FESTIVAL PREVIEW
FOOD
beers and fiendish alcoholic coffees. Food is always interesting and good value. Live music in both upstairs (gentle guitar stuff) and downstairs (jazz fun k/ you-name-it) bars most nights.
I Miahs l7 Forrest Road. 225 7396. Mon—Sun noon-2.30pm; Sun—Thurs 5.30pm—midnight; Fri/Sat 5.30pm—lam. Shiny restaurant serving Bangladeshi and North Indian food.
I Kalpna 213 St Patrick‘s Square. 667 9890. Mon—Sun noon—2pm. 530—! lpm. One of Edinburgh‘s best vegetarian restaurants. serving delicate North Indian food and wonderful home-made ice creams and sorbets for pudding.
I Oddlellows I4 Forrest Road. 220 I816. Mon—Sat 6.30pm—2am; Sun
630—! lpm. Bar snacks. Iluge galleried hall ofa bar with tables upstairs as well. handy for sending paper aeroplanes to your favourite barperson.
GILDED BALLOON
I Pelican 209 Cowgatc. 225 5413. Mon—Sat Ham—5am; Sun 6.30—l lpm. The old Gilded Balloon bar revamped and serving food as well. (The late night/early morning breakfasts have proved a success.) Good selection of beers andxool cave-like atmosphere.
I City Cale 19 Blair Street. 2200125. Mon—Sat noon—2am: Sundays noon—3pm.(+-10pm. Chic bar and restaurant. now serving French non-nouvelle food at mealtimes. and snacks and cold food all day Mon—Sat. They also do a good value set-price brunch on Sundays noon-3pm (vi ith Sunday papers provided).
I Bannermans'l‘he ('ovvgatc. 556 325-1. Mon—Sat l lam-2am: Sun
I2 3” 2.30pm.
6.30-1 lpm. Food 11am—8pm. Old. dark. stone-floored bar pulling a good pint of Theakston's. Guinness and Murphy‘s. Cheap bar food.
I Gordon's Trattoria 231 High Street. 225 7992. Mon/Tue noon-2.30am; Wed—Sun noon-3am. Reliable Italian right on the Royal Mile, so it tends to get busy. Service is fast and friendly.
I Le Sept 7 Old Fishmarket Close. 225 5428. Brasserie Mon—Sun lunchtimes and evenings till I lpm or 11.30pm (Fri/Sat open all day from noon). Restaurant Tue—Sat 630—] lpm. Relaxed and friendly brasserie on the ground floor. serving good. unpretentious food at a reasonable price. The restaurant is more expensive.
I Viva Mexico 10 Anchor Close. Cockburn Street. 226 5145. Mon—Sat noon-2.30pm; Mon—Sun 6.30—1 lpm. Possibly the best Mexican in town. Entertaining ethnobilia on the walls. perfect margaritas by the jug and great cevichc.
THEATRE WORKSHOP
I Lancers 5 Hamilton Place. 332 3444. Mon—Sun noon—2.30pm.
5.30—1 1.30pm. Classy Indian. Wonderful food for a special tuck-in.
I Baillie St Stephen Street. 225 4673. Mon—Sat last orders 2am; Sun noon—2.30pm.
6.30-1 lpm. Traditional pub with good atmosphere and cheap bar food at lunchtime.
I Le Marche Noir 2—4 Eyre Place. 558 1608. Mon—Sat noon—2.30pm. 7-l lpm; Sun 6.30-10pm. Excellent. imaginative French Provincial cooking Interesting wine list. and not expensive.
I Bell's Diner 7 St Stephen Street. 225 8116. Mon—Sun 6—10.30pm. Small. informal burger-bistro. Friendly staff and good value for money.
Where do performers eat? The List asked some Festival regulars to tell us their secrets.
I Forbes Masson of comic pair. Vic and Barry. ‘I always head for Gordon‘s Trattoria on the Royal Mile. it‘s open late and you can get a drink.‘ Loose Ends. Traverse Theatre. 226 2633. 22 Aug-2 Sept (not Sun). 10am.
I Michael Menuitzer director of dance company. the Kosh. ‘We like to eat at the Armenian Restaurant on Abbey Hill, mainly because being Eastern European you can dance till all hours of the morning’.
Theatre Workshop. Hamilton Place. 226 5425. 14 Aug-2 Sept, 8pm.
I James Wallace actor in the Wickedcst Man In The World. ‘I don‘t know I don't really eat very often. Err the Central chippy near Bristo Square. I suppose’.
Bedlam Theatre. 225 9893. ll Aug—2 Sept. 10.35pm.
I Dave Cohen comedian/writer. ‘I used to like going to the Dragon Pearl. that Chinese Restaurant at the top of Leith Walk. until somebody told me it was really popular and trendy. I also like the Verandah. But for a good hearty meal at a price you can afford. I would thoroughly recommend Pete‘s of Rankeillor Street. He‘s the friend that I stay with when I come up for the Festival.‘
Tic Toc at Marco‘s. Grove Street. 229 7898. 12 Aug-2 Sept. 10.30pm.
. l
I Emo Philips gangling American comic. ‘Recently I‘ve been doing a lot ofeating through the mouth. those drip tubes— ldon't know. What'sthal food you have. Haggis? If it has peppers in then forget it that screws the deal. No I like all food.‘ The Assembly Rooms.
‘ 2262428. 11—19 Aug.
9.30pm.
I Richard Fidler of Australian cabaret act. Doug Anthony Allstars. ‘Let‘s just say that we never have our vegetables slimy green and overcooked. I have to say that the food in Britain is disgusting. I don‘t like to eat at all. We‘ll be living off Frosties and Coco Pops and Coke of course .‘ Heriot Hall. George Heriot‘s School. 667 7304. 14—23 Aug. 9.30pm.
I Martha Lewis of comic duo. Donna and Kebab. ‘Our shows always finish after midnight so that sort oflimits the options. No I tend not to have a kebab. not at that time ofthe morning though I am very fond ofthem. We go tothc Italian place opposite the Playhouse.‘
The Assembly Rooms. 226 2428. ll Aug-2 Sept. Midnight.
I John McKay ex Merry Mac and co-author of Onan. ‘l have to say the best thing is to goto Larry‘s Lunchette on Nicolson Street. after swimming down at the Infirmary Street baths. lfl feel like some meat. I'd go to Lancers. where they have a Chicken Tikka that leaves your teeth post-box red for days afterwards.‘ The Assembly Rooms. 226 2428. 14 Aug—2 Sept. 2pm.
70 The List 1 I — 17 August I989