Food

Ottolenghi Edinburgh

22/10/26

George Street, Edinburgh

We mainly know Yotam Ottolenghi from his Guardian food columns, where he publishes the kind of recipes we drool over, despite knowing we’re never going to attempt to cook them (the ingredients lists are long and intimidating; the processes time-consuming and complex). We’re not expecting to actually taste his food – he has restaurants in Geneva, Amsterdam and London, but none elsewhere in the UK. So when we hear he’s venturing north of the border and opening a new place in Edinburgh, we know it won’t be long before we try it out.

It’s a perfect Autumn day: the sky clear and blue, the air cold and crisp. We’re booked in for a late lunch, so we take our time walking from our Old Town tenement to the New Town, where Ottolenghi sits between two clothing shops, its windows vibrant and enticing. The interior is light and bright with splashes of red and yellow, a long central bar dominating the space. The ceiling is double height, with a mezzanine over the back third. It’s not exactly a calm environment but neither is it overwhelming. There’s just the right amount of buzz.

We’re quickly seated and given our menus, as well as an allergy guide (because I can’t have gluten). I’m pleased to see that there are lots of dishes I can eat. While we consider our options, we order drinks: an alcohol-free cherry Americano for me and a 0% Cold Town lager for Philip. They both slip down very nicely.

We opt to share a single portion of the starter selection, which comprises six little dishes: roasted peperonata; miso butter bean mash with kalamata olive preserve; Fasolakia beans with feta cream; cucumber achar; burnt aubergine; and beetroot with cherry and sour cream. Neither of us likes the burnt aubergine, but the rest of it is delicious, especially the beetroot and Fasolakia. There’s a nice mix of the creamy and the acidic but, while Philip is able to slather the various dips onto a delightful flatbread, there’s no gluten-free equivalent available for me, which diminishes the experience somewhat.

For our main, we have one of the menu’s ‘claypot sharers’ – a lamb and aubergine rice pie, served with chopped dill pickle. This is an absolute triumph. Essentially a pimped-up shepherd’s pie, it consists of a richly flavoured lamb, lentil and aubergine filling, topped with rice, pecorino cheese and sour cream. It’s comfort food dialled up to eleven.

The pudding menu looks appealing but only two of them are available to me. No matter: I’m sold on the idea of the miso clotted cream fudge, and as happy as Larry (whoever he is) nibbling on the five pieces of sweet, salty goodness that come my way. Philip selects a kumquat marmalade steamed pudding, served with a delectably light sabayon. He declares it the star of the show and eats it slowly, savouring every mouthful, not wanting the pleasure to end.

Executive chef Neil John Campbell can be proud of what he’s achieved here, and so can the front of house staff, who are all friendly and attentive in a relaxed, authentic way. When we enthuse about our main course, we’re informed that the recipe is in Ottolenghi’s latest cookbook, Simple Too – and that all the dishes in this book are, as the title suggests, relatively easy to make. We waste no time in buying a copy.

And then we leave, replete and satisfied, back out into our beloved city. I can’t think of a better way we could have spent this afternoon.

4.6 stars

Susan Singfield

Whirlybird

15/10/26

Victoria Street, Edinburgh

We’re halfway through painting our kitchen. It’s not a difficult job (we have a small kitchen and a banging playlist) but there are two negatives:

  1. The flat feels messy with all our kitchen stuff cluttering up the living room; and
  2. It’s difficult to cook.

If only we lived in a foodie city with lots of options for a decent lunch.

Oh, wait…

Of course, we have our go-to favourites but today we feel like trying somewhere new. Whirlybird has been popping up on our TikTok and Instagram feeds so we decide to check it out. Predictably, we’re not the only ones who’ve caught the social media hype, so – even on a dull October weekday afternoon – the restaurant is busy and we can’t see any spare seats. No matter, it’s bigger than it looks, with a spiral staircase winding up to two further (and just as stylish) dining rooms, all warm tones and exposed stone.

