FRENCH
In association with
Edinburgh tart. A solid French Sauvignon Blanc at under £15 demonstrates just how good value Café Marlayne is and shows why the tightly packed tables of this cosy wee restaurant are usually brimming with jolly diners. + Honest, well cooked French bistro cooking in buzzy surrounds - Tightly packed tables might just be a bit too cosy for some
Café St Honoré
34 North West Thistle Street Lane, New Town, EH2 1EA See Scottish
Castle Terrace
33/35 Castle Terrace, West End, EH1 2EL See Scottish
L’escargot Blanc
17 Queensferry Street, West End, EH2 4QW (Map 4: C1, 8) 0131 226 1890, lescargotblanc.co.uk | Mon–Thu noon– 2.30pm, 5.30–10pm; Fri/Sat noon–3pm, 5.30–10pm. Closed Sun. Pre; BYOB (£5.60; Mon–Thu only); HW £15.60; Kids. £10.90 (set lunch) / £22.50 (dinner)
Tucked high above Queensferry Street is a cosy retreat that manages to celebrate the Auld Alliance without being either too Scottish or too French. Yes, full size French advertising posters and French pop do lend L’escargot Blanc a distinctly Gallic ambience, but only two thirds of the food and drinks are imported. They do, of course, offer excellent French wine, including a more than passable house red and white, but among the starters it is Scottish mussels that are steamed in the surprisingly delicate Bleu d’Auvergne sauce and Scottish
black pudding that perks up the plump coquilles Saint-Jacques. On the main menu a prime Orkney rib-eye, cooked perfectly rare, is given the red wine and shallot treatment. Another serious meaty treat is the côte de boeuf, over 1kg of Scottish rib-eye on the bone. The vegetable gratin may sound an unimaginative vegetarian option, but it works well smeared with one of France’s great cheeses, Comté, a welcome arrival from across the Channel. A classic crème brûlée sits alongside sticky toffee pudding in a comforting last flourish of this cross-cultural eatery. + The Auld Alliance at its delicious best - The vegetable gratin may be good, but there is otherwise little choice for vegetarians
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L’escargot Bleu
56 Broughton Street, New Town, EH1 3SA (Map 1: F3, 123) 0131 557 1600, lescargotbleu.co.uk | Sun–Thu noon– 2.30pm, 5.30–10pm; Fri/Sat noon–3pm, 5.30–10.30pm. Closed Sun in winter. Pre; BYOB (£7; Mon–Thu only); HW £15.90; Kids. £12.90 (set lunch) / £23 (dinner)
The justly popular L’escargot Bleu generates an air of welcome as you enter the bright, airy rooms one flight up on Broughton Street. The buzz feels embracing rather than exclusive, as much coming from the patrons as the proprietors. Co-owners Betty Jourjon and Frederic Berkmiller have worked consistently since 2009 to produce interesting and creative Gallic fare with high quality Scottish ingredients, and their hard work pays dividends with each course. Tenderly baked organic duck eggs ‘meurette’ peek out of their mellow rich red wine and mushroom
sauce, while those who quest far and wide will be joyful in their discovery of the tableside prepared Dexter Beef steak tartar, so seldom seen these days. Rabbit casseroled with sweet prunes and heady Armagnac encourages an over eager mopping of the bowl, and the pink gleam of the lamb steaks, charred slightly on their edges, are even sweeter set off by their earthy Jerusalem artichoke puree. An exciting and varied wine list encourages a lengthy evening, crowned by the creamiest of crème brûlée that Betty rightly declares is the ‘real thing’. + A genuinely exciting menu that makes selecting difficult - Vegetarians have few options
The French Fancies
42 London Street, New Town, EH3 6LX See Cafés
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La Garrigue
31 Jeffrey Street, Old Town, EH1 1DH (Map 2: E2, 101) 0131 557 3032, lagarrigue.co.uk | Mon–Sun noon– 2.30pm, 6.30–9.30pm. HW £14.50; Kids. £12.50 (set lunch) / £25 (set dinner)
There are no cheesy photos of the Place du Tertre here. Paris does not even get a look in as old assured hand Jean Michel Gauffre instead delves south to the sun drenched Languedoc for serious regional cooking with an intoxicating Mediterranean swagger. The dishes are as vibrant as the striking modern art – if anything catches your eye you can buy your own slice of the south to take home. Roquefort soufflé is a rich, satisfying first flourish, the veined tanginess offset by a walnut and pear salad. The mains are even more impressive with a full-
✱ HITLIST FRENCH ✱ Café Marlayne The buzzy little bolthole everyone wants at the end of their street, with all the classics handled well at decent prices. ✱ La Garrigue The Languedoc comes to Edinburgh with vivid, rich regional colours shining through superb and consistent cooking. ✱ Restaurant Martin Wishart Culinary innovation and experimentation built on a solid base of classical French technique and exacting local sourcing. ✱ 21212 Much more than a meal, this is food made art with a creator at the top of his game. Dining mosaics with unexpected and witty ingredient combinations. ✱ L’escargot Bleu Classics with a twist, creative specials and sourcing-driven menus draws friendly crowds to this lively venue.
Restaurant 56 Broughton Broughton Street Street Edinburgh EH1 3SA Tel 0131 557 1600 www.lescargotbleu.co.uk 56
French twist using the best of Scotland voted Best Best Newcomer Newcomer of of the the Year Year 2009/10 2009/10 in the List magazine voted
The List Eating & Drinking Guide 65
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