Review: Spatch, Edinburgh

AFTER AN EARLY lunch I embarked on one of my trademark long walks around Edinburgh. Sometimes you forget how beautiful the city is until you take a moment to pause and remind yourself. All that wandering made me hungry, so I decided to meet Sarah after work where, after a cheeky pint in the Cuckoo’s Nest, we decided to descend upon Spatch for a bite to eat.

Sarah’s work treats staff to lunch on a Friday, with this chicken joint being a popular choice. I hadn’t tried it yet but had heard positive things from a couple of friends. The interior offers a modern ‘cool’ vibe that verges on hipster-chic. We are escorted to the rear of the restaurant where there are a few cramped tables adorning the back wall.

The menu focuses heavily on meat – no Veganuary for me, with spatchcock chicken, burgers, ribs, wings and flat iron steak making up the bulk of the menu, though there are a couple of veggie options. I peruse the drinks menu which consists of a range of slightly underwhelming craft beers at premium city centre prices, cocktails, and a decent whisky list clearly aimed at sucking cash from tourists.

We both order the ‘Cluck Norris’ priced at an ambitious £11.95 without fries, which come at an additional cost of £3.95. A portion of mac & cheese bits (£3.95) were added for good measure.  The burger comprised of a breaded chicken breast patty, BBQ pulled chicken, and Virginia smoked sweet cured bacon served on a bed of gem lettuce and tomato. The chicken was wonderfully moist, but the breadcrumb topping failed to provide the contrasting crunch I’d expected, so, therefore, was a non-event.  The chicken itself was terribly bland and devoid of seasoning.  The pulled element was tasty, and the punch of smoke and sweetness of the bacon was the highlight on what was otherwise a dull affair.

I dived into the mac & cheese bites and they were delightful: lighter than I thought and fried to perfection.  The little vessel of homemade sauce was probably the best thing on display. The chips were verging on the burnt side yet weren’t quite cooked all the way through. To compound the evening a baby at a nearby table insisted on banging a plate against the table constantly while the parents just looked on disinterested. I hate babies in restaurants – get a freakin’ sitter.

Service was fine, if not the most dynamic.  Why put drinks down and not ask if we’re ready to order? Why walk past our card sitting on the table ready to pay several times before noticing? Attention to detail.

Bit of a disappointment on this occasion. If it was a cheap eat, I would have brushed it off, but at these prices, it has to be a knockout burger; it just didn’t deliver value for money.  I’d give it another go in the hope it was just an off day, but wouldn’t rush to give it a second chance.

Web: www.spatchchicken.co.uk/
Twitter: @spatchchicken
Phone: (0131) 285 5240
Address:  3 Hunter Square, Edinburgh, EH1 1QW

Opening Hours: Sun - Thurs 12:00 - 23:00
                                  Fri - Sat 12:00 - 01:00