Angels with Bagpipes

It is the sign of a good menu when you really can’t choose. I could have happily eaten any of the six starters at Angels with Bagpipes and really struggled to narrow it down from my top four to one. If only I’d had a companion to talk into ordering all my favourites and sharing. Ha.

The Good Food Guide describes Angels with Bagpipes as modern European, but the focus is strongly on local produce and the menu is peppered with modern takes on Scottish classics. Take for example Cullen Skink with warm smoked haddock and Mull cheddar or Haggis with kohlrabi, potato, mushroom and whisky sauce. Eventually I settled on the Haggis since I hadn’t had any in Scotland yet and I felt I really ought to.

I had only had haggis once before and I remember liking it but nothing more. This, on the other hand, was really memorable; rich and slightly spicy, similar in flavour to a typical pork sausage but with more depth. The whiskey sauce brought creaminess without being too heavy and the mushrooms earthiness. The only real downfall was that the potato cubes were not crisp because the dish really could have been lifted with some more defined textural contrasts.

There was more umming and ahhing over the mains. It took some time to eventually decide that it was ok not to go for something typically Scottish. The Hake with chorizo, tomato, aubergine, anchovy and salsa verde was what I really wanted. I felt like something fresh, bright and colourful and that is exactly what it proved to be.

The hake was perfectly cooked; firm but moist with a delightfully crispy skin. Oven roasted cherry tomatoes had such a depth of flavour that they tasted like they had been sun-dried in the Med.  The aubergine came in two textures, which was fun – deep-fried and as a creamy puree – and paired well with the salsa verde, which was garlicky and herbaceous, but not as vinegary or salty as I like to make it. I assume this was intentional since these aspects of the dish came from other ingredients; deep fried white anchovies and capers (acidity) and chorizo (salt).

Interestingly, it was the chorizo and fish combo that attracted me to the dish, but I think it would have worked just as well without the chorizo. Nonetheless, it was a well rounded dish with a great balance of textures and flavours.

I was stuffed after the weekend’s excesses, which was a pity because there was an interesting selection of desserts. Apple crumble with Guinness ice cream and cider stood out, alongside Arctic roll with chocolate, fennel pollen ice cream and prunes. It was mainly the interesting flavours of ice cream that caught my eye so I opted for a scoop of each for a light finish.

I was most intrigued by the Guinness flavour but I didn’t necessarily expect to like it. It did actually taste like Guinness and somehow it really worked; slightly bitter to start with a faint fizziness followed by a more hearty, yeasty flavour with a hint of coffee.  The fennel pollen ice cream tasted only subtly of aniseed and was much sweeter so they made a good pair. Great flavours, but unfortunately the ice cream itself wasn’t very good – more icy than creamy.

I didn’t drink – I’d had my fair share over the weekend  – but they seemed to have a good selection of wines starting at £19 for the house and working steadily up to some higher end bottles around the £100 mark. There were lots of options for bubbles, a decent number of wines by the glass and a few half bottles too.

The staff were extremely accommodating, giving me the space and time to make up my mind but also on hand to answer a number of questions when I was getting close to deciding. The bill came to just under £30 which, even without alcohol, was exceptionally good value for such a fine meal, especially given the restaurant’s location on the Royal Mile.

I dined at all ends of Edinburgh’s vibrant food scene over that weekend and, while I was suitably impressed by the top-end tasting menu at Restaurant Martin Wishart, if you take value for money into the equation then Angels with Bagpipes wins hands down. It had all the sophistication and elegance of a fine dining meal, without the price tag.

Angels with Bagpipes:  343 High Street, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1PW; +44 (0)131 220 1111; info@angelswithbagpipes.co.uk

Mon-Sun: 12pm-10pm

Entrees from £5.95 to £11.75; Mains from £12.95 to £17.50

Comments

[Charlie Brown]

YUM! its all looks wonderful. I love that you said you were completely stuffed but got ice cream anyway, although I'm not particularly surprised. I am surprised however, at your lack of drinking! Very abstemious indeed!

[Vix]

Hi Cha - If you had drunk as much as me over the course of that weekend, you wouldn't have wanted to drink either. It wasn't through any willpower, but rather an inability... x