i &
Edinburq
The Courtyard
BRASSERIE
2 Bonnington Road I ane. l eith
0131 554 1314
Food served: Monday Sunday
noon ~10pm
This old stone inn with its delightful courtyard is well worth seeking out. In summer it's hard to imagine wanting to move from the outdoor tahles with their chic parasols and patio heaters. while in less clement weather the red walls and scarlet upholstery of the upstairs restaurant come into their own. For starters. chicken (‘aesar salad is juicy with well- balanced flavour. rather than heing drowned by an overpowering dressing. There's a ctimprehensive char-grill section. fish dishes including lobster and chips. spaghetti classics like holognese and
carhonara. daily specials. plenty of
vegetarian Choices and an Twit“ lunch'.
Dalriada
UAR 8. PUB F000
77 Promenade. Portobello
0131 454 4500
Food served: Monday Saturday noon 9pm; Sunday noon 3 30pm. liormerly the Redford House Hotel. this seafront retreat has been transformed under the ownership of Alison and Terry Magill. Bowls of rich mushroom soup figure alongside more esotic fare such as roasted queen scallops with sweet chilli. ginger and lime. and pan- fried chicken with cashew nuts and oyster marinade. While the great value Sunday lunch menu makes way for more classic but no less carefully prepared meals. 'l‘crry Magill‘s close links with l.atin America promise an even more worldly range of food and drink in the coming months.
Maxies Bistro and Wine Bar BISIROS L bRAbSt RILS
5b Johnston Terrace, Old Town
0131 226 7770
Food served: Monday Sunday 11am ‘11pm
Those who flock to Maxics Bistro in the sttmmer would certainly
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Oloroso
testify to the com iy ial c\pct'icttce of the restaurant's rooftop terrace. And eyen if they 'rc forced hy the season to settle fora tahlc inside. the menu offers diners plenty of lit‘itl‘ly‘. well cooked food in compensation. l‘ish is Maxies‘ particular attraction. and the groaning seafood platter with its layers of scallops, tiger praw ns, moules marinierc and l och l‘yne oysters cart he augmented w ith a sample of the catch of the day.
Oloroso
SCOTTISH
33 Castle Street, New lown
0131 226 7614
Food served: Monday Sunday noon 2.30pm, 7 10.30pm
lligh tip ahoye (icorge Street‘s t‘liic shopping slt‘ip, ()ltirtiso enioys a spectacular setting. with hrcathtaking views of the city and the Kingdom of file. Snacks are sCl'\ L‘tl throughout the day. allowing diners to sample the place. hilt ()loroso‘s dinner menu is the star of the show: ginger and chilli tuna with a ’l'hai hrotli is cleansing and light. while hreast olguinea fowl with pheasant houdin, lyonoaise potatoes, coolit garlic, lardons and pay lentil ins is a rich and gamey contrast.
Terrace Cafe
CAFE
Royal Botanic Garden, loveileith How 0131552 0616
Food served: Monday Sunday
10am 6pm
It‘s right at the heart of
Maine's
lidiuhurgh's Royal Botanical (iardcn. and the Terrace (‘afe lienelits from plenty of outdoor seating and stunning city-wide
\ istas. When the sun shines. it‘s an ideal place to scoff a cappuccino and soak in the view. There's no tahlc service. so queue to take your pick from sandwiches. freshly made soup and crusty hread. or haked potatoes filled with haggis and onion gravy or red cahhagc and apple salad. if you‘ve worked up a serious appetite walking through the flora. there‘s a choice of heartier options such as roast loin of [tort or beef and (iuinness pasty.
Tower Restaurant
SCOTTISH
Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street, Old Town
0131 225 3003
Food served: Monday—Sunday
noon 11pm.
l)ine alter dark at the Tower and the \ iew of the lloodlit castle is hieatlitaking. Panoramic windows line this elegant fifth floor restaurant and. in summer. the city scape can he enjoyed from the terrace.th the striking vista is iust one element of the Tower's impressiye arsenal. lirotn dainty :\rgy ll oysters to meaty temptations such as suckling pig and roasted poussin. the fittest Scottish ingredients are fttsed with Mediterranean influences.
The Waterfront
FISH
1c, Dor k Place, Leith
0131 554 7427
l ood served: Monday—Thursday noon 9.30pm; Friday and Saturday noon 10.30pm; Sunday 12.30—9.30pm. 'l‘he menu at the \Vaterfront is rather like an airport destination hoard simply choose where you want to go and the kitchen will
whisk yott there. Want to take your
taste huds on a trip to Japan? Then order a starter of tempura hahy red mullet served with a hot and sour dressing. lf(ireece is your preferred destination. there‘s
flash fried calamari with a ltl\ttt'iotls little dish of perfectly judged aioli.
Side Dishes
News to nibble on. . .
I The historic Sloan’s pub, tucked between Buchanan Street and the Argyll Arcade in the heart of Glasgow, has been relaunched as the Bastille Taverne. Now under the management team of the Republic Bier Halle and Salty Dog, the 105-year-old saloon (pictured) hasn’t been dramatically altered, because the interiors are listed, so the impressive embossed glass and tiled entry off the arcade remain. But the real treat should come next month when the old cafe/restaurant upstairs, with its Edwardian fin de siecle design, reopens for big events and private parties. Watch this space for more details.
I More monthty food events are scheduled at Vermilion in the Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh.
On Thursday 7 July at 6pm. head chef Chris Smart will discuss and demonstrate a variety of ways to use summer fruits in desserts.
On Thursday 4 August. head barman Gary Mallet takes over
to show off some cocktails. The price is $210. which includesa welcome drink, or $225 which,
in addition to the welcome drink and the event, also includes a two—course dinner in Vermilion. Call the Scotsman Hotel on 0131556 5565 to book.
I Dionika, the Canonmills deli and cafe, is planning to put together a gourmet meal that will be cooked entirely from organic ingredients grown and produced in Scotland and Spain. The three-course meal will be served on Wednesday 6 July, and it will cost £29.50 including wine. Call 0131 652 3993 for more details, or to book your place.
I Finally, following the suggestion of Coldplay's singer Chris Martin that frogs were better eaten than used to make annoying mobile ring tones and number one hits, the head chef at Livingston's Restaurant in Linlithgow has concocted Crazy Frog Soup. Every bowl reputedly contains an impressive-sounding 24 frogs' legs. Yum.