The award-winning Mercat Bar in Edinburgh’s West End has just introduced a new menu. Additions like Guinea Fowl Supreme and Saddle of Lamb Chop offer a ‘cut above the pub norm’ with its focus very much on freshly prepared food, buying from local suppliers, good service and value for money prices. And on the wine front, the venue’s new wine list claims to be the only place in Edinburgh providing the French wine, Arrogant Frog in the white and red variety!
The Mercat Bar opens its doors at 9am, serving up a wide range of breakfast options from The Cranachan, which is oatmeal cereal infused with a hint of whisky raspberry yoghurt and fresh strawberries, sultanas and crushed biscuit (£4.95) to the full and hearty ‘Clansman’ breakfast boasting its 3oz steak, fried eggs, Lorne sausage, bacon, haggis, black pudding, potato scone, hash browns, mushrooms, tomato, baked beans and a floured bap (£9.95)! There are of course lighter options such as the bread basket (£1.95) or a choice of cereal (£1.95) to scrambled egg on toast (£3.95).
Keeping on the lighter theme, there’s a selection of alluring ‘light bites’ available for lunch, dinner or anytime in between with the likes of grilled chicken breast & avocado on freshly baked ciabatta bread (£6.95) to feta cheese, apple and walnut salad (£7.25). Also, for those ordering a light bite that require a little something extra, the soup of the day is available for only £1.75 (normally priced at £3.25).
At lunch or for an evening meal, The Mercat has put together a whole new selection of starters to tickle those taste buds. On the fresh fish front, there’s smoked mackerel served on crisp salad with poached egg and drizzled with a red onion & wine jus (£4.95), king prawns marinated in chilli and lime and grilled on skewers (£5.25) to moules mariniere (£4.95).
There’s also haggis and black pudding with bashed neeps, champit tatties and a Drambuie sauce (£4.95) and vegetarian options like red pepper hummus made with red peppers, garbanzo beans, garlic, lemon juice and served with crusty bread and olives (£4.95).
Moving onto mains, from Pyramids to the pub, the guinea fowl whose image is represented on Egypt’s famous Pyramids is now on the pub’s menu! Sourced from a great local supplier, the pan fried guinea fowl is served with a sauce of shallots, white wine, tarragon and cream (£9.25). There’s honey glazed duck (£9.95), North Sea haddock (£9.50) to roasted aubergine slices with mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, rocket and a pesto sauce (£5.95).
And for those that relish the finest of prime matured Aberdeen Angus beef, chose from the renowned Mercat’s six, ten or 16 ounce rib eye, sirloin or t-bone steaks served with onion rings, mushrooms, tomatoes and chips plus a choice of sauces – priced from £9.50 to £21.95.
For those capable of squeezing in a dessert, The Mercat has introduced some tempting new sweets – with its homemade banoffee pie (£3.95), chocolate mint parfait (£4.25) to raspberry cranachan (£4.25).
On the drinks front, The Mercat Bar & Restaurant stocks an extensive range of quality beers, lagers, ales, wines and spirits. The new wine list offers a great variety of white and red wines – with every one available by the glass. And the Arrogant Frog – the fine French wine available in a white (Chardonnay-Viognier) for £16.95 a bottle or by the glass and in red (Syrah-Viognier) for £17.50 per bottle or by the glass.
The Mercat Bar & Restaurant
28 West Maitland Street
Edinburgh
Tel. 0131 225 8716
Visit www.mercatbar.com for more information.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
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