When we arrived at The Shore after our holiday, we swung the door open and tried to remember how to use the English language with strangers. They got the message. Emergency food was required, food with flavours.
There was bad news. An influx of Leithers meant that it would be 15 minutes before we could order. We’d waited 4 days for this, another 15 minutes wasn’t going to stop us. Plus there was bread to chew on whilst we waited. Bread that wasn’t stale. Bread with a delicious green herb and oil dip, our taste buds didn’t know what hit them.
Starters: The Shore Bar and Restaurant
The bread was followed by a delightfully crispy duck egg, the golden yolk oozed across the plate and smothered the asparagus and chorizo. This is what we’d been missing.(Our holiday food was bland….read more here)
We’d usually share a starter, but this meal was going to be pure indulgence.
Our other starter involved some Tempura Soft Shell Crab with an Asian salad, drizzled with a soy and wasabi dip. Succulent crab, covered in a crispy batter with a flavoursome salad. Lovely stuff.
Mains: The Shore Bar and Restaurant
I had it on good authority that the steaks were fantastic at The Shore Bar and Restaurant. It was. A huge chunk of meat, a little unevenly cooked due to the shape and size, but still tender, juicy and magnificently meaty.
After a week of refusing ‘burgers’ from our holiday buffet (the beer mats looked tastier), I was keen to try The Shore Bar’s burger. It’s the kind of burger you either have to cut, or forgo manners and dive face first into (obviously I opted for the latter).
£15 for a burger is pretty pricey, but you’d need three hands to hold it comfortably and it did come with some chunky chips, super crispy with a fluffy interior. Perfect.
Summary: The Shore Bar and Restaurant
The service was friendly, relaxed and often humorous. We definitely overate, but this was always one of our aims. We’ll almost certainly be back to The Shore Bar, the fish and chips looked pretty tempting, as did the fish pie. The atmosphere in the bar seemed pretty inviting, we would probably have stayed around after dinner if we weren’t both absolutely shattered and in urgent need of a lie-down.
This was everything we could have hoped for after our holiday away from flavours, we’ll be back for Shore.
Our bill came to £78.10, including a bottle of wine, two starters and mains and service.
Expect hearty meals at The Shore Bar in Leith, with friendly waiting staff and a cosy atmosphere. You’re unlikely to pass by the restaurant if you’re having a daunder around Leith, but we urge you not to overlook this hidden gem.
The Shore Bar, Leith
3 Shore, Edinburgh EH6 6QW (0131 553 5080)
This review is kindly provided by EdinBraw and was first published here.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
