Bistro capitalises on its shoreside location

A Room in Leith A Room in Leith is a Scottish bistro set in the popular shore area of Edinburgh. The restaurant is located on the site of the former Skipper’s Bistro and is the perfect place to enjoy great quality food that is made from only the best fresh local ingredients, with a particular…

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Biffy Clyro to release acoustic album

Ayrshire band Biffy Clyro have released details of their first acoustic album ahead of their unplugged tour later this year. Following in the footsteps of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and REM, Biffy recorded MTV Unplugged: Live at Roundhouse London on 8 November last year and the album will go on sale on 25 May. It features…

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These wines will make you take a second look at Romania

In the first of two articles about Romania, Peter Ranscombe reveals why the Eastern European nation is the wine world’s secret weapon when it comes to producing popular varieties. EVER had a wine from Romania? No? Are you sure…? In fact, many of us may have been drinking Romanian wines for years and have never…

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Expert Jackie will share her views at conference

An Edinburgh cosmetic nurse will inject her views on an increasingly hot topic as she takes to the stage at the leading event for aesthetic professionals in the UK. Jackie Partridge, who co-founded Edinburgh’s Dermal Clinic in 2007 with husband Jarrod, is set to appear at the Aesthetics Conference & Exhibition (ACE) in London this…

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El Quijote perfectly captures a little slice of Spain

El Quijote El Quijote was established eight years ago by a bunch of Spanish pals who moved to Edinburgh in 2003. This fantastic little tapas restaurant strives for authenticity, so there’s no paella, tortilla or Spanglish flourishes, just the sort of dishes you’d find down a backstreet in Andalucia, with a huge accent on the…

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Authentic tapas are a hit with Spanish community

Lasal This very cheap, relentlessly cheerful and authentic little tapas restaurant is very popular with Edinburgh’s Spanish community and well worth a visit. It shares space with a flamenco school, so you’ll sometimes have a soundtrack, but this is everything you’d want in a neighbourhood restaurant: friendly, convivial, affordable. The paella, served at the table…

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Concern as butterfly numbers drop in survey

Two declining butterflies suffered their worst year on record in 2017 after hopes of a butterfly revival were dashed by a chilly snap in spring and a gloomy, wet summer, a study has revealed. Grayling and Grizzled Skipper recorded their lowest numbers since records began as difficult weather conditions caused problems for some of the…

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Tasty options and a good atmosphere make Tapa a hit

Tapa This Leith eatery in a converted warehouse tucked away just off The Shore in Leith is where we often go as a family for a lazy Sunday lunch with friends. It’s relaxed, child-friendly, able to cope with big groups and there’s always space. The £15 set lunch is good, but we like the costillas,…

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There’s far more than meats the eye at Fazenda

Fazenda ‘Would sir like some more meat with your mountain of meat? Or perhaps I could instead interest you in a tsunami of steak?’ Except for a steakhouse in New Zealand’s art deco capital, Napier, where I unwisely took on their gut-buster challenge back in 1990 and ate a pizza-sized 90oz steak (I was ill…

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Blindfolded driver will do a lap of Knockhill for charity

A former motorsport driver who has lost his sight is set for a lap of glory – by driving blindfolded around Knockhill’s race circuit for charity. John, an avid motor sportsman, has recently lost his sight to such an extent that he can no longer legally drive. It affects him every day, not least as…

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