five-star accommodation (Fraser Suites), and locally sourced, seasonal produce is prepared with some aplomb and with big flavours to the fore: ham hough and pig’s cheek terrine, for example, or rump of Perthshire lamb rolled in cumin rock salt with pink grapefruit and coriander jus.
Rice Terraces 93 St Leonard’s Street, 0131 629 9877, www.rice-terraces.com, £10 (lunch/dinner) Rice Terraces brings another global cuisine to the Edinburgh dining scene: Filipino. Named after the 2000-year-old Banaue Rice Terraces, one of the islands’ principal attractions, the restaurant showcases a cuisine that draws its influence from both its geographical neighbours (China, Malaysia) and its colonial heritage (Spain, US). Lots of exotic fruit and vegetables feature, as does seafood and offal alongside soups and noodle or rice-based dishes.
Club India 105-109 Lothian Road, West End, 0131 229 7747, www.club-india.com, £9.95 (set lunch) / £19 (dinner) Smack in the midst of Lothian Road a creative, good value new Indian venue has arrived to challenge expectations. The man with the vision is Khalil Mamsoori, whose years of experience of Edinburgh Indian food stretch back decades with Shamiana and Saffrani. King prawns, tandooried or curried, and the sogati, marinated halibut gently encased in tender spinach leaves, are prepared with a master hand, enhanced rather than engulfed by delicate sauces and spices.
For more food and drink visit www.list.co.uk/food-and-drink
SIDE DISHES Wild about food
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Ooud Kitchen 138 Bruntsfield Place, 0131 228 8265, www.ooudkitchen.com, £10.50 (lunch/dinner) Inspired by owner Mohammed Aboleyah’s Palestinian roots and the culture and food of the Levant, Ooud Kitchen has the potential to be brilliant. The food is simple, authentic and delicious: think flatbreads (safeea) spread with grilled vegetable salsa and loaded with toppings; or generous mezze with lamb kofta and sensational falafel. Much, including the flatbread, is made on the premises, and they have a sophisticated range of teas, Artisan Roast coffee and some lovely baklava pastries.
Following the publication of our Eating & Drinking Guide (available in shops now, price £5.95) independent write-ups on all the restaurants worth knowing about in Glasgow and Edinburgh will be available online at list.co.uk/food-and- drink, from mid May. Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for one.
■ How times change. That person in white furtively rustling around the undergrowth beside the cycle path isn't necessarily an escapee from the asylum. It might be a chef gathering wild herbs. We've been noticing a lot more wild garlic, or ground elder, or samphire taking their place in seasonal menus. To emphasise it, a number of local restaurants are doing wild food events -- among them Tattie Macs, who have a Wild Food Gourmet night on Thu 20 May (0141 337 2282, www.tattiemacs.co.uk) and Cail Bruaich at Quarriers Village by Bridge of Weir who have a foraging trip, with lunch, on Sat 29 May (01505 610956, www.cailbruich.co.uk). If you fancy giving wild food gathering a go yourself, both urban and rural trips are organised by Forage Rangers (www.foragerangers.com) for just £20 per head.
Casual gourmet food, a great bar, outside dining, contemporary décor and a smile.
0131 622 8163 www.bisquebar.com 69 Bruntsfield Place. Edinburgh
13–27 May 2010 THE LIST 11