{FRONT} Street Food
SEAFOOD MUSSEL MEN Assembly George Square (east side walkway). Approx 11am–1am The guys in the stripey Breton shirts are actually London-based Scots, serving up fresh mussels and oysters from the west coast near Oban. Steaming hot moules come in a wee box sturdy enough to hold the tasty broth for mopping up with the last of your frites, and to do it in style you can get a glass of prosecco or a beer on the side. Food like this will make you strong. Probably.
BURGERS CRAGS BARBIE Pleasance Courtyard. Approx 1pm–2am It’s one of the Fringe’s most deservedly popular drinking dens, but the Pleasance isn’t well- served for decent dining options. Most outlets serve bog-standard student union fare (that’s what the building is used for the rest of the year) with the added bonus of an outdoor kids’ zone this year. This is a good burger stand, though, albeit one with a rather forced Aussie theme. Try the Cumberland sausage horseshoe or the ‘Ripsnorter’ (a quarter-pounder topped with haggis) if you’re feeling starved or adventurous.
FRENCH LE BISTROT DE L’INSTITUTE French Institute, 13 Randolph Crescent, West End. Approx 10am–midnight Though not strictly on the streets, this café-bar has popped up for the Festival in the basement of the French Institute, with a promenade Fringe show in the venue paying a visit at various points in the day. It’s all very Gallic with pastries and coffee, Breton beers, fromage platters and a lovely outside terrace that’s flooded with evening sun and perfect for a glass or two of vin rouge. The menu has croque monsieur, fish soup and a plat du jour dropped in from parent restaurant L’Escargot Bleu.
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BRAZILIAN TUPINIQUIM Middle Meadow Walk, junction of Lauriston Place and Forest Road. Mon–Fri approx 10am–10pm; Sat/Sun approx 11am–9pm Set in a converted police box at the top of Middle Meadow Walk, this upbeat Brazilian kiosk is now a permanent Edinburgh feature. They serve up fresh juices and gluten-free crepes all week and a hot dish on Saturdays: either feijoada, a black bean, pork rib and sausage stew with rice, or moqueca, fish in coconut sauce. Weekend Brazilian music and capoeira performances make the Quartermile seem positively Copacabana-esque. Though less so in the rain.
L A V I T S E F
KEY
1 Le Bistrot de l’Institute
2 Imans
3 Tupiniquim 4 La Favorita
5 The Laughing Stock
6 The Hog Hut
7 The Outsider Festival Kitchen
8 Embo
9 Mussel Men 10 Crags Barbie
22 THE LIST 18–25 Aug 2011
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6 4
5
9
7 8
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