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- The cream 811:3: ior Dar'us on of this year's holidaying _. fame and art school at home i K i biscuits graduates no: 94 l PAGE 104 PAGE 96
THE MEAL
n a competition of quasi-urban villages. Morningside
might well win hands down. The proliferation of estate
agents notwithstarrding. the shops are mostly charming. It is altnost a gentrilied lantasyland. aside from (or perhaps due to) the lack of pubs. Heck. the place is so well turned out that even the vagrants are relatively attractive.
Into this milieu. a place such as Palmerton‘s lits nicely. French doors all round. bare wood floors and polished timber tables adorned with olive cotton runners and wee vases of veronica spicata. high backed rattan chairs. lilla Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong play in the background. (‘ream walls and a bit of exposed masonry signal taste. Art hangs on the walls. but it‘s as subtle as dappled sunshine.
()nce known as ()rbis. the owner of Palmerston wine shop in Dunkeld took over this corner site a bit more than midway through 2006: hence the array of global vintages. notably all available by the glass as well as the bottle.
The food menus are modern Scottish and Continental brasserie style. with a wide a la carte selection in the evenings — from the signature pan-fried salmon lish cakes to confit duck As leg or aged Scotch beef fillet with horseradish crust — and a As more modest choice during the day. which includes a set-price two-course option for under £10.
That might include a feta cheese. beetroot and watermelon salad. which is a successful though not seasonally sensitive combination. Heaven knows where watermelon has to be flown in from at this time of year. The pink chunks are juicy but hardly sweet. (‘ome August or September. with the fruit sourced closer to home. this dish would shine more strongly.
Pigeon breast on a perfectly circular base of celeriac puree is a classy main lunch course. The game is pungent with hints of pink if a tad dry and tough. Sandwiched between the meat and the rather bland line mash (wiry not sortie nutmeg?) are
0 wilted fresh baby spinach. all adorned with near julienne e r I slices of ‘horse mushrooms‘. For afters. the menu‘s ‘rich chocolate cake‘ is precisely a . - - . described. A filling slice situated somewhere between moist Palmerston 8 IS a SOph'Stlcated eatery to match the saIUbnOUS brownie and dark icocoa mousse. complemented with a shot surroundings Of Edinburgh’s exemplary Southside SUbUl’b glass of homemade vanilla ice cream with plenty of real vanilla pod in evidence. 011 small details. the evening bread is PALMERSTON'S made in house but at least during the day the slices served are . . , locallv baked organic sourdotrgh.
45 mommgs'de Road’ Edmburgh Service is sineere. friendly and professional: lingering over 0131 4567665, FOOd served noon-~2.30pm and 6--9.30pm Tuesday to Saturday another glass of wine after one's cappuccino would be the A. m i 1 ‘7 ‘ ' ‘ ‘ ' " ' ' afternoon idler‘s preferred option as the mostly beautiful folk 7 < v a _ .. wander by outside. Morningside has been called a byword for A" Win93 50'd by the glass lidinburgh gentility and Palmerston‘s largely has the manners.
decorum and refinement to match.
pn'ce Mojcourse lunch £9.95; average price two-course evening meals around £22
F 2‘. Jllll .Rik" ' THE LIST 93