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The latest in the Arches ‘takeover expanding to incorporate a wine makeover’ series of pop-up restaurants is Johnny McKnight’s bar at street level serving Franco/ tribute to Madonna’s True Blue Scottish charcuterie and cheese album, released 25 year ago. The as well as some great drinks. On 80s-themed menu is currently Dundas Street, chef Sean Clarke running at the Arches Café Bar has opened The Table, which has and Restaurant in Glasgow, with just ten seats overlooking an open special performance. kitchen where two chefs prepare a seven-course tasting menu each evening. Just down the hill, in the former Appetite Direct, Nova Pizza is, essentially, a small vegetarian Italian kitchen-café and takeaway, and there’s more new pizza on Rose Street, where Dough fires out pizza slices, panini and saltimbocca. A couple of places to look out for around Edinburgh are the emergence of a café and probably more at Checkpoint, a Malcolm Innes project in the former Forest Café premises on Bristo Place, and the Leith Chop House, a ‘bar and butchery’ from the team behind Monteiths, Sygn and the West Room. It plans to open its doors in the former Leith Lynx site at 102 Constitution Street sometime in September.
In Glasgow, the restaurant on the move is Burger Meats Bun. It’ll be doing some itinerant popping-up for a few months while owners Ben Dantzig and James Forrest hunt down larger premises in the city centre. The original venue at 48a West Regent Street has been transformed by the pair into Bó Kantina, which will serve Korean cooking as well as other East-Asian dishes. The Seoul food doesn’t stop there, however, with street fooders Kimchi Cult taking up permanent residence at 14 Chancellor Street off Byres Road, serving bao, burgers, bibimbap and Korean fried chicken.
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It’s not just drinks festivals in Glasgow, but the food celebrations are getting gallus too. Let’s Eat Glasgow, happening at SW3 in Finnieston on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, is a restaurant festival and pop-up market put on by the new Real Food, Real Folk co-operative under the leadership of Colin Clydesdale of Stravaigin (pictured). It sees many of the city’s more progressive
and engaged restaurants and producers serving up plates of food alongside produce stalls, social enterprises, entertainment and even livestock. Then on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, Streat Glasgow comes to the Briggait for another celebration of the city’s energetic street food scene. In Edinburgh’s West End, Fred Berkmiller’s L’Escargot Blanc is
CAPITAL CUISINE
Claire Flynn looks at what the second Edinburgh Restaurant Festival has to offer
A fter a successful debut in 2014, the Edinburgh Restaurant Festival (organised by This Is Edinburgh) will once more take over the city this October, showcasing the diverse range of food available in the capital. Restaurants across Edinburgh will offer hungry customers £15 lunches and £25 dinners (per person for three courses). Eateries taking part include Tower Restaurant, Prestonfield House, Contini Ristorante, No. 8 Lister Square, Kyloe and Cucina.
Launching the festival is Chef’s Table, an event that sees three of Edinburgh’s top chefs work together to create a meal that captures what the capital has to offer. Taking place at the Hub on the Royal Mile, tickets cost £25 and attendees will get the opportunity to speak to the culinary connoisseurs about their creations afterwards. Plenty of other events will take place across the capital during the gastronomical celebration. On 10 Oct, the Grassmarket will transform into a family-friendly foodie haven, providing tasters, demonstrations, classes and early evening music. Eat Walk Edinburgh will return with their food tours, allowing diners to sample i ve tasting plates in some of the city’s i nest restaurants and Harvey Nichols are planning to screen the i lm Chocolat (starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp), accompanied by a three-course meal and themed cocktails.
Plus, the Kiltr Street Feastival will take over St Andrew Square Gardens from 16–18 Oct to close the festival. The pop-up event brings together a hand-picked selection of street food, cultures and styles, with music provided by local DJs.
For more
information about the Edinburgh Restaurant Festival, the set menus and event listings, visit thisisedinburgh. com/edinburghrestaurantfestival and follow @edinburgh and #edrestaurantfest on Twitter for the latest news and updates. ■ Various locations, Thu 8–Sun 18 Oct, times and prices vary.