The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, reassuringly matter-of-fact about gluten-free options. We order drinks (a ‘Nae’ alcohol-free pale ale for Phil, from Leith’s Newbarns Brewery and a Bon Accord rhubarb soda for me) and begin to peruse the menu.

We’re focused on the ‘lunch favourites’ section because neither of us wants a heavy meal in the middle of the day (we’ve still got painting to do). I opt for the brûléed goat’s cheese with heritage beetroot, pickled pear, a balsamic reduction and pecans. I also order a side of chicken-salt fries, while Phil goes for the chargrilled chicken, which comes with fries already included, as well as sourdough, feta, poached plum, jalapeno and mint.

I enjoy my meal. The goat’s cheese is thick and creamy, the flavour enhanced by the charring (or brûléeing). The beetroot and pear complement it well. The chicken-salt fries are delicious – and very necessary, as I think I’d be hungry without them.

Philip gets a lot more bang for his buck; indeed, all of the other lunches we see are more substantial than the goar’s cheese. The chicken is succulent. the feta punchy and the poached plums “just perfect.”

All in all, we’re very happy with our lunch. Whirlybird is a rare creature, managing to be “quietly Scottish,” understated and authentic, despite its tourist-trap location on Edinburgh’s most photogenic street.

In that same vein, it’s time for an Honourable Munchion. Our way home takes us through the Grassmarket, so of course we have to stop at Mary’s Milk Bar for a scoop of the city’s finest ice cream (pumpkin and berry jam for me; cherries and cream for Phil).

Some places go viral for good reason.

Now, where’s my paintbrush?

4 stars

Susan Singfield

The Black Bull

06/09/26

Church Gate, Moffat

Regular readers will know that, as far as B&B are concerned, there’s no place like home – and that home for us is the incomparable Edinburgh. Still, post-Fringe, even we’re feeling a bit city-bound, in need of some nature and R&R. So we climb into our little camper van and drive ninety minutes’ south to a campsite in Moffat, a place we’ve never visited before.

A former spa, Moffat remains a vibrant country town, famous for its walking trails and toffee shop. The weather is mixed but we don’t let that deter us. As the Norwegians say, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.” We’ll hike in the rain rather than not hike at all. But that’s not to say it doesn’t leave us hankering for the comfort of a Sunday lunch.

We’ve walked past The Black Bull a couple of times and noticed that they do a weekly carvery. We can’t remember the last time we had one of those (it’s been at least a decade) and now seems like exactly the right time to rectify the situation. We’re the first people in the door when it opens at 1pm, and we’re quickly shown to a seat.

Established in 1568 – and once a regular haunt of Robert Burns – The Black Bull declares itself “the oldest hostelry in the area.” A delightful blend of traditional and modern, the decor is cosy and welcoming, our waiter friendly and knowledgeable about the fare. I tell her I can’t eat gluten, and she assures me that I’ll be well catered for.

There’s not a lot to say about a carvery: we all know what it is. But this is up there with the very best we’ve had, the joints of meat – turkey, gammon and beef – perfectly-cooked. All the usual suspects are present: roast potatoes (crispy outsides, fluffy insides), buttery mash, peas, carrots, sprouts. The cauliflower cheese is gluten-free (hurrah!) and there are even gluten-free Yorkshire puddings available. Sure, they’re not as big and fluffy as the regular ones (which Philip says are fabulous), but they taste spot on. The chef directs me to a pot of gluten-free gravy, making a point of using a separate ladle. These people know their stuff when it comes to allergies!

We’re glad we’ve chosen the regular rather than the large-sized plate because afterwards we’re too full to even look at the pudding menu. We ask for the bill, which – along with a Peroni 0% and a fizzy water – comes to just over £40. We can’t help comparing this to a recent disappointing meal we had in an Edinburgh steakhouse (I won’t name and shame), which came in at more than three times the price and was only a third as good.

So, if you find yourself in Dumfries and Galloway on a soggy Sunday afternoon, I highly recommend you pop along to The Black Bull for a sterling lunch that won’t break the bank. We’ll certainly be coming back.

