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 | Simon: London, United Kingdom 2009-07-03 11:59:51 | |
| Haldanes |
| Restaurant review at Haldanes, Edinburgh |
 Sauntering through elegant Edinburgh will result in the urban equivalent of a highland appetite, so what better way than to mooch down a couple more backstreets and eat some local spoils.
We found ourselves at Haldanes, a cosy basement restaurant in the depths of the Albany hotel, an unpretentious looking place that reminded me of the sort of thing my parents used to take me to as a child, it has a certain whiff of the seventies about it, the brown and cream colour scheme, the comfy furnishings redolent of that era, and even a coal effect fire to chase away the cool basement air and cosy up the atmosphere, no bad thing when you witness every other restaurant falling over itself in some desperate attempt to be ‘now’, so in my opinion there really is nothing too wrong with remaining a little bit ‘then’. But be under no interior style delusion this is modern Scottish dining.
I was reliably informed that the owners, George and Michelle Kelso, have been awarded a variety of accolades including 2AA Rosettes - held since 1997 and Scottish City Chef of the Year 2004, so they have clearly proved their worth by bringing a level of finesse to some traditional favourites.
This menu is full of promise, not overly long which is a good sign, limit the choice, lengthen the ambition, my partner plumps for Haggis, a first in her book, and probably best not overly described for there is everything to enjoy in a Haggis except of course all the ingredients. So I choose wisely to pipe down and abstain from the truth of the sheep’s ‘pluck’. It arrives delicately sliced on a puree of ‘neeps and tatties’ there is a light mousse like quality and we crown it the Prince of sausages. I had smoked haddock and salmon, hacked into delicious little globules followed by the beef, exceptionally succulent as its cooking length implies, it obediently fell apart from a single slap of my fork. Njide had the rack of lamb which she shared with a hint of reluctance, the piece I commandeered I can honestly say was some of the most tender I have ever eaten, pink and buttery it hardly required any chewing at all. We both wrestled with a huge and robust Portuguese red and felt we stood our ground within the tidy and thoughtful wine list.
The wunderkind head chef introduced himself and suggested we share a platter taking in the entire desert menu, I subsequently suffered a prepubescent sugar rush most of which was down to the chocolate sundae.
It’s a simple formula, but it works well, exceptional ingredients, traditional nosh, but with that essential twist.
Haldanes Restaurant, 39A Albany Street, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH3 6QG
Fixed-price lunch £9.50; dinner main courses £16-£23
Set menu £22.75 for two courses; £27.75 for three courses
Tel: 0131 556 8407; www.haldanesrestaurant.com
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 | Njide: London, United Kingdom 2009-07-02 18:52:30 | |
| The George Hotel |
| Review on The George Hotel, Edinburgh |
 I'm lying on a plush golden sofa in my junior suite with a chocolate covered strawberry in one hand and a freshly made choc-chip cookie in the other, that the concierge has just delivered. Greedy and opulent at the same time perhaps, but I was thoroughly enjoying every bite. From this angle, I could watch the jaunty-paced heart of Edinburgh city go by and indulge in my own private cocoa Idaho. My behaviour is not indicative of my personality, but derived from the extravagance that surrounds me.
Darkly rich and sumptuous is indicative of this suite, if not the classy, new town district we had found ourselves in. On arrival, I was amazed by the Georgian architecture – large, soft, sandstone blocks formed in a shape reminiscent of the finest bar of chocolate. The lobby was aligned with smoked salmon coloured pillars with the plinth and capital finished off with a soft white varnish. There was even a grand staircase complete with chandelier that I couldn’t help but climb up, only to walk back down again in Kate Winslet/ Titanic fashion.
The junior suite walls were painted a yellow ocha, save the flock floral wallpaper behind – one of two – large, flat screen televisions. The thick light-thwarting curtains continued to soften and warm up the space and the triple glazed floor to ceiling windows drowned out the Scottish sounds of the elegant George Street.
As I approached the bathroom, a large gold-framed mirror reflected a very happy bunny (me), with a chocolate ring around my mouth. After freshening up with the complimentary Aveda toiletries, I wandered into the plum-toned bedroom to find, again to my delight, a rather large, incredibly soft bed with enough pillows and cushions to lavishly smother myself in. I’ve never been that excited to go sleep, but first I had to witness what Edinburgh dining had to offer. Accompanied by my eating partner in crime, Simon, we arrived back in the lobby (down the grand staircase, of course) and proceeded to the restaurant Tempus where we were greeted by a very nice flute of champagne and a warm Scottish smile by the maitre d’.
With 199 bedrooms, the average rate per night starts at £89.
