WITH MY STUDIES having taken
priority over blog writing in the past few months, I was very much looking
forward to kick starting Phil’s Food World again, and now exams are over and
essays have been completed, I can begin with a much-anticipated review of the
Edinburgh Larder Bistro.
The restaurant is nestled away down
stairs between Alva Street and Queensferry Street in Edinburgh’s rather quaint
West End, and I had previously heard positive things from fellow food writer
Theresa Baumgartner, who outlined the owner’s passion for the place after
visiting from Luxembourg during last year’s Edinburgh Festival.
You can tell just by looking at the
Edinburgh Larder’s website that this is an operation run with passion; their list of suppliers not only suggests
quality but, also that provenance of ingredients is at the forefront when crafting their menus.
My brother Chris and I received a
very warm welcome on this chilly Edinburgh afternoon and the smell of fresh
bread certainly enhanced that greeting. The Edinbugh Larder actually includes an
artisan bakery, which is a great addition to the restaurant and Edinburgh’s
food scene alike.
The dining room had a calm feel to
it, largely down to the contrasts of light, which I really liked. It was modern but still had a traditional feel
to it, with a certain intimacy to your own little area of the restaurant. It was certainly encouraging to see the dining room pretty much full on a Tuesday.
The bistro offers a two-course
lunch menu priced competitively at £12, and I started with hot smoked haddock
pate on toast with foraged salad. Clearly
homemade, the pate was sufficiently smoky and a hint of herbs with a buttery note to it made it rather enjoyable, plus it was seasoned to perfection. The
toast, like the bread we enjoyed beforehand, came from the in-house bakery; it’s
these little details that present restaurants the opportunity to show skills
that enhance the eating experience – certainly does so in this instance.
Chris chose to skip starter in
favour of a pudding, so began with rump of lamb, Dunsyre Blue potato cake with
wild garlic for main. I had secretly
wanted to order that particular dish and that disappointment was further compounded
when it came beautifully presented to the table. The pink tinge of the lamb showed some skill
in the cooking, and gave respect to a quality piece of produce. The dauphinoise-style potato cake was rich and
didn’t overpower the dish, which can be difficult to achieve with blue
cheese. The carrots still had a little
crunch, which added a different texture to the dish, while earthiness of the
sauces really brought this well-rounded dish together. A generous portion for a lunch time menu, the dish really allowed quality ingredients to speak for themselves.
I ordered baked Cullen skink with
seasonal veg, which came with a big pastry crust that I duly broke into,
releasing the wonderful aroma of smoked fish.
The pastry casing was crunchy and cooked all the way through, while the soup was rich, creamy and well-seasoned. The fish was wonderfully flaky and not
turned to rubber unlike some versions of this Scottish classic I’ve had to
endure. Little potato cubes brought a
welcome crunchy element to the dish and the accompanying broccoli and carrots
were cooked to perfection. My hankering
for the lamb dish had since dissipated.
To indulge his sweet tooth, Chris
went for Russet apple crumble with thyme custard. He described the dish as ‘a common dish
elevated to a fine-dining level.’ The
apples still had bite to them and the sharpness cut through the sweetness of the
custard to balance the dish well. There wasn’t a great deal of thyme flavour in
the custard, but that didn’t really detract from this rather satisfying
dessert. Service had been efficient
throughout; friendly, knowledgeable and extremely professional, which for me is
just as important as the food.
The ethos and set up of this
restaurant definitely deserves to be commended.
It’s one thing using top produce but another knowing what to do with it, and the team at the Edinburgh Larder
certainly know what they’re doing. With
an intimate dining space and superb value for money, this little gem is worth a
visit.
http://edinburghlarder.co.uk/
1a Alva Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4PH.
Bistro – Open 11am – 10pm (pre-theatre: 5.30pm – 6.30pm) Tuesday -Saturday. Closed Sundays & Mondays. 0131 225 4599
Bistro – Open 11am – 10pm (pre-theatre: 5.30pm – 6.30pm) Tuesday -Saturday. Closed Sundays & Mondays. 0131 225 4599
Bakery at the bistro – Open 11am-5pm Tuesday-Saturday
Ooh, haven't tried the Bistro! Only sampled the Larder on Blackfriars St, which I really liked. Must give this one a go sometime :)
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