk to the Chapel. Room basic but comfortable though a lot of noise from the road outside if the window is open, we couldn’t hear any noise from the bar though. The only gripe is that the bathroom could do with a refurb as the grout was dirty and the shower curtain dirty. Food was as expected and .
Would use again.

src="http://foodanddrinkglasgow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/300x250-EN-stay.gif"

width="200" height="200" border="0" alt="LateRooms.com Hotel Deals" />

Tune Hotel, 7 Clifton Terrace, Haymarket, Edinburgh

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Food and Drink Glasgow

Tune Hotel Haymarket Edinburgh Outside

Tune Hotel have recently opened in the UK, bringing their budget hotel package from Asia. The concept is, you want a great sleep on a 5 star bed, a good wash and a central location. You can’t get any better than right across the road from Haymarket Railway Station!

We were lucky enough to get a good deal when the hotel announced it was opening, as part of this good deal we didn’t have a window, but there is air conditioning and we were only staying to lay our heads as we had a busy day/night in Edinburgh ahead.

Tune Hotel Haymarket Edinburgh inside room

The room was a little tight as the bed is huge, it was a struggle to move around it. However the mirror made the room look bigger which didn’t make me feel so claustrophobic.

You get air con free, as well as an excellent power shower and room to move in a bright shower room with lots of shelving space.

You do have to pay for hair dryer, towels, toiletries as well as TV. We had forgotten our towels so paid £1.50 to hire a towel (you also get some shower/hair gel and soap), the towel was a large bath sheet, soft and adequate for the job.

The room and hotel felt secure, clean and it was quiet so a good nights sleep was had.

Pro’s - are the location, price (if you get a good deal) and not paying for add on’s that you won’t use.

Con’s – even with air con it was stuffy and very hot so maybe pay the extra for a windowed room, room small.

src="http://foodanddrinkglasgow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/300x250-EN-stay.gif"

width="200" height="200" border="0" alt="LateRooms.com Hotel Deals" />

Field, Edinburgh – Contemporary Scottish Cooking, 41 West Nicolson St, Edinburgh

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Food and Drink Glasgow

Field opened in January of this year and we were invited along to check them out.

Small, cosy and intimate, it’s candle-lit and certainly romantic but also casual, with minimal furnishing – money plants sit on the fireplace ( I do hope that works!), in front of a single wallpapered wall; on the opposite wall a large canvas of a cow hangs. Minimal décor to help focus on the food with a reminder that your food is fresh and real.

We visited on a Saturday night when it was busy and warm & cosy, so much so that the windows had steamed up forcing potential customers to come inside to view the menu (which I guarantee is worth doing so don’t be put off!), the menu is a work of art literally, well, it’s framed which is a nice touch.

We ordered the house red – a Shiraz from Sicily, which was absolutely fine for a house wine, we also received water which was topped up at regular intervals.

Before out starters we were treated to 2 seeded honey and mustard rolls each, they had a tangy vinegar taste and were warm and fresh. The butter was soft and easy to spread – so often a simple failure in restaurants.

To start with we opted for the Grilled Rabbit with Lemongrass Risotto & Roast Cherry Tomatoes , which was very meaty but not overly “ricey”, the meat was the main component which was welcomed. The lemongrass was sadly absent but the chef informed us later that it was only meant to be subtle, but we were looking forward to the taste. The pie was also deliciously creamy – again the chef told us afterwards that there is no cream, instead yogurt is used, so you can enjoy the creamy taste without the guilt!

We also had the Seared Scallops with Scottish Pork Belly, Curried Caulieflower Puree and Julienne of Apple, the scallops were perfectly cooked and the pork was soft and tender with minimal fat. We mopped up the juices with our remaining bread.

For our mains we had Seared Monkfish wrapped in Chorizo with Confit Peppers, Saffron & Vanilla Veloute & Potato Croquettes You could smell the chorizo when the plates arrived. Monkfish is meaty but can be a bit bland so the chorizo was an ideal accompaniment as it lifted out the flavour of the fish but it wasn’t overpowering and had a nice chargrilled taste as it was seared. It was moist and meaty, with potato croquettes on the side.

