richardbee's Qype profile

First a bit of background: back in 1994 when we first came to the area it was called 'Koggs' and was privately owned.  It was a nice cosy place with good food and a decent choice of wines, and it also functioned as a bar for non-diners, though that was a lesser part of the business.  Then after a few years the owners sold up to a brewery which gave it a 'makeover' to boost its bar side, renaming it The Old Mill, and destroyed a little of its cosiness in the process.  It soon closed - by this time the 'Laird and Dog', a stone's throw across the river bridge, had become the better place to go.  For a number of years various planning applications appeared seeking to demolish the building entirely and build unsightly blocks of flats on the site, which would have destroyed the essential riverside character of Lasswade.  None of these came to anything, and the building sat and quietly rotted.

Then to everyone's delight a new planning application was filed to renovate the building as a bar & restaurant, retaining the historic and distinctive exterior intact.  This duly opened its doors for the first time on 6 July and very nearly succumbed the next day to the extraordinary floods that were experienced over a wide area.  But they survived that and we eventually were able to try it three weeks after it opened. 

The interior has been completely revamped with a new layout which makes better use of the space and gives good access to the terrace that overlooks the river - their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/thepapermilllasswade has plenty of pictures to show what it's like (and of the very swollen river!).  Still very new, and even after three weeks the smell of fresh paint was noticeable.  A lot of bare wood - nice dark wood floors and sturdy dark wood tables to match, complemented by plain whitewashed brick walls.  Alas, all these hard surfaces reflect sound strongly and it was terribly noisy.  Although our table was as far as we could be from the bar area (where a lot of the noise is generated - including loud so-called music), it was still at a conversation killing level.  Carpets and table cloths are definitely needed to soak up some of the sound.  Certainly not a place to come for a romantic dinner à deux.

The menu has plenty of tempting options and claims to be all local produce, which I can believe.  My starter of local shellfish ravioli in a langoustine bisque was very tasty, though bore no recognisable resemblance to ravioli, being a large seafood dumpling clad in a rather eggy substance that bore only a very fleeting resemblance to pasta - nevertheless it was very nice, simply the description was somewhat off target.  I followed this with duck en croute, others in our party had sea bass or pork belly - all seemed pleased with their choices.

Alas, the service would make even Basil Fawlty blush - all the serving staff seem to be about 16 y.o. with absolutely no training, very slow and completely clueless.  There seemed to be no overall supervision to ensure that orders were taken promptly or to follow up with prompt delivery, or to see that one had everything required etc.  It was all so slow that we declined both the dessert menu (so I can't comment on that) and coffee, retiring to our friends' house to have our coffee there.  It had taken two hours from first arrival to getting to the end of our main course.

I hope that these are just teething troubles that can be overcome, as the food is very promising.  But the terrible service and the shocking noise levels require action.  We shall certainly try it again, but not too soon to give it time to improve - in its present state I can only rise to three stars for it.

Alas, Amore Dogs has now closed (as Qype insists I give a star rating, I've simply given it one as an indication it is no longer there - in its heyday it merited the full 5). 

It has been replaced by Seadogs, relocated from its former home in Rose Street.  Perhaps AD will be resurrected somewhere else in Edinburgh, but there's no hint of that on the main Dogs website.

I have lunch here about once a fortnight, and occasional pre-theatre dinners (it's very handy for the Festival Theatre). The food is simple but nice with a good variety and plenty of original ideas - the printed menu changes frequently, and there are always dishes of the day listed on the chalkboards. Service is always friendly, but speed can be erratic and sometimes ridiculously slow.

The decor is fun with an odd mix of secondhand tables & chairs and random bric-a-brac scattered about. The period windows are very elegant, but don't sit near them in winter as the old steel frames and single glazing can let in a lot of icy air! But for goodness sake don't replace them with anything modern. The large tables and excellent coffee seems to encourage a regular clientele of students with their laptops - I suspect the place has WiFi, but I've not checked that.

Certainly happy to revisit again and again.

