Wedgwood

Double chocolate brownie with blood orange sorbet

Nestled at the bottom of the Royal Mile, you’ll find Wedgwood. This fine dining eatery serves locally sourced, Scottish produce in a comfortable and unpretentious atmosphere. Having never visited Wedgwood before, we were excited to pay it a visit and sample their lunch menu.

Owned by husband and wife team, Paul and Lisa Wedgwood, the restaurant opened in 2007 and has gone from strength to strength. The service was exemplary. Staff were informed and attentive and more than happy to answer any questions about the origin of the ingredients, cooking techniques and anything else we needed to know.

The Menu

For starter, I chose the Beef Carpaccio served with pickled onion, bronzed fennel and parmesan crisps, while my friend chose the Celeriac velouté with crisp ox-tongue poached quails egg, almond and sprinkled with thyme. While both delicious, the celeriac velouté was light, smooth and warming – the perfect antidote to the blustery Scottish weather outside.

My main course was a hearty fillet of venison, stuffed with haggis and served with creamy champ, roast carrots and roast parsnips. While the venison was cooked beautifully and the vegetables roasted to perfection, the powerful flavour of peppery haggis overpowered the dish for me.

Fillet of venison stuffed with haggis and served with creamy champ and roast vegetables

For pudding, we opted for a Double chocolate brownie with blood orange sorbet and a tempting Sea buckthorn parfait with lemon curd, meringue and ice cream. While we were both very much looking forward to the chocolate delight, it was the meringue that truly triumphed – glassy, soft, smooth and luxurious. Truly, the best meringue I have ever tried.

Sea buckthorn parfait with lemon curd, meringue and ice cream

To accompany our meal, and having recently returned from South Africa, we chose a bottle of South Africa’s Cabernet Merlot from the Western Cape.

A popular choice

A popular destination for tourists due to its close proximity to the Royal Mile and many of Edinburgh’s city centre hotels, the team at Wedgwood are certainly kept busy. And, while the restaurant undeniably is part of the fine dining crowd, it is certainly good value for money with lunchtime deals at £14.75 for two courses and £18.75 for three.

As one would expect, the menu changes to reflect the seasons and the ingredients available. Quality is paramount to Chef Wedgwood, and it shows. While the food was rather delicious, the restaurant lacked the ambience we expected from an Edinburgh Old Town restaurant and we left slightly underwhelmed. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a tasty lunch and we have no doubt that Wedgwood will remain a firm fixture on the Edinburgh dining scene. A visit for the meringue alone is certainly worth the trip.

Find them: Royal Mile, 267 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8BQ

Contact them: 0131 558 8737

Website: www.wedgwoodtherestaurant.co.uk

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