We also had Maple Glazed Duck Breast with Savoyard Potatoes, Confit Duck Leg Cabbage Ball & Ras El Hanout Sauce, we weren’t asked how we wanted it cooked but thankfully it was soft and tender though it was slightly chewy in places. The duck confit was rolled up and wrapped inside a cabbage leaf and was nice and sweet.-savoyard- poatoes lovely

For pudding we had the Warm Chocolate Fondant with Burnt Marshmallow Ice Cream, which was warm and full of melting gooeyness…dare I say orgasmic?! It came with burnt marshamallow ice cream, another subtle flavour which we didn’t really get it, but it certainly wasn’t vanilla, so yes there was a hint of something. Also popcorn

Roast Spiced Pineapple with Gingerbread and Ginger ice cream, looked like a healthy choice but it was warm, sticky and sweet with a nice gingery kick from the sauce, and ideal winter to spring dish.

A very nice evening in comfortable surroundings with delicious tasting food; we had a chat with the staff afterwards (Chef Gordon Craig, Maitre D Richard Conway and Operations Manager Rachael Conway) which was a welcome addition. Also, the toilet is interesting, being covered in “découpage” food imagery.

We overheard another guest telling the staff that she’d be leaving glowing reviews on Tripadvisor, Yelp etc. We certainly shall be following suit with this. A thoroughly recommended visit.

Restaurant Mark Greenaway, Edinburgh – Contemporary Scottish

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Food and Drink Glasgow

Restaurant Mark Greenaway recently opened in January 2013 after being based at 12 Picardy Place for the last couple of years. The old bank building has been totally refurbished in minimalist styling so there are no paintings on the wall, just stacked plates which really makes you concentrate on the food – though oddly when we visited there was a (sheep?) skull perched next to the plates!

At front of house Nicola was friendly and helpful – as were the rest of the staff.

We picked the Market lunch menu which runs from Tuesday to Saturday 12-2.30pm. Dinner operates Tuesday to Saturday 5.30-10pm. The restaurant is closed Sunday & Monday.

We settled down to peruse the menu with a Sipsmith’s gin and tonic which came in a nice oval glass, as well as some water which also came in another novel glass (we were given the option of tap or bottled). We also received bread that had an unusual but welcome popcorn taste in the crust, this came with soft spreadable butter.

Smoked Ham Hough and Pork Ballontine – seared scallop, apple meringues, wild garlic mayonaise and wild scottish herbs

Delicious – the ham was gorgeous and the apple meringues brought a surprise taste to this dish – small chewy drops, which added a sweet layer to the ham and pork. There was also a single seared scallop which was cooked perfectly. Everything worked really well together though the wild garlic mayo wasn’t very strong.

Pea Veloute – hot pea jelly, raviolo, pea shoots and sitka spruce oil

Beautifully silky smooth is how I would describe this. The raviolo left me wanting more and the side jug in which to serve yourself made it feel even more decadent. Fresh ingredients, smooth and perfectly balanced.

Pan seared cod fillet – clam chowder, fennel and dill puree, vanilla foam

Crisp skin, moist fish with delicate flavours surrounding it – the clam chowder, fennel and dill puree were all very light. The “foam” was also subtle, a taste of vanilla yes, but with a stronger caramelized burnt taste, so not sure if that was intended but it was still very pleasant. The “dollop” of mash was also lovely.

11 hour slow roasted clash farm belly pork – pomme puree, savoy cabbage, toffee apple jus

Excellent crisp and crunchy crackling, which we’re not usually fans of but this was done really well, underneath there was a large chunk of moist pork belly pork, which was soft, meaty and salty and melted in the mouth. It really didn’t taste fatty at all! Lovely mash again and tiny cubes of tart apple dotted around the plate.

Peanut caramel cheesecake – salted caramel, warm toffee sauce and roasted peanuts

More concentrated flavours, again not overpowering, each layer commanding its own space. We love peanut butter so this was pretty good.

Broken chocolate tart – custard jelly, frozen cookies, creme fraiche parfait, salted caramel and kumquat puree

Quite strong tasting chocolate here but the ganache and the kumquat made this for me, wonderful textures which being deconstructed meant you could concentrate on each layer. Also came with popping candy which is all the rage at the moment.

