Fine dining without the pretentiousness…
Wedgwood the Restaurant towards the bottom of the Royal Mile is a fine dining experience at its best but without any of the pretentiousness. Having dined there only once before (and having thoroughly enjoyed it) I was excited to be asked back to review it.
Wedgwood is owned by Paul Wedgwood and Lisa Channon who are passionate about not only excellent food and wine but also the perfect dining experience. They opened in 2007 with the aim of having a restaurant which would provide the perfect night out in relaxed and enjoyable surroundings.
Interestingly tables at the Wedgwood are not “turned”. Dining is a time to be enjoyed and patrons are never rushed at Wedgwood the Restaurant with diners welcome to stay for as long as they wish. I found the service at the restaurant to be excellent. The staff are attentive and efficient without being interfering. They seem to know exactly when you need them. Their knowledge of the dishes is also excellent and Lisa manages the front of house team perfectly.
Paul the head chef started his career in the Lake District working under celebrity chef John Tovey who he says he found particularly inspiring. Paul also gains inspiration for dishes from regular travels around the world and is renowned for using interesting wild herbs and salads which he forages himself.
Celia and I were invited to review Wedgwood the Restaurant at the end of last year and I must say it proved to be a wonderful and relaxing evening. We were first treated to 3 canapés; Ginger and Squash Velouté (the perfect winter warmer!), ham hock terrine with saffron aioli and poached lobster salad, all of which we enjoyed greatly and which only served to whet our appetite.
For starter we chose the pork belly and an aubergine wrap. The confit of pork belly was excellently presented with crispy black pudding, tarragon aioli and delicious sweet pickled apple which set the pork off beautifully. Celia opted for the aubergine and truffled mushroom wrap with Jerusalem artichoke, hazelnuts, parmesan and rocket – delicious, light and very, very tasty.
We were then given a wee palate cleanser – ginger beer with raspberry coulis and lime sorbet balls. Now if I had read what it was before I drank it, I would have been a little unsure of the mix but it was incredibly refreshing and the perfect little shot to get us ready for our main course. The ginger beer mixed with the sorbet was like drinking an ice cold cocktail, Mmm. (and thankfully non-alcoholic! Ed.)
For main course we both went for meat:- Scottish beef fillet and Lamb loin. I don’t usually choose lamb but the seaweed crusted lamb loin rather intrigued me. Again beautifully presented with braised lamb neck (mouth wateringly tender), truffled goat’s cheese dauphinoise, black pudding and anchovy cream. The dauphinoise were exceptional, and from a girl who is a bit of a dauphinoise connoisseur I must say these were some of the best I had tasted. Celia’s beef fillet was just what you would expect from Wedgwood, perfectly cooked and deliciously tender. The beef was accompanied by Haggis sauce (Celia couldn’t resist it) and new potato fries.
Having enjoyed 2 courses, canapés and a cleanser you would think we wouldn’t have room for pud, but having seen the menu we couldn’t resist. (oh no not again…what happened to the diet? Ed.)
Chocolate and peanut butter mousse to die for (I would highly recommend even if it means breaking a diet or exercising hard for the next week) and a very sticky toffee pudding which is also very much worth the indulgence.
All in all, Wedgwood the Restaurant is an exceptional dining experience – exactly what Paul and Lisa wanted it to be. If you want to relax and enjoy delicious food and great wine you need to get along there soon!
Wedgwood also provide outside catering for events in your home or office which is always something to bear in mind if you need something really special for parties and functions.
Wedgwood the Restaurant , Royal Mile, 267 Canongate, EH8 8BQ. 0131 558 8737
The Reporter Food reviewer, Holly Jones, is a partner in The Lifestyle Company Scotland You can follow the company and their lifestyle tips on Twitter
