You may have noticed I have not blogged for over a year now. Way before we even knew of Coronavirus, I was finding it more difficult to fit in completing blog posts alongside the day job. With the events over the past year, the restaurant industry has struggled. Some have been able to turn their hand to dine at home experiences, but some have had to stay closed. So even if I did continue blogging, it would not be the same experience as before. That being said, I still love eating out where I can (and when I can, restrictions permitting) and I will continue with the Instagram account. I will pr ..read more

13th August 2019 5.30pm https://umiedinburgh.com/ Umi can be found nestled in the heart of Stockbridge. Sister restaurant to both Kenji Sushi and Bentoya, Umi is the youngest of the trio but already strong in its following. They aim to offer high quality, authentic food at an affordable price. Food – 9/10 We ate: Chicken and vegetable gyoza Aubergine goma Tuna maki Avocado maki Tokyo roll Chashu don Diet coke Glass of white wine The menu here is extensive and we really had to stop ourselves from over-ordering as there was such great choice and the menu layout made it all look so appetising. Sa ..read more

26th April 2019 7.30pm www.restorationyard.com Dalkeith Country Park is a lovely place. I am ashamed to say I had not visited since its refurbishment a few years back. There’s a new chef on the block in the form of Colin Halliday, who has previously worked at the likes of The Caledonian and Gleneagles. The café opens up in the evening on the last Friday of each month for a steak night, which is what we went to sample. Don’t worry if you are not a steak fan, as there are alternatives if you prefer. Food – 9/10 What we ate: Pork belly Smoked haddock fishcake Fillet steak Rib-eye steak ..read more

15th March 2019 7.30pm www.dusit.co.uk Food – 9/10 We ate: • Thung Kam Phoy – Moneybags • Ped Chom Yong – Pretty duck • Chicken massaman curry • Chicken panang curry • Sticky rice x2 • One glass of wine The duck salad was exquisite. The meat itself was tender and succulent. The sweet chilli sauce dressing on the salad was not too sweet and worked well with the surprise of the dish, mango. I really was unsure whether mango would work but I loved it. The onions have added zing and the cashew nuts brought the texture. Across the table, the moneybags looks really cute. Four adorned the plate ..read more

6th March 2019 6pm www.brewdog.com/bars/uk/brewdog-lothian-road/ Food – 8/10 We ate: • Bang bang chicken burger (special) • Jackpot burger • Fries x 2 • Beer • Diet coke Bang bang chicken burger – Brewdog The bang bang chicken burger was excellent. It was quite stacked, with a deep fried chicken thigh, hot sauce, lettuce and sriracha mayo. A light slaw sat on top. The flavours danced on the taste buds and was a delight to eat. The mayo really worked well in pulling all the ingredients together. Somehow it almost felt like a healthy burger (I can kid myself!) The fries were a little limp t ..read more

12th February 2019 5.30pm la-casa-restaurant.co.uk Food – 8/10 We ate: • Bruschetta • Pulpo • Gambas pil pil • Croquettas de Serrano • Calamari (x2) • Halloumi (x2) • Loukanika (x2) • Churros • Cake • 1 large glass of wine The menu here had lots of choice and it took us a fair bit of deliberation before deciding what to have. La Casa offers a mix Mediterranean dishes, with Spanish and Greek being most prevalent. As usual with tapas, the plates came out when ready, although we were a little surprised that the bruschetta was the last thing to arrive. Pulpo – La Casa The best dish for ..read more

As we conclude our fourth year at Edinburgh Feasts, we take a look back on what this year has uncovered. We have reviewed 54 restaurants in 2018, 8 of which have gone into our highest scoring reviews. Here are some of the highlights. Favourite Restaurants There have been some great new kids on the block this year. Whilst we could write quite an extensive list, here are some of the highlights (click the headings to read the full review): Mono We have fallen in love with Mono and have now visited multiple times this year. We first went for the tasting menu but have also been back for the lovely ..read more

20th August 2018 6pm www.winehouse1821.co.uk After attending the opening launch for the Wine House 1821, we went back to spend a little time trying the food and drinks properly as well as having a little nosy around the place. Situated on Picardy Place, this venue has a beautiful frontage, even on the grey day we visited. Inside, it manages to avoid a pretentious feel by using wood to soften the surroundings in the main bar area. We took a seat and looked and the food and drinks menus. I can’t drink wine sadly, but my friend definitely could and decided on red but asked for advice based on the ..read more

4th August 2018 8.30pm www.makimaki-restaurant.co.uk In the middle of festival madness, we decided to pop into newly opened Maki and Ramen on Leith Street on the way home from a show. Part of the growing Edinburgh Maki and Ramen empire, it became clear on the inside that the branding meant that this was actually Ramen and Ramen, with only a smattering of maki on the menu. We were happy with that though and I opted for the beef tataki ramen and my friend chose the tonkotsu ramen. We ordered some vegetable gyoza on the side. Beef Tataki Ramen – Maki and Ramen We waited a fair while for the food ..read more

3rd August 2018 1.30pm www.lochfyneseafoodandgrill.co.uk/locations/edinburgh I’ll be honest, we had been intending to try the Fishmarket at Newhaven but it was full, so we toddled along to Loch Fyne. It’s a light and airy venue with some lovely views. They offer a really reasonably priced lunch menu, which we decided to give a shot. We were advised that mussels were off the menu as they were not at their best at the moment (then why are they on the menu, I wonder?). Anyway, I opted for the sardines to start followed by the steak – with a supplement – for my main. My friends chose both the sard ..read more