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Catherine Fellows tndulges in another bout of round-the-cloclt consumption. I Blue Moon Cate 60 Broughton Street. 556 2788. Seven days llam—lam (last orders 12.45am). You could do worse than wake up in this welcoming, relaxed cafe with an eSpresso and a filled roll to absorb the excesses of the night before. Light vegetarian meals -— pizza. quiche. pakoras. salads. curries - are available all day; when you feel up to it. the Blue Moon can start you off on the next round with Continental and Scottish beers. wines and spirits.
I La Cuisine d’Odlle French Institute. 13 Randolph Crescent. 225 5366. Mon—Sat noon—2.30pm lunch: coffee. snacks. pastry until 8pm. This is the genuine thing— the kind Of food you would be served if you went to lunch at the home of a French family. Take a bottle ofwine. because Odile is not licensed. There are only thirteen tables. so book to avoid disappointment. Minimum charge £4 a head. but you don‘t have to spend much more.
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are: 'r a-.. I lgg's 15 Jeffrey Street. 557 8184. Mon—Sat noon—2pm. 6—10.30pm (but flexible). Igg‘s Offers an impressive platter of assorted tapas at lunchtime for £4.50. but it is well worth saving this one for a full evening meal. because the cooking is superb. Principally Scottish seafood and game. dishes are imaginative. and beautifully presented. Around £14 a head.
I The Doric Tavern 15 Market Street. 225 1084. Mon—Wed noon—1am: Thurs—Sat noon—2am: Sun 6pm—lam: food until 10.30pm. Popular with Edinburgh‘s arty intelligentsia. the Doric serves meals which are more tasty and more imaginative than typical wine-bar fare and fills up with drinkers later in the evening. Very handy for brief encounters near Waverley Station. and perfect for last thing at night.
South- srders
Catherine Fellows turns her attention to the south of Edinburgh for the best of city-centre eating and drinking.
Edinburgh's Southside. broadly the area between the Queen's Hall and the Pleasance. may not seem to Offer the inviting profusion of bars and restaurants ofsome other parts of the city. but the places are there if you know where to look. Coffee at Negociants. beer at the Pear Tree. soup at Seeds. sumptuous sandwiches at Shrimps. slap up French dinner at La Chaumiere. not to mention aubergine curry at the Kalpna. one of Edinburgh's best Indian restaurants. Enjoy.
I La Chaumiere 22a Nicolson Street. 667 0747. Wed—Mon noon—2pm. 6—10.30pm. Authentic French restaurant hidden away in a basement — in the heart ofit all. just opposite Nicolson Square. Flexible approach means that you can pop in fora light between-shows lunch for around £3 or have the full a la ('arte works. still for only £15 including wine.
I Ciro’s 93 St Leonard Street. 668 4207. Tue—Fri noon—2pm; Tue—Sat 6.30—10.30pm. Popular place within a stone‘s throw of the Pleasance. Scottish/French cuisine and French-style (able d'hrite menus - £7.95 for three courses at lunchtime. £14.50 in the evening. Booking advisable.
I Howies 75 St Leonard Street. 668 2917. Seven days noon—2.30pm. 5.45—l0.30pm. This attractive little restaurant convenient for both the Queen‘s Hall and the Pleasance has geared itself up for Fringe-goers. offering early sittings and promising to get diners fed within an hour-and-a-half if necessary. Throughout the Festival there will be fixed menus (£6.50 for three courses at lunch. £12.95 dinner). with a choice of five starters and as many main courses. Everything is prepared on the premises. and cooking is traditional. comforting— Scottish mushrooms. herring. pate. melon; salmon. venison; banana and toffee pie. trifle. Take your own
wine. and book to be sure ofa table. I Kalpna 2/3 St Patrick Square. 667 9890. Seven days noon—2pm. 5.30-10.30pm. Much-admired vegetarian restaurant specialising in subtle southern and western Indian cuisine. Simple decor and
you‘ll have room fora delicious home-made fruit sorbet.
I Maxies Bistro 32b West Nicolson Street. 6670845. Mon—Thurs Ham—midnight. Fri and Sat until 1am. Sun until 6.30pm. Food. noon—2.30pm. 5—10.30pm. With around 40 wines available by the glass. Maxies Offers probably the biggest selection anywhere. and a lot more besides: a full a la cane menu
j with choice for vegetarians as well as 1 game and seafood specialities — shark is a current favourite; very good-value student lunches — £2.50 for cauliflower soup followed by deep fried brie; bar suppers until 11pm; live folk. jazz and light music Mon—Thurs evenings. and. . . a selection of board games. If it wasn’t for the brightness Of the lights and some dubious pictures. it would be perfect.
I Nature's Gate 83 Clerk Street. 668 2067. Mon—Sat 9am—9pm. Vegetarian cafe at the back ofa rather well-stocked wholefood shop next door to the Queen’s Hall. Sweet and sour tofu and pear. aubergine bake with nut topping. home-made soups and cakes — all manner of wholesome delights are here. Some are vegan. others gluten-free. some suitable for macrobiotics.
I Negociants 45—47 Lothian Street. 225 6313. A popular haunt next to the University and Fringe Club with a light. pine-floored bar. table
pulse-based lunches; more elaborate dinner menu. Portions aren’t huge so
DOUGLAS ROBERTson
Negoclants
service and an exotic and reasonable menu incorporating Far Eastern elements. The less attractive basement sometimes has live music of the loud variety. I Pear Tree House 36 West N icolson Street. 667 7796. Mon—Sat llam—Zam; Sun 12.30pm—2am. Food 12.30—3.30pm. One of Edinburgh's best known and most attractive pubs, with a large beer garden perfect for sunny afternoons. and a haunt of Edinburgh's young bikers/leathers and Indian skirts brigade. Weekday lunches are relaxed. fill-your-plate-from- the-buffet affairs. At weekends the Pear Tree offers full roast lunches with all the trimmings for around £3.50. I Pierre Lapin (The Counting House) West Nicolson Street. 668 4332. Mon—Sat noon—2.30pm. 6.30pm—1am; may open Suns. Latest off-shoot of the tremendously successful Pierre Victoire restaurants (Union Street. Victoria Street and the Grassmarket) offer a winning combination of authentic French food at affordable prices in spare but attractive surroundings. This latest addition has to be congratulated for attempting to offer the same to vegetarians. but since French food is traditionally so meat and fish-orientated. dishes here are more experimental and, perhaps unavoidably. more fussy. There are hits and misses. For example. grilled herb boulertes were heavy. doughy balls, soaked in butter. and a poor substitute for escargots. whereas a pair of tartlets. one onion. the other stilton and walnut. with a shallot and burgundy coulis. made an exciting dish with an interesting combination of flavours.
72 The List — 27 August 1992