BACK LIST
Vegetarians are in for a treat. (£25)
IThe Peninsula 19a Sauchiehall Street. 332 3192. Last orders
llpm— I .30am. When quiet this basic. unpretentious restaurant seems a mite forbidding: when busy it feels like walking off the Buchanan Street Bus Station into llong Kong. Highest quality menu offers vast range. from creamy satay to braised chicken feet. Amazingly inventive presentation. and cheerful. unintelligible staff. (£18) IAmberRoyale 336 Argyle Street. 221 2550. Mast orders 11.30pm. (‘Qosed Sun. Extremely glamorous and upmarket - baggy blinds. shades of muted pink and complementary prawn crackers with your cocktails. Businessy clientele. due to (steepish) prices and its neighbour. the l loliday lnn. but the food giy es new meaning to the Chinese art of beautiful presentation. (£35)
Vegetarian
I Cafe Gandolfi 64 Albion Street. 552 6813. Last orders 1 1.30pm. (‘losed Sun. Obviously not a new place but. a new menu! The (iandolfi has pulled the plug on its old wholemeal quiche image and replaced it with a sharp. tongue-in-cheek l‘TilliCtl-SCOlllSli one with plent of vegetarian options. New and recommended are choux buns stuffed with profoundly garlicky dauphinoisc potatoes. and they've wisely retained their wonderful caramel shortcake. Power breakfasters can choose from oeufs en cocotte with ham or cheese. or a reliable old croissant. and the faint-hearted can try the delicious. scented dry Portugesc Muscat. Palmela. to counteract the garlic. (£15) I Di Maggio's Pizzerianl Ruthven Lane. 334 8560 and 1038 Pollokshaws Road. 632 419-1. Mon—Thurs 11am—2pm and 5pm--midnight; Fri 11am~-2.30pm and 5pm—lam; Sat 1 lam—lam; Sun 5pm—midnight. Tasty pizzas and pastas. and brisk helpful service. Music tends not to be background. particularly on ‘live' music nights at Ruthven Lane. so watch where you sit. (£15) I CuI-de-Sac 44 Ashton Lane. 334 474‘). Mon—Thurs noon—11.30pm15un 11pm; Fri Sat till midnight. Busy West End eating house providing excellent selection of crepes. steaks and
hamburgers with a few vegetarian dishes. Watch blackboard for the Plat du Jour. and book ahead for weekend reservations. (£20)
Upmarket
I Amber Royale336 Argyle Street. 221 2550. Last Orders 11.30pm. Closed Sun. Extremely glamorous and upmarket — baggy blinds. shades of muted pink and complimentary prawn crackers with your cocktails. Businessy clientele. due to (steepish) prices and its neighbour. the Holiday Inn. but the food gives new meaning to the Chinese art of beautiful presentation. (£35) I Kensingtons 164 Darnley Street. 424 3662. Mon—Thurs noon—2pm and 6.30—9.30pm; Fri/Sat last orders 10pm. Cosy and intimate. traditionally decorated with plenty of paintings and drapes. The a la carte menu changes regularly and there is also a prix-fixe which is tremendous value. Not recommended for a riotous assembly. but the food. eg fresh seafood. individual lamb and apricot pies. is ofthe highest quality. (£35) I The Colonial 25 High Street. 552 1923. Considered by some to be the best of the Nouvellish vogue in Glasgow. Although the superb presentation and attention to freshness are all there. you don‘t leave feeling the desperate need for a black pudding supper as a desert. The food is memorable. imaginative and served in generous portions. Not cheap. but worth the odd shudder at the cheque for a truly special meal. (£45)
Winebars
I Bar Luxemburg Pitt Street. 332 1111. Mon—Sat 11am—3pm and Spin—midnight; Sun 630—] lpm. A spacious bar decorated almost as sumptuously as much of its clientele. the Luxemburg caters for all upmarket drinking tastes and offers a suprisingly cheap lunchtime menu. though service is sometimes poor and the music seldom matches the giant video screen. (Bar £10. restaurant £20) 2. 8. l 1.
I Cafe Gandolfi 64 Albion Street. 552 6813. Last orders 1 1.30pm. Closed Sun. Obviously not new but a new menu! The Gandolfi has pulled the plug on its old wholemeal quiche image and replaced it with a sharp. tongue-in-cheek Franco-Scottish one.
la; . M
For all its ancient wars and political troubles. Edinburgh has been fortunate in its history. lt's beautifully situated. has one of the least spoilt city centres in Europe and is home to the largest. most famous and arguably the best arts festival in the world.
Today the mainstays of Edinburgh commerce. law and finance. thrive in some of the best-designed areas of the city. Charlotte Square and St Andrews Square. Robert Adam designed the former. having returned to his native Scotland to work on the so-called New Town which was built at the end ofthe 18th century. The whole scheme was a far-sighted. imaginative and thoroughly seen through piece oftown planning and it is laid out in a beautiful. formalized and logical sequence of gardens. squares and crescents. It's no surprise that it became the fashionable area to live. and the people at the time looked to England for all things cultural and sophisticated. leaving the country bumpkin ploughman-poet. Robert Burns oftheir own country to go unrecognised.
