FOOD & DRINK SUPPORTED BY
RECENT OPENINGS
NORTH AND SOUTH What happens when the regional boundaries of Italian cooking are broken down? Rachael Cloughton ventures up Slateford Road to find out
T hey say good things come in threes and that’s certainly the case for Locanda de Gusti and Pizzeria 1926 owner Rosario Sartore. His third Italian restaurant, Nero a Metà, opened in February on Slateford Road opposite the Caledonian Brewery, a part of town rather under-served for decent restaurants. It’s small and laid-back, with a homely atmosphere and waiters who greet diners like friends, and while Sartore may be building an empire (wee deli Fiocchi Di Neve also opened earlier this year), there isn’t the slightest whiff of a chain. The menu is a mix of northern Italian and southern Sardinian dishes – many from chef Guiseppe Magrone’s own family. Specialities include orecchiette served with a sumptuous Scottish shin beef ragù and the house take on lasagne: bitter friarielli, oyster mushrooms and smoky provola served on top of pasta sheets in a deconstructed style. The menu reflects what’s in season but expect traditional Sardinian dishes like calves’ liver marinated in Ichnusa beer, cured slices of wild boar and slow-cooked tripe served with borlotti beans and guanciale; in other words, expect the unexpected.
NERO A META 39–41 Slateford Road, West End, EH11 1PR
0131 337 0326, neroameta.co.uk £22 (lunch/dinner)
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.
CATCH CHIPPY RESTAURANT
27 Gibson Street, West End, 0141 370 8181, catchfishandchips.co.uk, £22 (lunch/dinner)
Glasgow
MESA CAFES
567 Duke Street, East End, instagram.com/mesa_ glasgow, £13 (lunch) A co-venture between one of Café Strange Brew’s chefs, Andrea Bartolini, and owner Laurie MacMillan, Mesa isn’t simply Strange Brew 2. There’s a more chilled demeanour and an entirely different menu – but the same canny combo of pretty plates with a bit of rock’n’roll attitude is definitely on show. The east end (of the Med) is the dominant culinary influence, with a salty lamb shakshuka in a skillet, or pancakes with poached pear and a remarkably floral Middle Eastern panacotta called ‘malabi’, all under honey-sweet dukkah. The space is small and dynamic, as is the menu, which embraces both seasonality and locality. A welcome addition to the neighbourhood.
THE BELL JAR BARS & PUBS
Much attention is paid to the maritime-themed decor at this sit-down chippy par excellence – Catch’s third branch, their first in the West End. The menu covers globe-trotting starters and platters, tacos, plancha-cooked lobster and
fish, chippy classics, buns and more. Most starters are shareable, such as salt and chilli squid or Scotch egg with Dingwall black pudding. Less shareable is the vegetable and tofu tempura taco – a delicious, vegan mess. The main event is battered fish and chips, whether haddock, cod, sole goujons or langoustine tails. Light and crispy batter is nigh-on faultless, encasing moist flakes of super-fresh North Sea haddock.
Edinburgh
LOUDONS CAFES
21 Dixon Avenue, Southside, 0141 423 3989, fb.com/thebelljarglasgow, £16 (lunch/dinner) From the guys behind the immensely popular Sparkle Horse, the Bell Jar pulls off the same marvellous alchemy of feeling like it’s not doing much while actually doing everything really rather well. There’s the same black exterior and spartan setup, with coolness coming from the punters themselves. The rear is kept for diners and the concise menu treads the small plates path with confident, unfussy steps – peat-smoked haddock with potatoes is both hearty and delicate, while beef and ’nduja meatballs are satisfyingly misshapen and spicy. The whole operation is well thought-out, feeling like a traditional boozer as well as a place to go for dinner.
2 Sibbald Walk, Old Town, 0131 556 7734, loudons. co.uk, £15 (lunch) The second branch of the ever-popular Loudons mirrors the original’s friendly, relaxed atmosphere and cheerful ability to deal with almost any dietary requirement you can throw at them. Brunch is a highlight, with spinach and goat’s cheese eggs Benedict, drizzled with fresh pesto rather than hollandaise, fragrantly balancing a palette of distinctive flavours. A dip into the lunch menu also
rewards, with a garlic lamb burger blending mint yoghurt and cumin-spiced lamb. The counter showcases gorgeous cakes, but American-style pancakes also make a great dessert option, accompanied by caramelised baked bananas and a jug of maple syrup.
THE HIGH DIVE BARS & PUBS
81–85 St Leonards Street, Southside, 0131 220 0851, civerinosthehighdive.com, £12 (lunch/dinner) The High Dive is the latest addition to the all-conquering Civerinos pizza empire. Expect the same familiarly, funky New York diner-style décor and the same great- value, authentic pizzas, all wrapped up in what’s already shaping up to be a popular, lively local bar. There are nine pizzas on offer with side orders of fries or salad, but save room for hot doughnuts. Wash it down with beer, cider or decent organic wine while you enjoy the buzzing atmosphere. Or come during the day for free filter coffee and WiFi alongside a breakfast of Bross bagels, granola, or a bacon sandwich in pizza dough. Yum.
COLD TOWN HOUSE BARS & PUBS
4 Grassmarket, Old Town, 0131 357 2865, coldtownhouse.co.uk, £17.50 (lunch/dinner) No expense has been spared at this brewhouse, prosecco and pizza bar housed in a cavernous former church, whose shabby chic interior features a ground-floor firepit. The fun, Italian-leaning menu includes wood-fired pizzas named after Edinburgh neighbourhoods, while the lively brewhouse and its changing tap list should become one of the Old Town’s more popular places at weekends. Add in a patch of prime outdoor seating below Edinburgh Castle and it’ll be a minor miracle to get a seat among the church’s new congregation – sun worshippers with a taste for beer and no-nonsense pub grub.
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 60 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2019