We ended with strong coffees (with warm milk and proper uneven sugar lumps) and a bill totally £51.70 which was excellent for the food, service and styling of the restaurant. The best word to sum Mark Greenaway’s up is “smooth”, everything was just so smooth. the toilets are a bit of a challenge to find at first, downstairs and turn right and then right again – Molton Brown toiletries were on offer when we visited. We would certainly recommend Restaurant Mark Greenaway.

Location:- 69 N Castle Street, Edinburgh Visited Feb 2013

The George Hotel, Edinburgh

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Food and Drink Glasgow

Arriving at the George Hotel we were met by a member of staff offering us each a glass of fizz. Check-in was quick and painless - minutes at the most and that included a change to our pre-arranged dining time.

Our room was on the 6th floor. The room was spacious with a large bed and contained everything you might need – toiletries (including hand towels, toothbrush etc if required), TV, Ipod dock, slippers, robes, iron/ironing board and of course tea and coffee making facilities. The en-suite had a bath/shower and also available was a network cable for internet.

However, it was the view looking north over Edinburgh rooftops towards the Firth of Forth and hills of Fife, and the comfort of the bed that won me over – two types of pillows, one firm and one soft. I always struggle with pillows as I’m fussy but with these two I was happy.

360 Double Deluxe Bedroom The George Hotel, Edinburgh

After refreshing ourselves we made our way to Tempus, the in-house bar and restaurant.

It was busy but we were able to get a booth at the rear of the bar. Modern styled, with chandeliers, leather seated booths, and a vast array of drinks available. The cocktail list caught our eye, with names such as Prickly Pear and Lemon Meringue Pie amongst the long list available (which can be found here: http://www.tempus-edinburgh.co.uk/pdf/drinks%20menu%201.pdf)

Lemon Meringue Pie £7.95

Ketel One Citron, Limoncello, Apple and caramelized foam

A Side Car Named Desire £7.95

Courviousier XS, Xante Pear Liquer, Cherry Marnie and Lemon

Prickly Pear £9.75

Xante Pear Liqueur, Crème de Cacao Blanc, Fresh Chilli with Champagne

Champagne Charlie £9.25

Xante Pear Liquer, Maraschino Liqueur, Lemon Vanilla topped with Champagne

Compared to some other cocktails bars we have been to, you could taste the flavours. They didn’t seem to be watered down with excess juices or ice (even the Side Care Named Desire filled with chipped ice kicked a punch).

Dinner

After our cocktails we made our way to the main restaurant – a resplendent dining area with decadent décor, curved padded booths and individual tables surrounded by large paintings, an ornate roof and filled with quick serving staff.

We ordered a red as we both had our eyes on meat for our mains (Argento Seleccion Malbec £23.95 for a bottle) and settled down to peruse the menu.

There was a good selection of items on the menu and starters range from salads with fish cakes or duck as well as vegetarian to mussels, salmon, haddock and my favourite standby pâté.

We both decided to go for fish options in contrast to our mains, and decided on Loch Fyne smoked salmon, salt baked beetroot with citrus crème fraîche at £6.95

The salmon was deliciously moist and not oily and all the ingredients worked well with each other. Tangy but not overpowering flavours, the blinis were also well made.

Peat smoked haddock tart, char-grilled spring onions with hollandaise sauce for £5.95. The Hollandaise sauce was spot-on and absolutely delicious, the egg was poached perfectly – a tiny bit hard boiled but still runny – perfect for coating the tart, the pastry crust was firm and the haddock lovely. All the ingredients worked together superbly.

Mains include scallops, black pudding risotto, venison Wellington, mushroom raviolli, chicken ballotine but we decided on roast rump of lamb with white bean casserole, chorizo and lamb jus at £16.95. We were asked how we’d like it cooked and we asked for rare, I’d say that what we got was more medium-rare but it was still lovely and tender, seasoned well, and full of flavour and juices.

We also ordered a 28 day Ballindalloch fillet steak with real chips and Béarnaise sauce at £24.95 plus £1.95 for sauce.

