Sizzling Scot Restaurant, Edinburgh, Review, Location
Sizzling Scot, Edinburgh : Dining Review
Eating Out in Edinburgh, Scotland
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Sizzling Scot Restaurant
Locations: Dalry Road + Hanover Street, Edinburgh
Sizzling Scot Review : Dalry Road Restaurant
We’d read a positive review of this Edinburgh restaurant in The Scotsman and were keen to check it out: could it really be true that such a committed foodie joint was located outwith the city centre, in Dalry?
The place is welcoming enough, decent décor but for us too much connected with the everyday outside. The windows are simply too large, and need reduction somehow – blinds, sandblasting, whatever. There is one cosy table high up and set back from the window and it looked tempting for us. Normally we would ask to be moved but it was set for four and we decided to err on the side of politeness and stick at the face of the fishbowl.
The review and advertising for Sizzling Scot focuses on the fact that they concentrate hard on using indigenous ingredients, eg the steak is Scottish. This should be the norm. The recent opening of a restaurant on George IV Bridge focused on Argentinian steaks is ridiculous when you think of the carbon footprint of each meal. This focus is backed up by an explanatory leaflet on each table. We found this interesting but there is a flipside. It rubbed up someone I talked to as they felt the chips and onion rings were the same old cooked-from-frozen fare you get anywhere. So the restaurant has to follow through on all occasions, to make a claim they have to back it up with quality. My maxim would be under-promise and over-deliver.
Service:
Our friendly Australian was timid and rushed at first but started to relax and we ended up having a pleasant chat. Service was prompt and we were checked on a couple of times outwith food service, just right for us. However just like our last review – at the Rocks – we felt the initial service slow. We might be unusual but when we get somewhere we like to get a drink on the table within the first few minutes, certainly within five. Guest should be cosseted when they arrive and sitting like spare dinners is not part of that process. This is not a dig at this restaurant but an observation that Scottish restaurants need to improve this aspect.
Starters:
Isabelle went for the traditional Prawn Cocktail, massive glass, masses of prawns. She couldn’t finish it but it was really tasty and fresh.
I went for a selection of Scottish sausages on a bed of mustard mash, venison and wild boar, both scrumptious.
Mains:
Isabelle decided she wanted the venison burger without the bun. The venison was chargrilled and very tasty, if a touch dry, but at least it wasn’t oily. This came with a jungle of salad, which she valiantly tried to devour. It would have been nice with vinegarette or an option of oil, balsamic vinegar, etc. The dishes come with a choice of four mashes or chips. Isabelle went for the successful mustard mash.
My choice was a char-grilled breast of chicken on a bed of haggis with a gaelic-titled sauce. The chicken was not at all dry and offset the poignant flavours of the haggis. The boiled carrots and broccoli were a tad watery: I prefer them to be steamed and al dente, however I guess many people like them fully boiled. It might have been a good idea to introduce some more unusual vegetables such as locally-grown pak choi, fennel, red onion, mange tout.
Dessert:
Isabelle chose cranachan, pre-prepared and too heavy. Sizzling Scot should skip the pre-prepared desserts as pudding should be freshly made, especially given the emphasis on food quality being pushed. The rotating vertical pudding display cabinet also gives off a harsh neon light which combined with the massive windows to damage the atmosphere.
I went for the traditional Pavlova and this too was excellent, like the Prawn Cocktail a blast from the past which some might scoff at but why not, classic dishes that went out of fashion (certainly the Prawn Cocktail) but could easily be rehabilitated.
Summary:
We would come here again and pick the cosy table up at the back. We agree with the commitment to indigenous produce and applaud it. Overall the food was tasty and well-cooked. If you like generous portions this place will be ideal!
Sizzling Scot restaurant – Review: 8 July 2007
Address: 103-105 Dalry Road, Edinburgh EH11 2AB
Contact: +44 (0)131 337 7744
Address: Sizzling Scot, 109 Hanover Street, Edinburgh EH2 1DJ
Contact: +44 (0)131 226 6990
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