5 stars

Susan Singfield

Heron

20/06/26

Henderson Street, Leith

Regular readers of B&B will know that it has, for some years now, been our regular custom to celebrate Susan’s birthday with a trip to a high-end restaurant. This practice has recently become more complicated after she was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. We were surprised to discover that some of the venues we approached this year were adamant that they could not – would not – make any alterations to their hallowed menus.

Happily, Heron assured us that they could easily accommodate such a dietary requirement: they only use limited amounts of gluten anyway, and can always substitute a tasty alternative in those recipes that do feature it. So on a beautiful summer’s evening we make the trip out to Leith Shore to the relaxed, convivial venue that is already one of our favourite places to eat.

We start off with a selection of amuse bouches – complex little creations that virtually explode with a variety of intense flavours. For me, there’s an Isle of White tomato burrata, sea trout with rhubarb, chilli and beetroot and lobster with gooseberry and dill. Instead of burrata, Susan has something made of chickpeas, which is far more elaborate than it sounds. All of the flavour combinations are vibrant and exciting and get our taste buds ready for the dishes to come. 

Bread is not usually something to shout about, but Heron’s seeded loaf served with salted butter and house charcuterie is one of their celebrated standards – and they’ve even made a gluten-free version so Susan doesn’t have to miss out. The trick here is not to devour the whole thing in one go but to eke it out through the following courses so you have something on hand to mop up the variety of sauces that ensue.

Next up there’s a hand-dived Orkney scallop, served with chive, hazelnut and oscietra caviar, salty and crunchy and every bit as tasty as you would expect – and this is followed by what might be the high point of the meal, North Sea squid served with asparagus spears, blackcurrant leaf and walnuts. It’s not just that the mingling flavours in the dish are truly out of this world, there’s also the ingenious way the squid has somehow been made to impersonate tagliatelle. And lest you think that’s it for the fish courses, how about a tender hunk of crisp-skinned sea bream, wallowing in a broth of mussel, whey, lovage, pea and spruce tip? Here it is – and it’s spectacular!

On to the meat courses, starting with a veal sweetbread on a bed of corn, girolle and black truffle. Some diners are put off by the thought of what a sweetbread actually is but set that thought aside and this is very good indeed. Even better is the tender slice of Harthstane’s sika deer, liberally ladled with a sauce comprising beetroot, rose harissa and dukkah (a traditional Egyptian condiment made from toasted nuts, seeds and spices).

At this point, we are offered the possibility of a cheese course, but we’re flagging a bit and want to ensure that we have room for the pudding, so we politely decline and move straight on to ‘buttermilk’ – a description that hardly does justice to a beautifully crafted palate cleanser, comprising lemon, bay and macadamias. It is utterly delicious and, just as I’m thinking that they’ll never top that, ‘strawberry’ arrives: another understated title that cannot begin to describe an exquisite concoction of – well, guess what? – on a bed of pistachio and black cardamom, served with a scoop of sorbet.

We ask for the bill and this arrives in a little wooden box accompanied by three handmade petit fours nestled on a bed of coffee beans, each mouthful more delicious than the last. A sweet, sugary jelly flavoured with sea buckthorn is perhaps the most memorable, but they are all wonderful examples of the confectioner’s art.

Heron is a unique dining establishment that produces some of the finest cuisine I’ve ever tasted. Those who don’t want to go the full tasting menu route, can opt for a simpler three-course affair (let’s face it, no one could eat like this every day) but, for a special occasion, the team here can provide a dining experience that will linger in memory long after the last mouthful has been swallowed. And for those who can no longer enjoy gluten, this is the place to come.

5 stars

Philip Caveney 

Bombay Bistro

01/03/26

Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh

We’re meeting up with a couple of pals for lunch and we’ve been hearing good things about Bombay Bistro in Bruntsfield, just a short walk from where we live. Located in the premises that previously housed Tom Kitchin’s much-missed Southside Scran – and, more recently, the same chef’s Kora – the BB’s Mandeep Saini (formally of Gleneagles Hotel), has been based here for several months now, and he promises ‘a fresh take on traditional Indian cuisine.’

