Reviews
No disappointment with seafood at The Fishmarket
I’ve seen a few whoppers in my life, but The Fishmarket was the biggest ever. It was described as simply ‘Fruits of the Sea, a selection of today’s fresh seafood served over ice’, but when our seafood platter starter (£54) arrived, it turned out to be a groaning trencher filled with ice and topped with…
Read MoreThe Bridge Inn offers great food and scenic views
This wonderful canal-side pub is one of my favourite venues for a gastronomic trip out of Edinburgh. If you’re in the capital and are feeling particularly energetic, you can cycle there from Fountainbridge down the towpath. Reserve a table overlooking the water and get stuck into the cullen skink and peerless fish and chips, or…
Read MoreThe Urban Fox has great food and a relaxed ambiance
Located near Summerhall and the Meadows, this laid-back eatery offers flavours from around the globe and some nice veggie options. Scottish mussels; beetroot and coriander falafel; and salt and pepper squid are some of the starters on offer or you can try a selection as a sharing platter, with three priced at £12 and five…
Read MoreThe fantastic four power on in Rura’s new album
Four go on alone in Rura’s third album which, for the first time, is a wholly instrumental recording following the departure of singer Adam Holmes at the end of 2016. It is a testament to the confidence the remaining band members have in their own musical ability to defer seeking a new vocalist either from…
Read MoreRandom Treasure: Antiques, Auctions and Alchemy
In Random Treasure, Edinburgh antiques collector Roger Stewart reflects upon six decades of auction success. An essential read for anyone who wishes to go into this field, Stewart offers a tell-all on how he capitalises on forgotten charity shop goods, turning £1500 worth of so-called junk into £250,000 worth of profit. The book also offers…
Read MoreA delicious taste of the Orient in Leith
If you are in dire need of some deliciously fluffy pulled pork bao buns and quirkily named cocktails (my favourite being ‘Obi-Wan Negroni’), then Miss Woo’s in Leith is for you. So what did we have to eat? What didn’t we eat is more like it… The Japanese ramen, spicy Korean wings and succulent dumplings…
Read MoreEvery small market town needs a no-nonsense eaterie
I’ve always had something of a soft spot for Biggar, a town I used to drive through a couple of times most weeks en route from Thornhill to Edinburgh. It was the sort of place where you could always get a decent bacon sandwich, a pie at Gibson’s the bakers, something vaguely healthy at the…
Read MoreLocal food and drink is a winner at the Plockton Inn
I was on a recent journey to visit the eight miles of the Munro-rich Glen Shiel in Wester Ross, a glen which as well as the Five Sisters of Kintail contains a further eleven munros, the highest concentration of peaks over 3,000ft in Scotland. As many city-based walkers tend to leave early and drive the…
Read MoreBook review – The Ghost of Helen Addison
What’s the story? Leo Moran isn’t your average private detective. His most pressing day-to-day activities usually involve deciding what vintage of wine to pair with the finest organic steak, but at times he has more unsettling concerns: visions of violent crimes. After the ritualistic murder of a young woman in Argyll Leo decides to help…
Read MoreMake sure you book ahead if you want to dine here
Malvarosa Malvarosa has a hugely loyal local following. There are some off-piste tapas options, but the menu is dominated by the usual suspects (boquerones, patas bravas etc), with its paella the pick of the mix. The £17 party menu is particularly popular with regulars. The only downside is that its popularity with locals means you…
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