Forget the comedy, theatre and music that’s part of the Edinburgh Festival. We plan to eat our way through the month instead.
In fact, we’ve had to invest in more forgiving trousers, since there are so many pop-ups and new restaurants to pique our appetite this August.
BROSS BAGELS LIMITED EDITION
Scottish actor, Alan Cumming, is back at the Edinburgh International Festival this year, with his show Burn at the King’s Theatre from August 4-10. Thus, Bross Bagels invited him to celebrate by creating a signature vegan offering, and the result is The Holesome Cumming, which will be available indefinitely. It contains Macsween vegan haggis, beef tomato, smoked cheese, latke, pickled red onions and chilli mayo, and is available at their St James Quarter, Portobello and Bruntsfield venues. Cumming says; “I have performed for world leaders, I have honorary doctorates, I have been on a stamp, people have even tattooed my likeness onto their bodies. But all that pales in significance now. Being embodied in bagel form really takes the biscuit.”
Check out this gin distillery’s lovely new home, at one of their pop-up Summer Supper Clubs that will run every Monday throughout August. They’ve got a top line up of guest restaurants including pasta purveyors Aemilia (August 15) and Leftfield (August 22), all offering tasting menus starting at £40pp and going up to £65pp. Heron has the final spot on August 30, and their menu consists of Isle of Wight tomato tartlet, then Lind & Lime cured mackerel, citrus, fig leaf and gooseberry; spiced duck, pithivier and Phantassie salad, as well as a raspberry and Valrhona chocolate delice, plus a gin and tonic.
24 Coburg Street, www.lindandlime.com
Edinburgh chef Barry Bryson is going to take guests on an undersea odyssey, except on a Leith industrial estate, with his Barry Fish pop-up. It’ll run on various evenings throughout August, and maybe beyond, and features a tasting menu that will showcase Welch Fishmongers’ finest produce. If you want to book your place, check out Bryson’s Instagram @chefbarrybryson for the latest dates to be released and contact info.
This independent street food business, owned by Glasgow-based pals Suki Jayaratne and Shehan Fernando, usually pops up at festivals and markets, but has just laid down some roots at St James Quarter’s Bonnie & Wild, in the former spot of Chix. They offer an exciting Sri Lankan menu that includes their signature kotthu curry, which is made from chopped roti, egg, onions and a choice of meat or veggies, as well as savoury crepes called hoppers.
After you’ve eaten your curry, try an excellent brew from one of our favourite Edinburgh coffee shops and roasters. They’ve replaced Broken Clock, and are situated just inside the entrance of Bonnie & Wild, so you can book-end your visit with plenty of caffeine, or take away some of their beans for later.
ARGILE
This box fresh Marchmont destination features a “chef’s table” concept, so you can watch your dinner (£85, including service charge) being prepared by chef and owner, Jack Montgomery, who has experience at Michelin-starred restaurants, The Peat Inn and Jardin des Sens in Montpellier. His new venue’s sample eight course tasting menu opens with the “crisp sandwich”, which consists of chicken skin with liver parfait and preserved cherry, and there’s also a course of crab with salsify, buttermilk and kelp, plus a caramelised white chocolate fondant with salted pistachio pudding. There are only eight seats, so make your booking quickly.
21 Argyle Place, www.argilerestaurant.co.uk
The latest project from MasterChef: The Professionals 2018 finalist, Dean Banks, has opened in the former premises of L’Escargot Blanc. It’s two minutes from his other venue, Dean Banks at The Pompadour, though the new two-level restaurant and bar has a more casual seafoody vibe. Drinks include the signature dulse martini, and there are dishes such as halibut with kimchi mayonnaise, or small plates of lobster crumpet with yuzu brown butter or raw Orkney scallop, umeboshi plum, strawberry and elderflower.
17 Queensferry Street, www.dulse.co.uk
ELEANORE X THE FINE CIDER COMPANY
If you prefer apples to grapes, you might want to join this excellent restaurant for a special pop-up on Sunday August 14 and Monday 15, from 1.30pm until 8pm. For £65pp, there will be seven courses, including trout, nasturtium, saffron and tomato jelly; crab chou farci and bisque, and apple tarte tatin. Bookings open online.
30-31 Albert Place, www.eleanore.uk
You can now get your wine, cheese, charcuterie and toastie fix at this company’s new branch at Portobello, which joins their ever popular original Stockbridge venue. Just as well, because sea air makes us very hungry.
254 Portobello High Street, www.smithandgertrude.com
PORTY VAULT
Talking of Portobello, it’s where you’ll find this new taproom, bottle shop and BBQ, from the people behind Vault City Brewing. Alongside craft beer, mead, cider, wine and their own sour beers, the food, served at lunch and dinner, is cooked on their US imported smoker. We’d go for the St Louis style pork spare rib or smokehouse wings, along with sides of cowboy baked beans, cornbread and green chilli hominy.
243 Portobello High Street, www.vaultcity.co.uk
POTTERROW PLAZA
Edinburgh University Students’ Association is opening four Fringe spaces for 2022. These include the new Potterow Plaza in front of the Pleasance Dome, where there will be a bar, food from Mint, who serve flatbread wraps, as well as two interactive simulation performances installed by the Pleasance Theatre Trust. This year you’ll also find street food vendors Beach House, Pizza Geeks and Babu Kitchen in the Pleasance Courtyard. While, on Charles Street, outside the Gilded Balloon at Teviot venue, there are Bross Bagels, Mac Love and Screaming Peacock, with Linton & Co brownie makers and Canadian wonders Down the Hatch at The Gilded Balloon at Teviot.