As soon as we’re inside, we can see that the interior decor hasn’t changed much. It’s very quiet this Sunday afternoon, which is a shame, since the Prawn Biryani I plump for is deliciously spiced and mouth-wateringly aromatic. It needs to be sampled by more hungry diners. For my money, it’s up there with the best that Dishoom has to offer. Across the table, one of our friends is enjoying the chicken version of the same dish, and we’ve both chosen a peshwari nan to accompany our main course, which is light, sweet and crispy, exactly as it should be.

Our other friend has ordered Rava Fry Haddock with Masala Chips, two enormous fish fillets shallow-fried in spiced semolina and served with tadka mushy peas and the aforementioned fries, which have just a hint of spice about them. She deems the meal ‘delicious’ but can’t manage to finish it all. Susan, meanwhile, has opted for the Masala Broccoli and Pumpkin Superfood Salad, which features spinach, kale, avocado, coconut flakes and dried cranberries. She adds some Salmon Tikka and the combination proves to be a hit.

All in all, the main courses have wowed us, particularly in view of the prices, which offer good value for money. The two puddings we sample are also pretty good, even if they don’t quite attain the heights of their magnificent predecessors. There’s a mango and coconut kheer, that can be served warm or cold; and there’s a perfectly decent sticky toffee pudding, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. However, neither dessert is hot enough: the rice pudding is only lukewarm and the sticky toffee is served cold, making it a little too dry. But these are minor quibbles and pretty much the only criticisms I have.

Those looking for excellent Indian cuisine that won’t make too big a dent on the finances should head up to Bruntsfield at their earliest opportunity and sample Mandeep’s creations for themselves.

4 stars

Phillip Caveney

Montrose

16/11/25

Montrose Terrace, Edinburgh

We’re in the mood for a spot of high-end lunch and we’ve heard good things about Montrose, which is a sister establishment to Timberyard, one of the undoubted stars in the Edinburgh culinary firmament. Montrose claims to offer a more relaxed kind of cuisine at reasonable prices so, in order to put that claim to the test, we take a leisurely stroll over to Montrose Terrace to sample their three-course set lunch.

The offer is all three courses for £30, with a small selection of side-dishes, which can be added for a little more outlay. The menu is changed on a monthly basis, though the advertised dishes can be tweaked if somebody has an allergy issue or a pronounced dislike of one of the key ingredients. But, as we so often claim, there’s not much out there that we won’t eat.

The restaurant has a calm, pleasant atmosphere and is arranged on two levels. (Halfway up the stairs there’s what must qualify as the smallest customer toilet in Edinburgh.) The staff are friendly and easy to chat to as we order drinks and wait for our two additional dishes to arrive.

These are a Pickle Plate and a Cantabrian Anchovy Gilda. The former is a plate of crunchy pickles served with a tangy dressing, amid which some beautifully-sweet gooseberries are undoubtedly the stars. The latter turns out to be a single (though quite delicious) fresh anchovy nestled on some truly scrumptious olives. For £5, I find myself wishing we had an anchovy apiece.

Next up is our starter, which is Crown Prince Pumpkin with trevino, hazelnut and rosemary. There’s a decent-sized chunk of slow roasted pumpkin, drizzled with a creamy, nutty sauce and there’s a lot of (too much?) green salad, which is as fresh as you like, but leaves me feeling that this dish perhaps needs an extra element to make it zing.

The main course is essentially the restaurant’s take on sausage and beans, though it’s a lot more interesting than that sounds. It comprises two spicy slices of Venison and Pork Kofta, a chunk of crispy seared shallot and some earthy black-eyed beans. They’ve even managed to make an accompanying portion of kale taste good. It’s a great idea and perfectly suited to an autumn lunch.

