Dinner Archives - The Luxe List

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When Edinburgh’s new Wahaca threw their doors open for the first time last week, I knew I had to check it out! Not only is it one of the city’s newest haunts, but it’s also the first Wahaca north of the border.

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Located just off St. Andrews Square, it couldn’t be a more central location, and it was the perfect spot to sneak into after a long day at work. The restaurant itself is far bigger than I expected – spread over two floors; it was packed, despite our visit being pretty early on a Thursday evening.

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We were seated upstairs, and got to soak in the atmosphere. With Latin music pumping, and the staff buzzing around, it felt like we were somewhere rather more glamorous than cold and rather damp Edinburgh!

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The menu is pretty vast, and caters to pretty much everything you can think of – whether you’re in for a quick bite, or a bit of a feast, you can order as much or as little as you like. There’s even a tapas-esque section filled with morsels to savour if you fancy a bit of mix-and match in your supper!

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As we pondered our dinner choices, one choice I didn’t have any trouble with was my drinks order! I’m a fan of a margarita (frozen or otherwise) and opted for a Classic (£7). Served icy cold, it was an absolute delight – sharp lime and smooth tequila was a heavenly and classic combination.

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We started off with a couple of sharing dishes. Obviously we couldn’t miss guacamole, and the inclusion of Frijoles was a new one to us, so we ordered a tub of that too!

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The Guacamole and Tortilla Chips (£4.50) was great mash-up of zesty and creamy, just as you want from the green stuff! Wahaca make their guac fresh daily. With chilli, lime juice and coriander, it was a flavourful way of kicking off the meal!

Our order of Frijoles & Tortilla Chips (£3.50) was an unexpected delight. Comprising of twice-cooked black beans and chorizo, it was incredibly flavourful and satisfying. Paired with the crispy tortilla chips, it was the perfect accompaniment to my margarita and started the meal off beautifully.

Then we got onto the mains. Neither of us could resist the British Steak the Mexican Way (£12.95) which promised an overnight-marinated Bavette steak with a crisp cheese, green rice and salad. It’s one of my favourite cuts of steak to cook at home – and happily Wahaca’s didn’t disappoint!

It was an incredibly generous portion, and an absolute riot of colour on the plate. The meat was cooked to medium-rare perfection, tender and so flavoursome. It paired well with the green rice, and extra crunch was added to the salad with a sprinkling of seeds and slices of tortilla chips.

Suitably stuffed by the meal, we couldn’t even contemplate pudding, but with options like freshly made churros served with warm chocolate sauce (£4.25) and salted caramel ice cream (£4.25) we were incredibly tempted!

Thank you to Wahaca for having us!

Living in Edinburgh, you get pretty used to grey evenings, but last Friday was grimmer than most, with lashings of rain and near gale winds. So, having a booking at Blackbird Bar & Restaurant was pretty much the best way to spend an evening. Located on Leven Street, right on the way into Bruntsfield, Blackbird has been one of those places I’ve been dying to try, so when I was asked along to try out supper, I just jumped at the chance!

The interiors of Blackbird are the definition of cosiness. Split into two halves, one containing the bar, the other, tables for diners – it’s a snug little nook to tuck yourself into for the evening. The walls are original stone, whilst candles and chandeliers shimmer in corners. Despite heading in pretty early, there was already a pleasant buzz as families and couples pondered the menu.

Coming in out the rain, we fancied something light to start off with, while we decided on cocktails, so we opted on a sharing plate of Crispy Plantain Chips (£6.95) which came with guacamole and spiced yoghurt.

Sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, the chips were deliciously light and crisp, and the guacamole was just a delight! I can be rather fussy about the ‘green stuff’ but Blackbird’s was a delight – creamy and flavourful with chunks of red onion and chilli.

As we crunched through the sharing platter, our thoughts turned to cocktails – it was Friday night after all! Perhaps unsurprisingly since half the place is a bar, the drinks menu is incredible – pages of choices encompassing old favourites and new creations. We plumped for two off the ‘Long’ page – a Rhubarb and Elderflower Collins (£7) and a Spiced Pear Buck (£7). Both were perfect – icy cold, refreshing and almost juicy in flavour, I could have easy sipped on them all night!

The first of the mains we ordered was The Blackbird Steak Pie (£12.95). Served with a generous portion of twice cooked chips, this was the perfect choice for such a grim evening.

The steak pie came in it’s own little cauldron, and was a hearty mix of crisp and flaky puff pastry with a meaty and rich gravy below. Well flavoured, with huge chunks of steak – it was a hot pot of comfort!

I opted for the Sumac Crusted Chicken Breast (£11.95) which came on a bed of fried new potatoes and grilled lettuce. The chicken was moist, juicy, and absolutely huge – the sumac gave it a zesty freshness which sat well with the lime butter and vegetables. The grilled lettuce was an absolute revelation – salted and drizzled in lime butter, I’ve already copied this at home! The dish was well balanced and incredibly satisfying – just the way to end a busy work week!