There are several branches of Black Medicine Coffee Co in Edinburgh - the only one I've found on here is listed as being at 108 Marchmont Road, EH9 1BG, which I've not been to. However I do know the one at Barclay Terrace, Bruntsfield, just up the hill from the King's Theatre, which is the one I'm writing about here. Reading the other reviews, the extraordinary handcrafted wood furniture seems to be a trademark for all the branches, and it is certainly a talking point.

The Barclay Terrace branch is absolutely tiny inside - both times I've been it has been in a group of 5 and finding somewhere to sit was a bit of a challenge. But the coffee is certainly excellent. I've also sampled their bacon rolls (first-class) and the carrot cake, also excellent. I certainly would use it regularly if I lived in the area - I only visited when waiting for Davison's Kilt Hire, just across the main road, to open in the morning, or when I had been to a matinee at The King's. The staff are very friendly.

A relative newcomer to Edinburgh, this unusual restaurant earned a Michelin star in under one year, and deservedly so. The 21212 name derives from the menu, which comprises 2 starters, 1 soup, 2 main courses, 1 cheese course, 2 desserts. At lunchtime you can go for just 2, 3, 4 or 5 courses. There is an extensive wine list, and there are several wines available by the glass also.

The food itself comes in some startling combinations which work very well together, and is beautifully presented in a most elegant dining room. The lunchtime portions were fairly small, but by the time you have worked through five courses, you are amply satisfied. The prices are high, but worth it for the quality experience. The house itself is a fine Edinburgh Georgian townhouse magnificently restored to add modernity without spoiling the classical proportions or features. They also have a few bedrooms for those who wish to indulge in a splendid dinner and not have to go home afterwards.

A place for a special treat rather than a routine eatery. Reservations are strongly recommended, as it gets booked up far ahead at popular times.

A well designed and appointed resort hotel right on the beach at Tala Bay on the Red Sea. The beach itself is sandy and a suitable place for snorkelling, with fish & corals in the shallow waters: tip - use the hotel's own wooden jetty to enter the water or use rubber shoes, as the shallow water's edge can conceal poisonous stonefish. The hotel has a variety of excellent swimming pools, with plenty of sun loungers and large shades, so that you have ample choice to fry yourself in the strong Red Sea sunshine, or remain coolly in the shade. You don't even need to stir from your lounger to have light meals, drinks etc. brought to you by the hotel's very attentive staff. In the evening you can enjoy viewing spectacular sunsets over the sea and Egypt across the water. The hotel runs a free shuttle bus into the town of Aqaba if you want a change of scene, go shopping etc.

There is also a marina and a restaurant nearby, if you want a change from the hotel's various restaurants. The food in the hotel is good with lavish buffets for dinner, or lighter meals poolside or on the open-air terrace above the main restaurant.

Service throughout the resort is excellent, both efficient and friendly.

Very good choice and quality: portions are very generous. Does take rather longer for food to be ready, but it is worth the wait.

I never visited Kushi's before it moved from Victoria Street, so I don't have the basis of comparison that others have quoted.

I've certainly found the service to be very friendly and efficient, and there's plenty of choice. I've mainly had lunches there on occasions when Home Bistro across the road has been closed, plus the occasional pre-theatre evening meal. All fairly conventional Indian cuisine, but perfectly acceptable, and the pricing is very reasonable.

Small but very friendly bistro that specialises in the sort of food you might have at home, but with a distinct upmarket twist. For example, their 'beer battered cod' with chips is no ordinary fish and chips, but a succulent chunk of top quality cod accompanied by superb hand cut chips.

I have lunch here several times a month, and pre-theatre dinners too, and keep coming back. The menu is short, but all the better for it, as you know it will be freshly made, and not hauled out of a freezer.

Very friendly service from the proprietor, Roland, who serves all the customers single-handed with great efficiency.

The wine list has recently become rather pricey, and the coffee is rather ordinary but plentiful, as he will top up your cup with free refills.

At busy times, such as during the Festival and the Christmas season, booking is essential.

Another establishment that has closed down since the previous reviews were written.
Now replaced by Kushi's when they became homeless after their Victoria Street fire.
Again the software here insists that I add a star and price rating before I may submit this, so I've given it the rating it would have had if it was still there.