Pudding must inevitably follow. Out comes a Pear, Vanilla and Walnut Trifle, which – while it’s not the most photogenic of dishes, the colours all being variations of brown – is nonetheless a lip-smacking delight. It’s like somebody’s crossed a tiramisu with a crumble and this is the weird but oddly satisfying result. I’m definitely in favour taste-wise, but surely a scattering of bright red raspberries would make this look a lot more appetising.

With drinks, this meal comes in at around £90, which in these troubled times represents good value for this standard of cuisine. We depart, sated and happy, and ready for – you’ve guessed it – a visit to the cinema.

4 stars

Philip Caveney

Baba

02/11/25

George Street, Edinburgh

We’re dubbing today the ‘Double-B’ – we’ve just been to Cineworld to see Bugonia and now we’re in Baba, keen to sate our hunger while we chat about the film.

Baba has been on our radar for a while. It’s part of the Scoop group, which also boasts the excellent Ox and Finch and – our favourite – Ka Pao. Like these, Baba is a fusion restaurant, this one blending Levantine cuisine with distinctly Scottish ingredients. The menu is very enticing.

After some deliberation, I decide to start with buffalo mozzarella. A generous portion of creamy cheese arrives, topped with sour cherries, harissa and basil, a flavour combo which comes as something of a revelation. It’s delectable. It’s served with pitta as standard but, as I’m in the process of working out if I have a gluten intolerance, I ask for the NGCI alternative. This takes the form of a paper bag filled with two charred slices of GF bread, which complement the mozzarella perfectly.

Philip opts for pan-fried cod cheeks, which come with prawns, merguez, butterbeans and toasted pitta. The dish as a whole is excellent, but it’s the prawns that stand out. They’re huge and wonderfully flavoured.

For our main, we decide to share a Baba mixed grill, comprising slow-cooked lamb shoulder, pork neck, chicken thigh and grilled veg, accompanied with harissa, zhug, tahini and herbs. It’s a simple dish, but the meat is tender and very well cooked, and we enjoy it immensely. We also have a side of blackened sweet potato, elevated by a mixture of saffron crème fraîche and harissa, which I’m planning to try to recreate at home.

Naturally we both want pudding. I have a dark chocolate and tahini crémeux, wiith sesame tuilles and my second helping of both cherries and crème fraîche, while Philip has a tahini cookie, with peanut praline, orange and chantilly cream. Both deliver the lip-smacking sweetness we’re craving, and we scrape our plates clean.

We leave the restaurant feeling pleasantly full, and head out into the November evening, debating whether or not to call at the Filmhouse bar for a (non-alcoholic) nightcap to round things off. Of course the answer is yes. After all, we’ve still got loads to discuss about the film, and what better place to do it?

4.4 stars

Susan Singfield

The Wee Choo-Choo

28/09/25

Platform Three, Rie-Achan Road, Pitlochry, Perthshire

We’re in Pitlochry as part of a five-day camper-van trip and we’re getting a bit bored of the simple meals we can rustle up on our tiny stove, so we decide to look online for somewhere good to eat. There are plenty of cafes and inns to choose from but the place that really catches our eye is The Wee Choo Choo. As the name suggests, it’s a restaurant in an unusual location: a specially converted train carriage – and not just any old train! The last time we saw this 1960s locomotive it was thundering across a movie screen in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, while up on the roof Tom Cruise and Esai Morales were engaged in fisticuffs.

Rescued from a storage depot in darkest Middlesex by steam train enthusiast Fergus McCallum, one of the train’s carriages is now a high-end Thai restaurant. McCallum’s wife, Isara, handles the cooking and his daughter, Mia, takes care of the management, while McCallum acts as mâitre de. It’s Saturday midday when we drop by and there are a lot of bookings for the evening so, at first, it looks like we’re going to be out of luck, but Mia promises she will call us if she can possibly squeeze us in.

