Table for
1“"
Donald Reid wonders whether the classic candlelit table for two is really the most intimate way to enjoy food on Valentine's Day
I Valentine's I)a_\ is anticipated \xith
equal amounts oI optimism and dread in
the restaurant tratIe. \o tIil'lcr'ent li'om the rest ol' us. then. though l‘or tIil'l'erent reasons.
.-\\ huo_\ ed as owners are h) a lull restaurant and heaIth_\ champagne sales. stall hoth horn and hack must resign themsehcx to a room l‘uII ol tahles tor No. the dullness ol special menus and an atmosphere tlampenetl h_\ \\Iti\pet‘ittg com crsation antl sopp} music. .\'c\er mind the l'act that the) 're \\orI\ing. therel‘or'e tgeneraII_\i not romancing. “on the_\ long tor a hit ol'ttrama. 4' IiI.‘I”1~' i—‘Iass ol‘ \xine or a sudden. \tiIL‘tto- stomping e\it \\ith the sea hass hartll) touchctl. But oh no. the gu_\ on tahlc tour is tr'_\ing to get do“ It on one hIIL‘L‘.
.I‘IIL‘I‘C t\. Itt\\\e\L‘l'. an tlItL‘t'lltttl\C \I\IU|I HI romantic dining and it chimes with a sole ol'
eating that'\ heing seen more and more in
restaurants in Scotland. 'I‘his is the rather
Iihertarian concept that sharing .\our dining space. and )titir' t'ootl. can he much \e\ier and spontaneous than \L'kIHIL‘. l‘ormaI meals l'or t\\o. The idea ol' numerous LII\IIC\ on a tahle. jointl} CIlUxCll ;tlltI gL‘llL‘t'aII} \Itttl'L‘LI. l';ttIlCl' lIttttt [ItL‘ more rigid regime ot' '\\Itat I’m hax ing and \\ hat theyr'e ha\ing'. is enio)ing a resurgence in (ilasgou anti Iitlinhurgh eating spots. .\Io\tl} it‘s under the guise ol‘ \arioux t‘ormx ol~ tapas. \\hether ‘authentic‘ Spanish tapas (most notah|_\
26 THE LIST
(or a few)
r'ccentl} l'rorn e\IIan \Iaxtn at I’in\to\ on (i|;t\go\\\ I)umharton Ix’oatli. ‘pan .\\ian tapas~ rat the ne\\ \Iamasan in Bath Street. alw (iI;t\gH\\ l. ‘ItaIian tapas~ rat the Italian (‘alle Iznoteea on .\Ihion Street in the \Icrehant (nu or men the more prosaic \ountIing hut long standing International Starters on ('ommercial (‘)ua§ in I.eith. IatIinhurgh. .\tItI to the mm the platters antl \haring plates' ol anti paxto \t_\|e meats and cheeses nou on oller at rnan_\ liars. Itt\tt'o\ alltI hr';t\\er'ie\.
.'\Ck'HI'tIIII:_‘ to lgg} ('ampox. proprietor ol Igg‘s Spanish restaurant and Harioia tapas har in Iitlinhurgh. the reason that tapas is \o emhetltletl in Spanish culture is hecauxe l'ootl isn‘t ahout l'eetIing. it's ahout hringing people together. '“Itt‘tt \\ L‘ Uttt. I-(NNI l\ [tIttcL‘tI It] the c't'lltl‘c HI the table. and \\e all share lrom the same plate, I’aclla is the classic e\amp|e. It Itappcnx in restaurants too. hecausc eating out has its origins
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TheLoye';a9
‘SHARING YOUR
FOOD CAN BE MUCH SEXIER THAN SEDATE MEALS FOR TWO'
lit the hortte.’ Ire \.r\\ \\ hen Iahtitz‘ lat‘.t\ \‘I\I\'I\ at Harrota he \~.rr‘.ce\ when he Ilc‘.:l\ thners \.r\ 'I \\.tllI alhonthgas. I \\attt caiatnares' It \lrotrltl he ahottt the laI‘Ie. he ll‘.\l\I\
\ttch l\ I;'g_\\ lll\l\Ic‘ltc\' that the IIIIIIIl.lc_\ ot sharing tootI rs aItttost a prerequisite tor rntrtnact In other oats. the \aIentrneK ntenrr at I;'g\ rs \trtrcttrretI lll such a \.\.:_\ that the onl\ \talteh antI desserts a\.tlIaI‘Ie are to: \Il.tllll‘.' 'Ihex go in the rnrtItIIc ol the tahIef he c\t‘Iattt\ ‘( 'otrplex Il.t\t‘ Ill _‘..‘L'I cIHM'l It‘ c‘.tI '11 II tlIMt lllc‘.tl‘.\ \\Itt‘ll the} I\l\\ .ttter’\\artI\ theyll ha\e the same lIa\our on then IrpV
Ihcn there\ the contept ot the hr:~
I.tI‘It' (iusto. the new incarnation ol I \t I \t I \t on (ieorge \treet ill I thnhurgh. openetI lI\ tIoor\ rn \ttxc'rrttit‘r Still" It‘s \trII Italian. it‘s still arming at a \rrnrlar autlreuce .IIItI it‘s \llII part ot the I.r\rng \enturex porttolro. rust urth a gootl t\\t\t ol upmarket. llst celrtttr§ sole \ItaIa'It rn Right at the heart ol the restaurant is their \on arnrci' tahIc. a \ItghtI_\ I.II\k'tI. ten metre long rnarhle toppetI tahIe \\rtIt seating tor arountI Ill “('on amrcr' ttleatt\ ‘\\.rth lrrentlx' anti \‘.ItlIt' lI.\ popular tor a large group hooking. llt e\er\tla\ use it cart end up tneanrng '\\rth strangerx' "It‘s the tahIe that goes the restaurant lI\ atnrmplrere antI \ihc.' \.r}\ .t\\l\l.ttlt generaI manager I\e\rn Smith. a\ he e\plarn\ the rntrrtaeies ot lrttrng \arrou\ groups ol too or three .IIl‘IIIItI the tahle ‘.\ot newline rs keen on it at trrstf \rnrth indicates. 'hut there‘s somethrng ahout the \\.t_\ the tahIe \xorch \\hrch makes it more rritrrrrato \ct. eating con arnrcr \Iroulthrt he that lar lronr our tIining c'ttlt\c'ltltt\llt‘\\ In the tlttIlIxt‘I_‘. e\ettl \xe ha\en't encounter'etI a common tahle \then tra\c|Irng III the tontrnent. schools and \xor‘kaace\ cornrnon|_\ Ita\e canteen catering \\ ith long tahIe\ antI henchex. Iherek no tIouht It encourages comersatron. chance encounters and men a hit ol lIrrting I\’cgtlI.tt\ at (ilasgouk \\agarnarna oltcn cite lI\ Iong tahIc\ .:\ one ol the thaws ol the place. the oh\ ltttl\ \rrnphcrt} ol the concept enhancing the \\IltlIt‘\tlltlt‘lte\\ ol the lootl .IIItI the pIea\tttc ol eating it. \e‘xrer than an e\ening arnong llttttlell lIouncrng \‘.;tltct\ antI ('hr'is tIe Burgh on loop.’ \otfle got to hope at.