Restaurant Mark Greenaway | Bouquets & Brickbats

31/03/17

North Castle Street, Edinburgh

The last time we visited Restaurant Mark Greenaway – September 2015, as it happens… thanks for asking! – we berated it for having a ‘slightly austere feel’ and ‘glum-looking punters.’ Maybe we were just in a tetchy mood that day. At any rate, it’s time for a reappraisal and, since the restaurant is still offering an insanely good value deal (three courses with matched wines for £40 a head) and we have a visitor, now seems a propitious time to give it another try.

We’re glad to see that the dining room has had a bit of a makeover since our last visit – it looks a lot simpler and fresher – and there’s certainly nothing glum about tonight’s crowd, who are chatting happily away and tucking eagerly into their food. Like most set menus, there isn’t a great variety, but what’s on offer looks very appetising indeed, so we’re happy too.

My starter is the Loch Fyne crab cannelloni with lemon pearls, herb butter and baby coriander. Half of this is housed in a glass bowl, which covers a second bowl of cauliflower custard; this is being gently smoked even as I appraise it. It’s a neat bit of culinary showmanship, but it’s actually more than just that, because the rich smoky flavour really has permeated that custard and it’s all a delight to eat. The matched wine for this is Casa Bonita, a citrusy Spanish wine which combines chardonnay and macebeo grapes. Our visitor opts for the chicken and leek terrine which features prune compote, wild garlic mayonnaise, heritage carrots and beetroot pickled shallots. I have to say it looks pretty good too and she confirms that it tastes every bit as good as it appears.

For the main course, we all decide that we want the same, the 11 hour roasted Clash Farm belly pork, which is a bit useless in terms of a review, but we want what we want, and we’re sticking to it, so there’s nothing to be done about the situation. And none of us is disappointed with the choice because this is a regal repast, the sweet sticky pork topped with a crunchy skin. Actually, this dish has also had a bit of a makeover since I last sampled it. It’s now accompanied by a slice of blackened fillet, a pork-cheek pie, sweetcorn and a toffee-apple jus. Nothing here is as straightforward as you might expect. The fillet really does have a delightfully sooty coating, the pie’s pastry is satisfyingly crisp and even the slice of corn has been seared on a grill to maximise the flavour. All this goes perfectly with the glass of rich Casa Silva pinot noir accompanies it.

Having been unanimous about the main course, we’re equally fixed on our choice of pudding: the Great British Menu ‘knot’ chocolate tart. If you’re not mad about chocolate, this may not be the sweet for you but, to chocoholics like me, it’s a one-way ticket to heaven. The intensely flavoured chocolate (dark, milk and white varieties) comes with custard jelly, frozen cookies, creme fraiche parfait, salted caramel and kumquat parfait. My only complaint here is that it simply doesn’t last long enough, though I can’t help noticing that I finish my portion long before my companions. The accompanying wine is a thick, sherry-like Lafage Ambré, which I wouldn’t normally dream of drinking but, when matched with a dish like this, it works like a charm and makes nonsense of those people who claim that the sommeliers of the world are just making it up as they go along.

At this great value price, you’d be crazy not to nip along and give it a try – and, if money’s no object, you’ll be rewarded with some of the most adventurous and delightful cooking currently on offer in this fair city.

5 stars

Philip Caveney

11/08/15

North Castle Street, Edinburgh

So, you know how it is, you’re deeply embroiled in the Edinburgh Festival, you’re running from one show to another and it’s your first wedding anniversary. Why not, we thought, eat somewhere we haven’t reviewed yet? And rather than return to Bistro Moderne in Stockbridge where we celebrated our marriage, let’s visit its sister restaurant, Restaurant Mark Greenaway, up on Castle street. A good plan, we thought and made the booking.

The restaurant is more formal than it’s relaxed sibling, with a slightly austere feel. The place is completely deserted when we arrive, at 5.30, but soon fills up with a collection of (it has to be said) rather glum-looking punters who don’t appear to have very much to say to each other; but the staff are friendly enough and service is attentive. Since we’re on a tight budget, we opt for the market menu which offers three courses for £22 with an accompanying wine ‘flight’ for £18.

The starters duly arrive and look like little works of art. Susan has the Comfit Gartmont Farm Duck Terrine, which is accompanied by gingerbread, plum gel and foraged Scottish herbs. The terrine is lip-smackingly moist and full flavoured. The idea of serving it with gingerbread is inspired. It shouldn’t really work but somehow does. I sample the Smoked Salmon Canneloni (see picture) with sauce gribiche, saffron mayonnaise and mini melba toast. The powerful salty flavour of the salmon filling is perfectly cut by the accompanying white wine, (proof once again that a good Somellier is a fine thing indeed and Restaurant Mark Greenaway has not one, but two of them, who clearly know a thing or two about their subject and are happy to share their knowledge.)

On to the main courses. Susan chose Baked Fillet of Plaice, accompanied by sweet Cicely gnocchi, clam chowder and vanilla foam. The over-abundant foam seemed to us a slight misstep, the flavour more appropriate for a pudding, but the dish was otherwise perfectly cooked, the fish melt-in-the-mouth soft and the creamy clam chowder satisfyingly sticky. I had the 11 Hour Slow Roasted Pork Belly, served with spiced fillet, savoy cabbage, pommel pureé and toffee apple jus (see picture). This was note perfect, though I fear I caused some raised eyebrows when I requested a bowl of mustard (that’s just me. To my mind, meat without mustard is like… rhubarb without custard).

Speaking of which, for my dessert, accompanied by a thick, sweet wine, I had Rhubarb and Custard with sweet granola, poached rhubarb, custard espuma and rhubarb sorbet. It was, to be honest, quite delicious, the lightly cooked chunks of rhubarb giving the meal a delightful crunch and the sorbet definitely of the ‘Mmm’ variety. I made short work of it. Susan, meanwhile had the Dark Chocolate Fondant (for which the diner must allow fifteen minutes preparation time). This came surrounded by salted caramel, coffee macaroons, burnt white chocolate and vanilla ice cream. It was every bit as delightful as it sounds though the fondant itself was of the (slightly disappointing) miniature variety. Which is not to say that we were left hungry by any stretch of the imagination. But we could have managed a bit more of that fondant. Easily.

All in all, this was a satisfying meal and if I have a criticism of the restaurant, it’s simply that its staid, rather stuffy atmosphere belongs to a bygone age. Would it harm to relax a little? Maybe even introduce some background music? Just a thought. As for the food (that slightly odd vanilla foam aside) the restaurant’s reputation is clearly well-founded.

Would we recommend it? Hell yes.

4.3 stars

Philip Caveney