Hotel The George, 19 - 21 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PB, Scotland
www.edinburghgeorgehotel.co.uk
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| Simon: London, United Kingdom 2009-07-02 18:39:49 | |
| Tempus |
| Restaurant review at the George Hotel, Edinburgh |
 Standing on the swanky end of George Street just a sparkly stones throw from Harvey Nicks, you’ll find the George Hotel, cloaked in vintage glamour this two hundred year old grand dame has just undergone a very expensive bit of cosmetic surgery. It’s the kind of swish interior makeover that is vibrant yet subtle enough not to make your granny blush by wearing a mini skirt.
Within this buildings trendy renaissance lies Tempus (the Latin for ‘Time’) an opulent space promising smart but informal dining, my initial impression was the high level of comfort, inspiring a confidence that the kitchen here knows what its doing. There are modern Bistro regulars like the aged Buccleuch rib eye, and burgers with Jenga style stacked chips, more complex flavours were to be found in the balanced but adventurous menu.
Accompanied by ‘Let them eat Cake’ magazines editor in chief, the irrepressible and gorgeous Njide and I nestled into one of the sumptuously upholstered booths and canoodled with the menu, she chose a tart of Loch Fyne salmon, which was generous and deep, I stabbed at the grilled squid with black pudding and smoked bacon salad which was feisty and memorable. Our main courses didn’t disappoint either, she chose the roasted duck with unctuous slow roasted oranges, this was accompanied by coronary of fondant potato, and I found myself developing plate envy. I went for the lamb, a juicy rump with Savoy cabbage and minted nicoise olives that were bold and good.
We sloshed down a truly cracking Australian Riesling that accommodated the wide choice of flavours comfortably.
Dessert comprised of me having a Passion fruit crème brulee, sweet but surprisingly more-ish, Njide chose the bread and butter pudding in a lake of toffee, rum and raisins, not exactly what you might call a ‘swimwear dessert’ but then there is no pool at the George anyway.
Now I’m not one to have an overly formal dining experience all shushed up with nothing more audible than the clinking of cutlery and the odd cough, but that said the music (some sort of deep house style) was loud enough to be intrusive, my tip; turn the music down or even off and let the energy and buzz of this restaurant speak for itself.
Tempus restaurant: Starters: £4.25 - £8.95. Mains: £12.00 - £18.00. Pudding: £5.50.
Tempus Bar meals: Main course: Mussels, Salads, Sandwiches etc, £6.00 - £9.50.
House wine at reasonable prices - £12.95. bottle (glass £ 3.25) Glass of house champagne, £6.00, bottle £25.00.
Tempus cocktails - £5.45.
Tempus at The George Hotel, Edinburgh 19-21 George Street, Edinburgh. For reservations e-mail info@eh2tempus.co.uk or telephone 0131 240-7197
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 | Elliott James: London, United Kingdom 2009-07-02 15:56:19 | |
| Lanvin, the man clutch and me... |
| Wardrobe inspiration from Milan and Paris menswear week... |
 What does a well-dressed, 21st century man like myself wear in the face of a blazing heatwave? Why, of course, A SKIRT AND A CLUTCH.
Perhaps you've read about the rise of the man-skirt and the man-clutch, the former made famous by Marc Jacobs and the second made infamous by designer James Long. But after the Milan menswear shows (and a particularly inspiring well-dressed crowd outside Giuliano Fujiwara), I've found myself wearing both of these womenswear staples- at once!
One guy had wrapped a plaid shirt round his shorts to look like a skirt; loads others were carrying small slouchy bags, maybe they were washbags, wallets and pochettes in their hands. One guy had even made a paper bag into a Chanel clutch (though the next day he had a fake orange moustache and a t-shirt with 'I heart dick' on it).
Next thing I know I'm wrapping my cardigan over a pair of shorts. Voila! A home-made man skirt (hopefully it's more Number (N)ine than Jane Norman). It's become my new favourite obsession, and not once did anyone on the Milan streets look twice. And yes, it did look like a proper skirt- the shorts and cardie both the same colour- but surprisingly flattering.
I've taken to carrying my wallet around like a clutch too, alongside a notebook and pen. Why so obsessed? Because these small details were over so many people and catwalk shows for next summer it somehow feels like a mini revolution. But the last word has to come from my favourite label, Lanvin- the best show of the season, the best man clutch of the season, impeccably chic and so well-designed in this look to be almost... normal. Weird that subversion should look so sleek. |
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 | Cheryl: London, United Kingdom 2009-06-30 12:35:14 | |
| The New King of Snapshot |
| Master Chair by Knotan |
Photographer Knotan, has produced a brilliant series of self-portraits for our Spring '09 issue for Let Them Eat Cake, and releases his first book, 'Master Chair'. The book divulges into his love for photography, life and people. Expect sexy, funny and tender tendancies.
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