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Sweethearts
We sought out Valentine's offerings from six small-scale chocolate makers based in Scotland
SideDishes
Grab it, cook it. eat it
Cocoa Mountain
Balrralreil Craft Village, [)urness, Sutherland, .'."//W.COC{){il'lfltl/liH/li. couk, 07977 57 7233
‘Summit Collection’ £19.50 The packaging has a recycled feel. Classic dusky textured truffle balls sprinkled With icing Sugar like snow— topped Highland mountains. Mix of white and milk chocolate, Turkish delight and dark chocolate truffles With alcoholic aftertaste,
Top tip Heavy on chocolater crumbs.
so not ideal for leaVing on the pillow. III
Plalslr du Chocolat
48 Thistle Street, Edinburgh, 0737 225 93% )f 7, WWW. plaisirduchoco/at. com. Box of six white chocolate hearts £4.85
Not JUSi hearts but bleeding hearts. which is only off-putting until you put them in yOur mouth. A crack of sweet white chocolate and y0u're into the luscious interior of aromatic. velvety truffle. Welcome back. Edinburgh's favourite chocolatier.
Top tip Try not to buy the whole shop
m ‘5'»... Kshocolat Available at www.kshocolat.co.ul< and in Harvey Nichols and John Lewrs.
Box of ten Pink Champagne Truffles £4.99
Generally Kschocolat's packaging is superb. though these look a bit dreary. Until you eat them. They look a little like corner-shop strawberry bonbons, but the firm yet delicate chocolate shell masks some lusoous, fruity trufer inside.
Top tip Don’t serve them to yOur loved one in the packaging.
5
Spanish Hot Chocolate:
Hot Chocolates, 25 7-253 Canongate, Edinburgh, 07 37 477 9902,
www. hotchoco/ates. 072
4009 Sac Theme 70% dark chocolate drops £6.50
Why not make your loved one a silky smooth hot chocolate in the Spanish style, mixing a little cornflour into hot milk and then dropping in a handful of these deep flavoured choc drops. Top tlp Don't nibble through the whole packet before you get round to
Coco of Bruntsfleld
774 Bruntsfieio Place. Edinburgh. 0737 228 4526.
www. cocochocolate. co. uk
Tattoo Love collection £8.50 The 1920s tattoo deSigns have a Quirky. retro appeal. although on first glance yoo WOLildn't instantly CiSSUll‘t: that yOu were about to sample chocolates, Solid chocolate - no soft centres here - With a lingering, dusk, aftertaste.
Top tip Off-beat choice if soppy pink hearts and roses make you gag, 000
7
Charlotte Flower Chocolates The Old Schoolhouse, Acharn, Aberfe/dy, Perthshire, 07887 830307. www. Charlotte/lo werchoco/ates. co. uk Box of nine chocolates £7 Stunning looking. shiny dark chocolate laid Out like a tiled marble fIOOr wrth inlaid patterns and gold leaf decoration. The use of seasonal. fresh ingredients rather than essential Oils means subtle flavours such as Seville Orange and rose and cardamom.
Top tip Lapsang Souchong flavour is
I A new deli-grocer in Edinburgh’s West End has a cunning scheme for those who want to eat good, home- cooked food but don’t have time to shop for it. Mel-Bell’s daily Grab-a-Bags are filled with all the key ingredients you’d need for a three—course meal for two, selected from the shop’s range of locally sourced, seasonal and organic meat and veg, together with straightforward cooking instructions. The special St Valentine’s Grab-a-Bag costs £39.95 and features a quail’s egg salad starter, steaks with wild mushrooms and heritage potatoes followed by chilli chocolate cake, all of which can be cooked from scratch within an hour. It even comes with a wine recommendation. Mel-Bell’s, 13 Randolph Place, Edinburgh, 0131 220 2300.
I Many of the country's top restaurants are already booked up for Valentine's but we've phoned around and put together a selection of Our favourite options which still had availability at time of going to press:
Edinburgh
Cafe Royal Oyster Bar 17a West Register Street. (1131 556 4124. Old-fashioned style in a beautiful setting, Wliii seafood galore.
Fourth Floor Restaurant
when yOu go. making the drink. one for ardent drinkers of the tea only Harvey thois' 30-34 31 Andrew 0000. 00000 0000 Square. 0131 524 8350. Samplers Arline» l iii. (‘5. Donald Reid. Mark Robertson and Robert Scrimgeoiir All companies offer online shopping wwwharveynicholsconi Floaty
Passionate Latino
50ml Belvedere Pomarancza 12.5ml Gabriel Boudier creme de peche
12.5ml pomegranate syrup 20ml apple juice
12.5ml lemon juice
1 fresh passion fruit
Method Cut passion fruit in half. scoop out flesh from one half and pulp in Boston shaker With all liquid ingredients. Fill shaker to top With ice. shake vigorously and double strain with Hawthorn and tea strainers into a martini glass. As a garnish float the other half of the passion fruit ontop.
‘We created this about nine months ago and we probably sell 20 a day,’ says Darren Scott, manager at Glasgow cocktail bar Blue Dog. ‘lt’s popular with ladies but really it’s for anyone wanting to try something new. Passion fruit and pomegranates are pretty popular at the moment - I guess people think that by drinking them they’re being healthy, even though they’re in a drink with a couple of shots of alcohol! Quite a few cocktails use passion fruit syrup but for this one we use the fresh fruit. lt’s light, fruity, quite zesty and easy to drink.’ I Blue Dog, 151 West George Street. Glasgow, wwwb/uedogglasgow. com
Views, champagne and oysters. Roti 73 Morrison Street, (1131 221 9998. wwwrotiukcom. On V-Day the chic. sexy new setting should come into its own.
Glasgow
Grill Room at the Square 29 Royal Exchange Square, 0141 225 5615. wvm.29glasgcw.corn Elegant, sophisticated downtown spot With good cocktails too.
He Wong 82 York Street. 041 221 3550. wwwho-wongcom. Engagineg SWlSl’i for a Chinese restaurant, With secluded tables and some fine food.
Guy’s 24 Candleriggs. 0141 552 1 1 14, www.guysrestaurant.co.uk Not classically romantic. but enjoys the personal touch and you'll be well taken care of.
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