FOOD & DRINK RECENT OPENINGS
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GO WITH THE FLOW At the foot of Edinburgh’s Broughton Street, Justin Tilbury visits a carefully crafted study of contemporary Scottish food and drink
Tucked round the corner from the bustling bohemia of Broughton Street, the Riparian Rooms opened their doors at the start of 2015, offering a contemporary spin on Scottish food. Their interpretation of this – certainly in terms of decor – is somewhat eclectic, as hunting lodge paraphernalia rubs shoulders with archly vintage tables and chairs, while the downstairs room has a smooth, dive-bar vibe. The menu, on the other hand, is delightfully straightforward with a dedication to delivering big, honest flavours with a dash of sophistication.
Chicory leaves with poached pear, caramelised walnuts and Dunsyre Blue cheese are a crisp, light confection, contrasting rich, salty and sharp cheese with the gently spiced sweetness of the pear. Of the mains, the burger is a standout. The patty is deeply savoury, its chargrilled smoky outer layer giving way to a juicy and aromatic core. Desserts are well worth investigating, in particular a peanut butter parfait with roasted rum banana, which balances the creamily sweet and salty combination without becoming overwhelmingly rich. As for the welcome: enough goodwill radiates from the staff to power a small country.
THE RIPARIAN ROOMS 7–11 East London Street, Broughton, Edinburgh EH7 4BN
0131 556 6102, riparianrooms.co.uk Ave. price two-course meal: £18 (lunch/dinner)
The best of the new restaurant, café and bar openings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for one.
LE CHALET BEAUMARTIN FRENCH 518 Great Western Road, West End, 0141 237 3363, lechaletbeaumartin.co.uk, £13 (lunch / dinner)
Glasgow PORTER & RYE STEAKHOUSE BISTRO
1131 Argyle Street, West End, 0141 572 1212, porterandrye.com, £26 (lunch / dinner) This latest opener, from the group behind nearby Lebowskis and The Finnieston, takes its meat so seriously that it is dry-aged on the premises for all to see. Sourced from Gaindykehead Farm in North Lanarkshire by local butcher Tom Rodgers, the beef comes in various cuts, with a choice of sides, including hand-cut or skinny fries, a crunchy radish salad and around ten sauces and butters – not to mention a choice of six different steak knives. There is also a carpaccio version in the small plate offerings that showcase the best of Scottish produce, from Ethical Shellfish Company scallops to Perthshire venison. A France-tinged taste of Finnieston’s food finery.
PIECE @ INOVO CAFES 200 Albion Street, Merchant City, 0141 552 7128, pieceglasgow.com, £7 (lunch) The Inovo Centre, part of Glasgow’s new International Technology and Renewable Energy Zone (ITREZ), is home to the latest outlet of Piece, the sandwich specialists who are spreading their winning formula around the city (a branch on Miller Street recently joined the two West End branches, and their Whisky Bond café). This fifth, flagship outlet is geared to catering for their office surroundings, which is achieved without any compromise on standards. Lunch deals are great value, popular, and deliver the high quality expected, from a beautifully seasoned pulled pork roll to a vibrant feta and lentil salad, with great cakes and drinks on offer as well.
The owners of the former French deli on this site (who also own Le Bistro Beaumartin) have opted for an altogether more unusual approach, where one feels like you’ve entered a wee log cabin. It’s great fun: a fire roars, skis are propped up, and diners choose from a three-cheese fondue with bread or raclette and as many potatoes as you want. Traditional charcuterie is good and it’s full of proper French ingredients such as smokey cured ham or Corsican sausage. There’s a chocolate version, too. The concept is a simple one and the atmosphere warm and charming.
Edinburgh VDEEP CRAFT BEER AND CURRY HOUSE
60 Henderson Street, Leith, 0131 563 5293, vdeep. co.uk, £10 (set lunch) / £17.50 (dinner) The large, cartoonish mural depicting television personality and partner in this hugely popular new bar, Hardeep Singh Kohli, leaves us in no doubt that VDeep has been built on his large personality. However, the team who formerly ran this place as the Vintage are still in place, including wildly talented head chef Ruairidh Skinner, whose sense of adventure and dynamism permeates venison meatball korma and Bubble & Sikh.
Long bench seats and small sharing tins of each dish (the phrase ‘Indian tapas’ is forbidden) encourage a sense of bustling communality, while 13 beers on tap ensure that this is a first rate bar as well as a brilliantly informal dining experience. Go to food.list.co.uk/articles for a feature-length interview with Kohli about VDeep.
PERA TURKISH BBQ & MEZE BAR 57 Elm Row, Leith Walk, turkishrestaurantedinburgh.co.uk, £5.95 (lunch deal) / £13 dinner Orkun Akan opened this restaurant alongside his candle-making business to show diners in the capital that Turkish cuisine is so much more than doner kebabs and chips. A starter of mixed meze contains no less than nine different dips and salads, with a zesty beetroot salad and smoky hummus among the highlights. Pan-fried halloumi with sucuk (traditional Turkish sausage) is one of the more substantial starters on offer, while a main course of mixed kebabs sees generous offerings of lamb kofte and beautifully tender barbecued chicken and lamb, all marinated on the premises.
BREADSHARE BAKERY CAFÉ-BAKERY 11–12 Seafield Road East, Portobello, 0131 258 5165, breadshare.co.uk, £7 (lunch) ‘Real bread for everyone’ is the cosily egalitarian message which greets visitors to the premises of this hard-working community-interest company on the outskirts of Portobello. Established as a wholesale supplier at Whitmuir Farm south of Peebles in 2012, Breadshare Bakery moved closer to town into this joint café and production premises at the start of 2015, with workshops for adults and schools, volunteering schemes and an ethical approach to sourcing all core to the business. Their range is limited, but it’s a contender for the finest bread in Edinburgh. Teas and coffees are good, and the lunch menu of soup, salad or stew is heartily homemade.
Independent write-ups on all the restaurants worth knowing about in Glasgow and Edinburgh are available on our online Eating & Drinking Guide at list.co.uk/food-and-drink 62 THE LIST 2 Apr–4 Jun 2015