Where I ate in Edinburgh (September 2018)

Golly how quickly time seems to fly when you have a monthly activity like paying bills or writing a monthly blog series! It barely feels like a week since I sat down to write August's "Where I ate in Edinburgh" post. Anyway, September has been a fabulous month in more ways than one but particularly good with regards to food. A few highlights include crossing something off my bucket list, returning to old favourites and trying somewhere new. Keep scrolling to find out where I ate in Edinburgh - September 2018!

1. Las Iguanas / 141-143 George Street

I started the month of September off with dinner at Las Iguanas. They very kindly invited me to dine at their George Street restaurant with a friend. Since my good friend Colette loves Spanish food, after work we headed for a catch up over tapas. Being a vegetarian,  I was pleased to see they not only had various options but also a separate menu. We opted to have their Mushroom Quesadilla, Dadinhos, Palm Hearts and two Cheese & Mango Empanadas. Click here to see their whole menu.

2. Restoration Yard / Dalkeith Country Park

Next, I paid one of my other good friends Naomi a visit. She stays near Dalkeith Country Park and we had been talking about me visiting for quite some time. We enjoyed a lovely stroll around the park and finished with a cuppa (and in my case a slice of lemon tart) at the Restoration Yard's Cafe.

3. @Pizza / 4 Charlotte Lane

I remember this day being rather hectic and I had two events back to back in the evening so I was in need of a filling dinner. Since I was in Edinburgh's West End, I nipped in to see my friends at @pizza and enjoy one of their pizzas. I was really in the mood for something savoury and something sweet so I cheekily asked if it would be possible to have half of my regular pesto and mozzerella pizza with their Vanilla Sky dessert pizza. Huge thanks to Michael for making it happen! It was delicious.

4. Rosevear / 17 Clerk Street

After telling my mum all about Rosevear's lovely teas and amazing scones with Rose or Violet jam, the next time she was in town it was the first place we headed. One of Rosevear's lovely owners Isabelle was in which made the experience extra special. Honestly, if you haven't been in yet (despite whether you're an avid tea drinker or not), I highly recommend visiting any of their stores and in particular their Clerk Street store if you're after their scones and jam!

5. Angel with Bagpipes / 343 High Street

It's always very exciting when you get the chance to cross something off your bucket list and dining at Angel with Bagpipes was definitely fairly high on my Edinburgh Bucketlist. I have to give a huge thank you to Open Table for inviting me to dine with them for lunch. OpenTable is the world’s leading online restaurant booking service and over lunch, they revealed a few insights into the city of Edinburgh’s dining habits. For example, the most popular way to dine in Edinburgh is dinner for two people at 7.00pm plus apparently, we are incredibly complimentary diners - reviewing local restaurants at an average rating of 4.4 stars! With regards to the meal, it was absolutely exquiste and did not disappoint!
Also, fun fact, did you know that Angel with Bagpipes got its name from the church across the street, St Giles, who have a tiny statue of an angel with bagpipes? Apparently, the only one in the world!
 

6. Roseleaf / 23-24 Sandport Place

Whenever I have an excuse to visit Leith I always get rather excited as it's not an area I often get a chance to explore! I was down for a meeting and planned to go to one of my favourite places, the Roseleaf, for a late lunch. Having previously been, and absolutely loved it, I was worried that my expectations were too high to live up to but they did not disappoint! I had their “Skip to the Beet” wrap with homemade chips and salad. Admittedly, it did take a while for the food to come out as everything is prepared fresh, so if you were in a hurry it might not be the best but in my opinion, it's worth the wait!

7. Baba Budan / 17 East Market Street

Baba Budan is tucked away in one of The Arches units on Market Street, they serve up great drinks and specialise in doughnuts - what's not to like! I met up with a friend before catching my train home to Fife and since Baba Budan is close to the station, it was the perfect spot. I had a hot chocolate and James had one of their vegan buns!

8. Leo's Beanery / 23A Howe Street

Where better to finish the month than at one of my favourite little cafes. You'll find Leo's Beanery in Edinburgh's Georgian New Town on Howe Street. I've been many a time with my book and have enjoyed many a cup of hot chocolate with a brownie or cheese scone. So when they were kind enough to invite me to brunch, I naturally accepted! I was very intrigued by their Croque-mon-scone (a toasted cheese scone with melted cheddar, tomato, and spinach or with Parma ham) so couldn't resist trying one of them. I was feeling a bit peckish after walking from my flat so I also opted to have their banana bread with mascarpone and seasonal compote, plus a hot chocolate to wash it all down. It was utterly delicious!

See you in October!