Over the past few weekends, for one reason or another, I’ve found myself ending up in North Berwick. Before this summer, I’d never even ventured to the town, but now, since it’s only a half hour drive from Edinburgh, I’ve become quite the regular!

Discussing places to go in the town, everyone had something great to say about The Lobster Shack, so it was about time to go explore the harbour and indulge in a little fresh seafood!

The Lobster Shack is located right in the centre of North Berwick’s harbour, and you can’t miss it. If the blue and red shed wasn’t eye-catching enough, there will be a long, though quick-moving, line of people all debating over the small, well balanced menu.

Considering that The Lobster Shack consists of a single ‘shack’ with one chef and a few wait staff who buzz around taking orders, tidying and doing whatever else, the menu has everything you could enjoy on a sunny day in Scotland, and from beginning to queue to being served up with steaming boxes of seafood, could have only been 15 minutes. Considering it was a sunny afternoon, it was a pleasure to stand outside and watch the boats come and go and relax a little.

We opted to sample three of the menu’s best-loved dishes – a half lobster, breaded haddock and a carton of seafood chowder. Honestly, I forgot to photograph the chowder, but it was the best cup of the stuff I’ve had outside of the American East Coast. It was indulgently creamy, with hunks of potato, haddock and lobster. Served with slices of crusty bread, it was the perfect start to an indulgent lunch in the sunshine. Then we moved onto the mains – both hulking boxes of seafood, chips, salad and coleslaw. The breaded Haddock and Chips is the fish supper of your dreams. The fish was juicy, the breading crisp, and the double-cooked chips were crunchy on the outside, yet still pleasingly light and fluffy in the middle.

I went for the half North Berwick Lobster, and honestly, I think it’s one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. Cooked simply with a little garlic butter (the remnants of which are poured over the chips) the half lobster was a gleaming mass of fresh meat, just waiting to be wrestled out it’s shell. Wonderfully sweet, the freshness of it was evident, and sitting in the sunshine enjoying it was absolutely heavenly!

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I’m always on the hunt for new places to go out in Edinburgh. As far as capital cities go, it’s a pretty small one, and it’s easy to lapse into a routine of old favourites when planning to meet friends, so whenever a new place pops up, I want to be the first one in the queue!

Foundry 39 has opened up in the city’s West End, a space filled with the most gorgeous of Georgian architecture, although strangely lacking in the culinary department. Happily though, the restaurant has an extensive drinks selection, as well as casual favourites including nachos and sharing platters, and a menu dominated by sourdough pizzas and gourmet burgers. Basically it’s the casual hang-out spot you’ve been dreaming about.

The interior of the restaurant is rather Pinterest-worthy too! Corners of it are dusted with copper accents and there are succulents mounted on the walls. After nestling into one of the restaurant’s many booths we got to grips with the drinks list. Our first choice was a Peach + Rhubarb Bellini (£8.25) to ease any work stresses, and it was a great choice; a mix of fruity and bubbles, it was the perfect refresher and got us ready for the fun to begin!

Then we got stuck into the good stuff – a Nachos Sharer (£7.50) which came presented on an aluminium tray let us catch up on the week’s events. I’m a big nachos fan, and really, who isn’t? Foundry’s were a generous portion of fried tortilla chips (my favourite) with hearty dollops of salsa, sour cream and Monterey Jack cheese melted over a sprinkle of jalapeños. The mix of hot and spicy chilis and salsa with the cheese and sour cream was well balanced, and they took the edge off our post-work hunger pangs.

We were both feeling absolutely ravenous, so we opted for burgers. Again, they came on an aluminium tray (a nice touch which keeps everything tidy) along with our choice of fries. Burgers and sides can be ordered separately, so you can really tailor your supper to your cravings, and if you’re feeling a bit healthy there are even salads and slaws to choose.

I opted for the Buffalo Blue Cheese & Chicken Burger (£8.95) and a portion of Sweet Potato Fries (£3.50), and I’m pleased to say, the meal was just a dream. I never normally order chicken burgers, but the promise of crispy fried chicken with lashings of blue cheese sauce was just too good to resist. The chicken was cooked perfectly – juicy on the inside and crisp and well seasoned on the coating. There was a generous schmear of blue cheese dressing which gave it a delicious hit of savoury flavour. The fries too, were just heavenly. Crispy, yet fluffy on the inside, they were the perfect mix of slightly sweet and savoury, and they were deliciously moreish.

