Shish is a new, upmarket Turkish-style restaurant, within spitting distance of the university and the nearby mosque opened on Potterrow.
Born out of a desire to create a hub as the heart of the home, centred around the hearth where cooking and families come together and share in the occasion, the spacious restaurant lends itself to large gatherings, smaller group parties and more intimate dining occasions, and there is a private hire option
This was noticeable on the evening we visited with families of all ages dining and a group, with a toddler, celebrating a birthday in their own dining space, illuminated with a bright neon sign. They’ve already attracted some distinguished VIPs including First Minister Humza Yousaf and his political rival, Anas Sarwar.
Drawing on heritage and tradition, Shish is breaking with the tradition and is a ‘dry’ restaurant, born out of cultural beliefs, rather than not having a licence. There’s no option to BYOB, but fear not, (which I had initially), forget misconceptions that you can’t have a good night unless alcohol is involved. You won’t miss alcohol as the restaurant has plenty of alcohol-free (AF) mocktails, non-alcoholic wines, beers and drinks on offer, which are as theatrical, visually stunning and tasty as any alcoholic ones, but without the hangover.
My drink, a mocktail of a bottle of alcohol-free berry cider inverted into a fishbowl glass, with plenty of ice, was the drink that kept on giving. AZ, one of Shish’s founders and our host, helpfully instructed me ‘not to remove the bottle’ as the drink would overflow, but instead to sip from the glass, as the drink would deplete as I sipped! It took me 1.5 hours to drain its contents.
Shish’s interior is slick and has the air of Dubai style, ambient lighting and plush velvet seating and their restrooms are destined to be one of the most Instragrammable loos you’ll find in Edinburgh.
Their passionate team of internationally-experienced chefs, were keen for us to try a selection of dishes to showcase their menu. The mixed cold meze platter (£16.45), comprising of smooth, creamy hummus; Palican Sorgurme – a chargrilled eggplant with capsicums, onion, garlic, olive oil and paprika power; Kuru Cacik, similar to raita; Yaprak Sarma, a stuffed vine leave with rice, onion, cinnamon and raisins, were a good example of traditional Turkish dishes and flavours. These were enjoyed with their famous balloon bread, and a Sebzeli Pide, a flat pitta type bread topped with mushrooms, fresh spinach and cherry tomato – and they left out the kashkaval cheese, as my dining partner wasn’t a fan.
Be brave and do try the Ciger Tava (£8.45), from the Hot Mezze. It’s tender slices of pan-fried lamb’ liver, cayenne pepper and black pepper, which went surprisingly well with the Pancarli Roka (£7.45), a salad of rocket leaves, beetroot and pomegranate seeds, which cut through the richness of the liver.
For main courses, we shared the lamb Urfa Kebab (£19.45), and Izgara Tavuk Kanat (£18.45), chargilled chicken wings served in a wrap, both served with rice and salad.
Despite both being satiated, desserts were non-negotiable and despite asking for a small portion, we received a large slice of Baklava (£10.45), served with vanilla gelato. Unlike those I’ve tried before, surprisingly it wasn’t overly sweet, and was beautifully balanced with a good ratio of filo to pistachio nuts and honey.
Open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week, from noon until 11pm, make sure you put Shish on your culinary map now and discover warm, Turkish hospitality and food to match.
The staff are so welcoming and a special shout-out must go to Mumza, our delightful waitress, who exudes charm and personality. I can’t wait for an excuse to visit – and I guarantee it’s going to attract quite the crowd during the Fringe as it’ll be the perfect place to take a break away from the general hustle and bustle of the festival.
Shish Edinburgh – 32-34 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT – 0131 285 1678