We asked for rare again and got meat which was moist and melt-in-the-mouth soft, this is my favourite cut and it was treated the way it should be. The Béarnaise sauce had just the right amount of Tarragon to not overpower but enough to lift the meaty taste of the steak. Fluffy and crispy chips that Heston would be proud of. Another excellent dish.

We also ordered sides of green beans and a tomato salad and both were fresh and flavoursome.

Desserts ranged from rhubarb crumble, chocolate tart, cheese board, but we chose the caramelised bread pudding with amaretto poached pear, clotted cream and spiced almonds at £5.50.

Unfortunately the bread pudding was overcooked looking and very dry and needed (rather than be complimented by) the cream to moisten the bread. The pear was solid and I think the Amaretto was sitting with the spiced almonds in the bar!

We also opted for toffee pecan cheesecake with salted caramel ice cream at £5.95. Mr M loves cheesecake and it had a nice crumbly base but it wasn’t really “vintage” cheesecake material. The flavours were a bit too subtle – the ice-cream was supposed to be salted caramel ice cream but he wasn’t really getting it but it was still a very pleasant dessert.

We finished our meal and were both extremely pleased with the quality of the food, the portions were filling and we were both very full. Service was also well-paced; our waitress on the evening was very attentive and happy to answer any questions about the dishes.

Excellent!

Breakfast

After being seated to our table and introduced to our waitress, we ordered toast and coffee for two. There are two options, continental breakfast for £13.50 or hot breakfast for £16.50. We ordered naturally smoked haddock and poached egg as well as French toast with bacon and maple syrup. For an extra charge you can order eggs Benedict or a 28 day rib steak as well as a few other options.

Whilst waiting for this we wandered around to look at the rest of the buffet. A central area holds cereals (you can order porridge), pastries, jams, various fruit juices and bread. In between the bar and restaurant rooms there is a hot buffet area with typical breakfast items and a cold buffet with fresh fruit, fruit compote, yoghurt, cheese and meat. There is also an area for pancakes but the warmer was closed over with no obvious indication of what was inside and no one appeared to help when we were around.

Our orders arrived – however the toast (3 white and 2 brown) was cold and the waitress brought just a single coffee and a tea which we didn’t ask for so we had to wait for her to return with a second coffee.

The haddock was really nicely cooked and the eggs poached perfectly again with the yolk oozing out over the fish. An excellent choice. The French toast was light and the large meaty slices of bacon covered the triangles of toast, however it wasn’t the strongest tasting.

We asked for more toast and then made a trip to the hot and cold buffet. Unfortunately after the delicious first items we were disappointed. From the hot buffet the scrambled eggs were watery and the sausage and black pudding were bland and tasteless. I tried a scoop of Kedgeree and it wasn’t very spiced and rather dry from sitting under the hot lamps.

At the cold buffet there wasn’t a particularly large array of cold cuts or cheeses and the cheddar cheese and mortadella looked like they had been sitting out for a while. After we had finished more cold toast arrived!

Thankfully we could settle for a while due to the civilized later check out time. We however had an appointment and had to leave before 12. Being offered to keep our luggage at the hotel was a blessing, and another bonus from the friendly staff.

src="http://foodanddrinkglasgow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/300x250-EN-stay.gif"

width="200" height="200" border="0" alt="LateRooms.com Hotel Deals" />

Food and Drink Glasgow

honest reviews of food, drink, restaurants, bars and accommodation

Category Archives: Edinburgh

Vinyasa, 34 St Mary’s Street, Edinburgh

Chop Chop, 76 Commercial Street, Leith

Kingsburgh House, 2 Corstorphine Rd, Edinburgh, EH12 6HN

The List Eating and Drinking Guide

YummyTori, 92 Lothian Road, Edinburgh

Laird and Dog, 1- 5 High Street, Lasswade – Bar and Accommodation

Tune Hotel, 7 Clifton Terrace, Haymarket, Edinburgh

Field, Edinburgh – Contemporary Scottish Cooking, 41 West Nicolson St, Edinburgh

Restaurant Mark Greenaway, Edinburgh – Contemporary Scottish

The George Hotel, Edinburgh