Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
nonsense dishes such as lamb sweetbreads on toast, baked coley with
skirlie
(fried oat-
meal and onion), and devilled liver with bacon and onions.
FRENCH
Café Marlayne££
(
0131-226 2230;
www.cafemarlayne.com
; 76 Thistle St; mains £12-15; noon-10pm)
All weathered wood and candlelit tables, Café Marlayne is a cosy nook offering French
farmhouse cooking -
brandade de morue
(salt cod) with green salad, slow-roast rack of
lamb,
boudin noir
(black pudding) with scallops and sautéed potato - at very reasonable
prices. Booking recommended.
Escargot Bleu££
(
0131-556 1600;
www.lescargotbleu.co.uk
; 56 Broughton St; mains £13-18; lunch
& dinner Mon-Sat)
As with its sister restaurant, l'Escargot Blanc on Queensferry St, this
cute little bistro is as Gallic as garlic but makes fine use of quality Scottish produce - the
French-speaking staff will lead you knowledgeably through a menu that includes authent-
ic Savoyard
tartiflette, quenelle
of pike with lobster sauce, and pigs cheeks braised in red
wine with roast winter vegetables.
FRENCH
Valvona & Crolla VinCaff裣
(
0131-557 0088;
www.valvonacrolla.co.uk
; 11 Multrees Walk, St Andrew Sq; mains
£9-17; 8am-11pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun; )
Foodie colours dominate the decor at
this delightful Italian bistro - bottle-green pillars and banquettes, chocolate-and-cream-
coloured walls, espresso-black tables - a perfect backdrop for VinCaffè's superb antipasto
(£17.50 for two), washed down with a bottle of pink Pinot Grigio.
ITALIAN
SEAFOOD
Mussel Inn££
(
www.mussel-inn.com
;
61-65 Rose St; mains £9-23; noon-10pm; )
Owned by west-
coast shellfish farmers, the Mussel Inn provides a direct outlet for fresh Scottish seafood.
The busy restaurant, decorated indoors with bright beechwood, spills out onto the pave-
ment in summer. A 1kg pot of mussels with a choice of sauces - try leek, Dijon mustard
and cream - costs £12.20.