The hours pass and, just as we’re contemplating the prospect of another one-pot meal, our phone rings and Mia tells us there’s been a last-minute cancellation. We virtually sprint the short distance from our campsite to platform three…

Of course, it crosses my mind on the way there that, with such a unique setting, the food may just be mediocre fare, but happily this is not the case. On the contrary, the meal we sit down to represents some of the best Thai cuisine I’ve ever eaten. We begin with a couple of mouthwatering starters.

Goong-Sa-Rong features a couple of juicy King Prawns wrapped in crispy, crunchy yellow noodles and arranged on an avocado salsa salad. Gai Satay comprises chunks of tender marinated chicken on a skewer and a vegetable spring roll filled with crisp vegetables, glass noodles, cabbage and carrot. Both dishes are bursting with flavour and they look every bit as delightful as they taste.

The main courses are equally captivating. There’s Ma-Sa-Man Curry, slow-simmered in coconut milk. We’ve opted to try the duck leg version, (chicken or pork are also available), centred around a large drumstick, the meat of which is literally falling from the bone. It’s tender, mouth-watering and utterly captivating. It’s accompanied by a mound of perfectly cooked jasmine rice, a helping of tamarind and cinnamon potato and some crispy shallots. Moo-Ob-Nam-Pung is a generous helping of honey-pork spare ribs, slow-cooked in a sticky sweet sauce with another mound of that perfect rice. Again, the ribs are perfectly cooked and that sauce so enticing it’s all I can do to refrain from licking the plate clean.

Of course we have to try some puddings, so we opt for Rubies Pearl, a hand-rolled dessert with butterfly pea flower, sweet potato, fresh seasonal fruit in coconut milk and a scoop of homemade coconut ice cream. And then there’s the pièce de résistance, Thai Mango & Sticky Rice. We’ve heard cooks talk about these mangos, which have a very short season and are said to be the finest in the world. I have to admit, I’ve never tasted better, and when that incredible flavour mingles with warm rice pudding and more of that yummy coconut ice cream, the result is on another level.

Could this meal possibly be any better? Well, only if Tom Cruise were to suddenly climb down from the roof and come in through the window to say hello. And even then, he’d need to keep well away from these mangoes, because I’m not planning to share my portion with anyone!

Hats off to the very affable Fergus McCallum (who was more than happy to talk about his project and the culinary skills of the very talented Isara). Here’s my recommendation to anyone who happens to be within striking distance of Pitlochry in the near future: book your seats and make your way to Platform Three at full speed, where The Wee Choo Choo is waiting to supply the food of your dreams.

But hurry! Mango season is nearly over for another year…

5 stars

Philip Caveney

5 stars

Philip Caveney

Coast & Creel

20/09/25

Fountainbridge, Edinburgh

It’s a rainy evening in Edinburgh, and we’re both in the mood for seafood. Fortuitously, a new establishment has recently opened, just a stone’s throw from where we live. As the name suggests, Coast & Creel specialises in the stuff (a creel being a traditional wicker basket in which all things aquatic can be stored). And, lest I’m in danger of putting off all those diners who cannot bear the fruits of the sea, I should perhaps add that the restaurant does offer a selection of steaks, which (at least from a short distance) look pretty enticing.

I start with Chargrilled King Prawns, which arrive looking (and smelling) suitably enticing. They are perfectly cooked, left just long enough on the grill to retain that soft, buttery quality that makes them so appealing, and are accompanied by a couple of slices of sourdough, black garlic aioli and a drizzle of shellfish-infused oil. Susan’s Pan-Seared Scallops are also rather splendid: melt-in-the-mouth tender and accompanied by shrimps, clarified caper butter, parsley oil and samphire. There’s a chunk of artisan bread with which to mop up what’s left in the shell.

On to the main courses. I have chosen Fillets of Halibut. The dish arrives looking underwhelming (none of the photographs we take of it are suitable for this review) but, happily, it tastes heavenly. There are three generously-sized fillets, beautifully tender, arranged on a bed of soft, cheesy potato dauphinoise. There are a couple of chunks of al dente baby courgette, some heads of asparagus and, once again, samphire in beurre blanc. I finish the lot and have to be restrained from licking the plate.

