An affordable restaurant in a handy New Town location, where the menu focuses on traditional cooking from around the British Isles, filtered through a contemporary sensibility. You could gather as much from the décor: essentially simple, featuring white walls and wooden furniture, but with additional neo-baroque touches. The main room with the bar – overlooking Hanover Street – is dominated by an enormous portrait of a dog, for example, and is the room to aim for when dining.
There are two menus: day for lunch and weekend afternoons, dinner for evenings, both priced accordingly. The former offers modest, lunchtime-sized dishes around the £4-£6 range: choices like mussels in spicy tomato sauce; pulled pork bun with pickled red onion and baby gem; or fish and chips with mushy peas. Sides from the day menu weigh in around £2 each – chips, coleslaw, salad and more – while desserts are £3-£4 and might include fruit crumble, coconut rice pudding with apricot jam and other crowd pleasers.
Run by one of the city’s most experienced and commendable restaurateurs, this venue succeeds by offering good service, economical dining and more than a hint of theatre.