We also opted for a more traditional order of a Cheese Burger (£7.95) with an order of House Fries (£2.50). The burger was filled with a giant patty of fresh, well seasoned beef with a generous swipe of mustard and cheese. The mix of flavours was just perfection, and it’s the definition of a good, traditional burger and fries choice, but to be honest I didn’t really get the chance to taste it – and that’s always a great sign, right!?

To accompany our mains, we thought it would only be right to sample a different choice from the drinks list, Captain Barbosa (£7.50) caught our eye. Spiced rum, Courvoisier VSOP, as well as ginger, lime juice and ginger beer was a wonderfully fresh yet boozy concoction which tipped us merrily into feeling tipsy.

I don’t tend to order dessert at restaurants – but the promise of Dark Chocolate Brownie (£5.50) was too good to resist. I’d been craving a rich, chocolatey treat for days, so my expectations were high. Happily, Foundry 39’s was a delight – a huge slap of gooey dark chocolate topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce. It was warm, rich, and incredibly satisfying!

We couldn’t leave without trying the Berry & Raspberry Ripple Sundae (£6.50) either. It is the summer after all! It was a perfect mix of rich, creamy vanilla ice-cream with fresh berries and slightly tarte compote. It was a great sharing dish, and we savoured every mouthful!

Thank you so much Foundry 39 for having us!

I’d never been to Peebles properly before heading to The Horseshoe Restaurant and Rooms in Eddleston. I think I had driven through in the middle of the night on the way back up from Cheshire, but considering how close it is to Edinburgh, I’m kind of amazed and ashamed I’d never seen it in the daylight.

The Horseshoe Restaurant and Rooms in located just off the road in Eddleston is definition of picture postcard pretty. With most of the main restaurant dating back to 1862, it was originally a blacksmith’s forge and the rooms are located in a Victorian school building. It’s the cosiest of set ups, and when I found out that they even have their own kitchen garden, I was in absolute heaven!

Attention to detail is everywhere at the Horseshoe – even the planting beds are planted to supplement the kitchen. Just outside the rooms there are wild strawberries, lavender and daisies, all of which can be used either for desserts or for their wild flower displays which are sprinkled throughout the buildings.

The restaurant is possibly one of the most comfortable I’ve been in. It’s a luxe mix of golds and rich woods, with candles flickering in every corner. The sitting room and lounge, also has a beautifully large circle window which lets you sit and watch the world go by. The dining room is an intimate affair with only 10 tables which vary in size, meaning it’s easy to find a corner to tuck yourself into to enjoy your meal. We started with amuse bouche of red pepper cream with a red pepper crisp, then duck with a little foie gras. Both were rich and flavorful, setting the scene for the rest of lunch. We also tucked into some of the freshly baked breads and home-churned butter. The olive studded option was satisfyingly warm, with a light crust and springy texture.

Then we moved onto starters, and honestly, there was only one option I was going to choose – a Summer truffle risotto, king oyster mushroom and mushroom ketchup. I’m always a touch nervous opting for a heavy starter, but this one was absolutely heavenly. The rice was perfectly cooked, whilst the mushroom added texture. The cheese and truffle shavings were also a absolute revelation – they were so rich, whilst there was also a citrus element, which cut through the richness, balancing the dish.

Venison loin, black pudding, potato terrine, carrot, raspberries

Then I moved onto the main course, which was a study in rich comfort – Venison loin, black pudding, potato terrine, carrot, raspberries. I was a little apprehensive about ordering venison – I’ve not had it in years, and I’m not a fan of meat that’s overpoweringly gamey. This however was an absolute dream. The venison was melt-in-the-mouth tender, juicy, with a delicate flavour, which sat perfectly with the homemade black pudding which was rich and spicy. The raspberries cut through all the rich meat, with a pleasing tartness, whilst the chard was surprisingly sweet.

Petit Fours

After savouring every mouthful we headed back through to the sitting room and bar area for tea and petits fours. A sort of salted chocolate fudge was absolutely delicious – rich and smooth, and I’m already pondering ways of recreating it at home.

The Horseshoe is the perfect spot to while away the afternoon, delighting in food that has been thoughtfully sourced and cooked. The pairings of flavours were really incredible, and the wine list is something special too! The Horseshoe offers over 300 bottles – and keep a special eye out for resident wine expert Mark Slaney’s sourced ‘Desert’ Wines!

If you’re more in the mood for supper, they offer both an a la carte and tasting menu with accompanying wines. There are eight en-suite bedrooms which are, again, so comfy and cosy. Farrow and Ball paint, with crisp white linens mean that you can partake in some of Mark’s wine suggestions without worrying about how to get home safely.

Lunch at The Horseshoe Restaurant with Rooms starts at £20.00 for two courses and their website is here.

Wahaca Edinburgh*

Blackbird Bar & Restaurant*

The Lobster Shack – North Berwick

Foundry 39 Edinburgh*

The Horseshoe Restaurant and Rooms*

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