Susan has opted for Paccheri Pasta with Creel-Caught Langoustine, which is quite a sight to behold. It comprises three large langoustine (which must, of course, be broken up with a lobster cracker in order to get to the flesh inside the shells). There are more accessible razor clams, cockles and mussels (thankfully no longer alive-alive-oh), all wallowing in an aromatic seafood bisque. The dish is finished with chilli, garlic and parmesan. Again, this is accomplished food, but am I the only one who wishes that the langoustine flesh could be extracted in the kitchen, without all that cracking, scrabbling and splintering, which leaves a diner in urgent need of an endless supply of hand wipes? I appreciate it’s part of the ritual, but it seems a great deal of effort for little return.

I can guess what you’re thinking. They surely won’t have left room for puddings.

Well, we took the precaution of keeping lunch light in order to partake, because we’re thoughtful like that – and we know our readers always want the full picture. Besides, I have spotted Sticky Toffee Pudding on the menu, which I can never resist. This one is unlike any I’ve had before with a distinctly ‘bonfire toffee’ flavour – if you can remember what that tasted like. It’s accompanied by vanilla ice cream, fruits and a delicious toffee sauce. Susan has chosen Warm Churros, which (despite having an unfortunate visual resemblance to barbecued sausages) taste quite delightful. They’re filled with dulce de leche and also feature a delicious sauce (chocolate in this case) and vanilla ice cream.

We emerge feeling pleasantly full, to see that the rain has (at least for a while) moved on. Those looking for a superior seafood experience should set sail for Fountainbridge without delay, where Coast & Creel may be exactly what you’re seeking.

4.8 stars

Philip Caveney

Nixos

06/09/25

Brougham Street, Edinburgh

6, Brougham Street has been a special place for us ever since we moved to Edinburgh. Back in 2015, when we first ate there, it was My Big Fat Greek Kitchen, a decent enough venue, though we observed at the time that the food was somewhat let down by its presentation. In 2017, it took a major step up when it became Taxidi, owned by chef Dimitri, and offering a remarkable selection of traditional Greek dishes at great value prices. In 2024, Dimitri went for a major transformation with Mitsos: Serial Griller, changing the format completely, but triumphing once again with a strikingly different approach to Greek cuisine, all freshly cooked to order on a giant grill.

Now the premises is under new ownership, has been rebranded as Nixos, and looks very different. The premises have been beautifully redecorated, making the place feel lighter and roomier than ever before. It keeps the Greek theme but puts the emphasis firmly on street food, centred mostly around the Gyros (pronounce eros): a combination of freshly-baked flatbread, filled with your choice of meat, cheese or vegetables, mixed with salad and tzatziki, then liberally augmented with fries. The idea is to pick up the entire thing and wolf it. Dainty eaters should be warned that the cutlery here is of the disposable wooden variety, so it’s best to conquer your inhibitions and chow down.

We order two different gyros. Susan goes for chicken and I opt for halloumi and, it turns out, the service is lightning-fast. Our meal arrives almost before we’ve had a chance to draw breath.

Okay, so this isn’t the place to come for a long, relaxing meal – we’re all done and dusted in half an hour – but the food is undeniably delicious, the halloumi wrap in particular generously stuffed with large chunks of perfectly grilled cheese. (Gyros are difficult to photograph. Our attempts really don’t do them justice.) We share a bowl of kalamata olives, which are spot on and we also sample a couple of Greek soft drinks in lemon and sour cherry flavours, but beers and wine are available for those who indulge. There’s currently no sweet menu (something which I’m told the owners are thinking about) and we cannot argue with the bill which comes in at less than £30 for the two of us.

We will doubtless eat this food again, but perhaps next time as a takeaway, a tastier (and healthier) alternative to pizza – unless of course, that sweet menu happens to make an appearance. If you haven’t yet sampled the handful of heaven that is a gyros, here’s your perfect opportunity.

4 stars

Philip Caveney