FOOD & DRINK
RECENT OPENINGS
The best of the new restaurant, café and bar openings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for one.
Glasgow
BABU BOMBAY STREET KITCHEN INDIAN 186 West Regent Street, City Centre, G2 4RU, 0141 204 4042, babu-kitchen.com, £7 (lunch) After turning heads with their small-scale tifi n service, Babu Bombay Street Kitchen’s new place, a chai and roti shop, offers some top Indian snacks: proper, fresh, i ery, praise-the-heavens types. There are also sandwiches and wraps using chapatis, puris, rotis, plus rice pots with curry or daily dhal. And real chai in a huge teapot. Top of the pile is the dhokla sandwich, a striped tray bake with layers of idli and gram l our bread while the accompanying green chilli and coriander chutney alone will bring customers l ocking.
PLUM TREE CAFÉS 6 Wilson Street, Merchant City, G1 1SS, 0141 552 6980, theplumtree.uk.com, £12 (lunch/ dinner) With the recent closure of Heart Buchanan, the
loss of Berits & Brown feels like another trailblazer gone. However, with quick consolation, it has minimally morphed into Plum Tree. It may not feel new anymore
SUPPORTED BY
GOOD CORNERING A handy site with friendly neighbours in the university precincts feels like a comfortable fit for new Edinburgh arrival Sylvesters, as Donald Reid discovers
W ith neighbours such as the Mosque Kitchen, Red Box Noodle Bar, the Pear Tree’s famous beer garden and up-coming Scottish restaurant Field, West Nicolson Street offers as eclectic a bunch of eating spots as anywhere in town. Quite right for a place right beside Edinburgh University and, come August, the beating heart of the Festival Fringe.
Kieran and Nicola Sylvester have opened their eponymous bistro in these lively yet comfortable environs on the corner site of the former Pink Olive, serving easily accessible, attractively presented food with a wide appeal to everyone from those looking for a better class of lunchtime sandwich to mum-and-dad-pleasing graduation meals. Having taken inspiration from early experience working under Neil Forbes at the Atrium, Kieran cooked in various café-bistros around the capital before setting up this first solo venture with family support. A mellow tone prevails in the unelaborate dining room, allowing colour and zest to arrive on the plate in dishes such as haggis and mushroom bonbons with a spicy-sweet chilli and ginger jam or pearly cod wrapped in Parma ham with red pepper velouté and green beans.
SYLVESTERS
55–57 West Nicolson Street, Southside, EH8 9DB, 0131 662 4493, sylvestersedinburgh.co.uk
Ave. price two-course meal: £8 (lunch) / £16 (dinner)
with deli-café-bistros having multiplied since Berits i rst opened, but this quality spot on a nice corner would be a big loss if demised. Food comprises dependable sandwiches, deli platters, tarts, burgers, coffee and cake. Craft beers, various deli/shop items and a turntable with BYOV add to the appeal.
SWING BARS & PUBS 183a Hope Street, City Centre, G2 2UL, 0141 332 2147, swingltd.co.uk, £11 (cocktail and snack) Descending the stairs into this basement split- level bar is like stepping back in time to the 1920s jazz scene. A hostess leads customers to small cabaret-style tables, while a stage area features jazz singers, dancers and performance artists. The Art Deco period detail is impressive although the cocktail menu lacks the same fastidiousness with no brand information. The list is limited, but bar staff are happy to go off-menu. There are basic bar snacks, but where Swing stands out is with its unique entertainment offering.
Edinburgh COPPER BIRD CAFE CAFES
129 Morrison Street, West End, EH3 8AJ, 07746 942830, copperbird.co.uk, £5.50 (lunch) Having left a career in accountancy to start up her own successful luxury cupcake business, Edel Porter has now opened up this neat, charming wee café. Those same cupcakes, now crafted in this professional kitchen rather than at home, might be a major draw, but they share the stage with another highlight, the tasty slow-cooked pulled meat wraps (sourced from Stockbridge butcher George Bower). There’s also a range of fresh focaccia sandwiches and Matthew Algie coffee.
URBAN WEST COFFEE HOUSE CAFES
33 William Street, West End, EH3 7NH, 0131 225 8584, facebook.com/UrbanWestCoffeeHouse, £5 (lunch) After selling his successful Home restaurant in 2012, chef Richard Logan has embarked on a new venture, taking over the former KGs. The titular coffee is a rich, enjoyable blend by Coffee Express and breads are supplied by local baker Breadwinner. Freshly made quiches, frittatas and salad boxes, complemented by a daily choice of two soups and a hot dish, means a bit more quality than the average takeaway lunch offering. And for anyone still hankering after Home comforts, they do outside catering too.
ANGELS SHARE BARS & PUBS 9–11 Hope Street, West End, EH2 4EL, 0131 247 7000, angelsharehotel.com, £17 (lunch/dinner) Replacing the Hudson Hotel, this is Le Monde owner Billy Lowe’s latest project. The layout remains similar, although the interior is slicker – think industrial boudoir – with portraits of famous Scots such as Sean Connery, Ewan McGregor and, erm, Tiffany Mulheron adorning the walls. Bar food standards (also with a Caledonian inl uence) predominate, alongside some more interesting dishes like trio of herring and macaroni cheese and salt beef pot. There’s also a ‘secret’ late-night speakeasy – the Devil’s Cut – in the basement.
Independent write-ups on all the restaurants worth knowing about in Glasgow and Edinburgh are available on our online Eating & Drinking Guide at list.co.uk/food-and-drink 40 THE LIST 13 Jun–11 Jul 2013