Since then Edinburgh has honoured its famous
(W \g. ‘\ ‘ _ .\,\ \\
‘ «n "f . ,‘§. . map ,1 " 1’107(
cl”?in (j i P i
a ~s/({ 7 .‘l( 8/05.} _ qua s/IA’,/( -345”: ‘5
“WWW ii iiniiiiiiif“
(7
yaw ' ». x «:i. . ’(r‘.
.fi/
3. .1 .‘ "{3} vs- F“ .5‘. ‘3‘}
.c.‘ affix. : —\- w I 1,..- u," '- ‘1"H_-'--;.. .5. ".IA-r rear . 5".
' :3.
.34.: t’?‘ ‘
.. .
‘ \ MN.“
(
NB llRGHL'olLvru E [Argus] l M
.wfinsinsmuiciiééiu
09°
sons and countrymen and statues to its men ofletters especially abound in the city. It is the same nuturing spirit which perhaps first accommodated the festival when it was dreamed up in the late 1940s to lift the post-war gloom. The city is often accused of not valuing enough this gem in its midst which explodes on the city in a massive three week extravaganza. Yet the festival has survived very successfully here and will no doubt continue to do so. The city isthe perfect setting for a festival and even the castle is used as a backdrop when the annual firework concert is held. Perhaps the venue is an appropriate one in every sense. Often stormed but never taken the castle. Edinburgh's most famous landmark. looks craggy and impregnable but for all that it is accessible. unintimidating. and really rather welcoming.
SETTING THIS
I Princes Street Remains justly famous for its splendid position opposite and below the craggy Castle Rock and is possibly the only street in a capital city to have buildings along one side only (something valued
fiflwi ' +66 . (\ 3 .Wlttdufl‘lw “1' “ill: v 01%” M'rfln1.3iiq‘”l.iiis\9\lgl(i y: ,{g‘f‘yrym' (“gun gr .
I .1. A)
i La w»
.“v/;/:"¢ ‘.y.'('i/215/t7."~fi"":;/" "’4 .g/‘It )(e).‘ 7'" >2
iii" TE 3‘
‘7 °°°°o°°\b
\ii‘i‘iiii
. sf}!
7( f3 ‘ 2‘11
sufficiently to be protected by an Act of Parliament). This consequently allows uninterrupted views of the castle. something well exploited by the magnificent firework display from the Castle battlements during the Edinburgh Festival. Nevertheless. many feel it has been spoilt by rampant commercialism and it is both the centre of the city and its premier shopping centre. It also neatly divides the Old and New Towns.
I Leith (LRT buses 16.9. 10) A traditional animosity exists between Edinburgh and its old port. Leith. constituency ofthe mace-throwing MP Ron Brown. Locals quote an instance in the late 19th century when the Leith Fire Brigade turned off the water supply rather than let their Edinburgh opposite numbers put out a fire in the port. Once a thriving town in its own right. the two cities have been amalgamated for the last 60-odd years and an industrious amount of stone-cleaning. re—building and re-furbishment has transformed the declining dockland area into a smart. spruce area that some see as a habitat for yuppies. Well worth a visit. not least for its many excellent bars and
951.2“ ’ 3': if???”
7— --- -——......-.-. ,1- ‘_-.--- --- . _ -.-. .. \ crewman jawsu’ol/ I v 2‘ :rt scsha! 0i / __ _ - NW “mm” (i ,
. Jr “0‘” WT“ ) DIX/i %%biNBIIRGH 1N? ‘
[/27
[Margin ‘
restaurants. (though many are closed on a Sunday. even in summer).
INFORMATION
I Tourist Information and Accommodation Office Waverley Market. 557 2727. Mon—Sat 8.30am—8pm. Sun 11am—8pm (until 9pm during Festival) and Edinburgh Airport. 333 2167 Mon—Sat 8.30am—9.30pm. Sun 9.30am—9.30pm). Forall information on Edinburgh (for info on Scotland see Tourist Board below). Also offers the main accommodation service (see below). Most European languages are spoken and they also sell tickets for Scottish evenings. day trips by coach. National Trust and Open to View properties. though not for the Festival. (See Festival entry below). I Scottish Tourist Board Information and Travel Centre South St Andrew Street. 332 2433. Mon—Sat 9am—6pm. Closed Sun. From June to Sept Mon—Sat 8.30am-8pm. Sun 10am—6pm. A sortof ‘travel shop‘ for visitors and locals with information on the whole of Scotland. Facilities include a travel agency. Bureau de Change. Book a Bed Ahead Service (see Accommodation below).
62 The List 10— 23 June 1988