For more food and drink visit www.list.co.uk/food-and-drink
fast food joints offer reheated pre-cooked plastic- packaged gunk, Jack’s offers freshly made, tasty fare that clearly demonstrates the owners’ belief that the food is just as important as the fast – even the salsa and guacamole are made fresh in-house every day. The place is decorated minimally to the point of starkness, but can’t be beaten for attentive and genuine service.
CHEZ JULES 109 Hanover Street, New Town, 0131 226 6990, £13 lunch/dinner Originally a cheaper and more cheerful version (if such a thing was possible) of Pierre Victoire that disappeared when the chain crumbled in the late-
1990s, Chez Jules has made a comeback engineered by old muckers Pierre Levicky of Chez Pierre and Mark Lawrence of Iris. The back-to- basics menu is one-page long with a simple line-up of classics such as French onion soup, tartiflette, poulet fermier and steaks garnis, all at decade old prices.
Full independent write-ups on all the restaurants listed here can be found on our online Eating & Drinking Guide, list.co.uk/food-and-drink. Prices shown are for an average two- course meal for one.
SIDE DISHES
At the dawn of 2010, here are five trends we suggest will be muscling their way into our culinary consciousness over the next year. ■ The new vegetarianism Nigel Slater Tender and Simon Hopkinson The Vegetarian Option made the Christmas bestseller lists with books giving much more respect to vegetables. It’s not about going completely veggie, but eating less meat, of better quality.
■ Foraging As we eat more fruit and vegetables, we’re more interested in their provenance – and wild food offers a rugged glamour. Foraged food has begun to appear on restaurant menus, but there will be plenty more. ■ Sustainable fish Customers are quite rightly asking questions about fish sourcing, and some chefs are prepared to try to do it properly.
■ Beer lists The big brewers have been punting beer as a food-friendly drink for quite a while, but its the small local breweries with their distinctive ranges and whisky barrel aged beers who are offering a more intriguing choice of ales to suit food. ■ Picnics Given that you can now put together a very fine bag of Scottish produce in many delis, farm shops and farmers’ markets, and given Scotland’s splendid outdoors, a proper picnic can be the finest meal on earth.
The Little Madness - can be enjoyed at 2 locations in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town. Wherever you choose to dine, both restaurants continue to provide delicious traditional French cuisine.
61 Frederick Street, Edinburgh t: 0131 225 7983 Tudor House, 9 Randolph Place, Edinburgh
t: 0131 225 8678 Lunch 12pm-3pm Dinner 6pm-11pm
At the Tudor House there is a separate wine bar area serving light lunches daily or treat yourself to a charcuterie and cheeseboard and a bottle of wine.
Tudor House, 9 Randolph Place, Edinburgh t: 0131 538 1815
The Stockbridge Tap Raeburn Place Tel: 0131 343 3000 Located a short walk from the city centre & Water of Leith - a friendly, welcoming and traditionally styled bar. Wide range of cask conditioned ales, bottled beers, wines, spirits & over 100 single malt whiskies on offer. Award winning food served every day - now taking bookings for Christmas menu – 2 courses £12.95 / 3 courses £15.95.
Opening times: 12pm (12.30pm Sunday) to midnight (1am Friday and Saturday)
7–21 Jan 2010 THE LIST 11