STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE
Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, drinks, a full-on sesh or just a quick one after work:
with around 140 new bars, restaurants and cafés opening in Glasgow and Edinburgh this year, it can be
hard to decide where to spend your hard-earned.
But fear not, the 22nd edition of
The List Eating and Drinking Guide hits the shops on Wednesday 22 April. As a wee sneak preview, Jo Laidlaw brings us a round-up of what’s hot and
what’s, well, not.
EATING & DRINKING GUIDE WHAT’S HOT
P H O T O © C A T L N C O O K E
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M exican food is having a long overdue makeover in Edinburgh. El Cartel pops up regularly around town, Bodega focuses on fresh l avours, while old faithful The Basement’s reboot sees guacamole prepared at the table and a cracking i sh taco too. Glasgow’s thriving vegan scene is going from strength to strength, with bar / restaurant Mono proving vegan food goes just i ne with a side of beer and live music. In fact, food with a conscience is a growing trend. The admirable Social Bite has caught the eye of a certain Mr Clooney, thanks to their policy of employing staff who were formerly homeless. And buying an excellent tifi n from Glasgow’s Babu Bombay equals a donation to a street child in India. Small plates are everywhere. Everywhere. From Indian mix and match at VDeep, Hardeep Singh Kohli’s new partnership with The Vintage team, to The Gannet’s genius small-plates-instead-of-pre- theatre concept, we can’t move for saucers. ‘Mon the nibbles.
CHEERS! WHAT’S NOT SO HOT
W hat’s that? You’d like to raise a glass to us? After countless courses and considerable cocktails, we’ll stick to the peppermint tea, but you feel free to go ahead. And we’re guessing you’ll be on the gin: king of the back bar and dei nitely having a moment. Who’s complaining? Not us. Not at all. Not even when it takes half an hour to order one because the barperson has to read out a gin list as long as their arm. Speaking of lists, our love for craft beer is still strong, but perhaps – just perhaps – it’s starting to take itself a teeny bit too seriously. See also beer lists, beer l ights, speciality beer glasses and other beer brouhaha.
If you’re sticking to softs, cheers all round as innovative local alternatives to the ubiquitous brands are starting to become the driver’s choice. Look out for names like Cry Baby Soda (pictured) and Roots Soda. Soda (pictured) and Roots Soda.
D id you hear about the guy who went to Glasgow and couldn’t get a burger? Nope. Us neither. Gourmet or dirty, Glasgow’s now positively saturated with burgers, so the focus naturally turns to Edinburgh. Canny operators Burger Meats Bun have packed up their patties and opened a new branch, while Burger also has two shiny branches in the city. All’s not lost though – things get interesting when the burger vibe encompasses ‘dude food’, as seen in Edinburgh newcomers Reekie’s Smokehouse and Spit/Fire. Tempting though it may be to blame the burger brigade for the seemingly inexorable move to plate-free dining, it’s not all their bad. The team reported food on slates, boards, wee tins, paper wrapping, and rocks – yes, rocks – while a cocktail is clearly not a cocktail unless it comes in a jam jar. Help us out readers. Check out @WeWantPlates on Twitter, join the revolution and pray rumours that Edinburgh’s about to see an opening where plates and cutlery are banned from the premises are unfounded.
2 Apr–4 Jun 2015 THE LIST 55