We were kindly asked a few months ago to come along and sample Dine’s spring Market Menu and although summer is on its way, the spring menu is a firm favourite and great value. Read on to find out more.
Location
Dine is located next to the Usher Hall and the Traverse Theatre – right in the heart of theatre-land and the financial district, so the market menu is a great value option if you are looking to see a show or wanting a bite to eat after work without ratcheting up a big bill.
Arrival
Dine has a bit of a ‘destination restaurant’ feel to it as you ascend the staircase to the upper floor where passing the illuminated Dine sign which is set into a green backed wall. As we opened the door to the restaurant we were greeted by not one but two receptionists and given a warm welcome. We were booked in for six pm and it was a gloriously sunny day so I was slightly concerned that it might be quiet, but thankfully I was very wrong, the restaurant was busy with a good buzz to it.
Our jackets were taken and stored away for safe keeping and we were offered cocktails to start the evening off with over in the cocktail lounge, who can say no to a cocktail! The cocktail lounge has seats by the bar and Chesterfield sofas over in the other side. We picked a sofa and settled in for the night.
They have a concise list of premium cocktails and then pages and pages of spirits and wines to pick from. The menu does say if you want a classic cocktail to just ask so I went for my goto a Margarita. My dining parter went out his comfort zone and picked from the premium option a Devil’s Negroni.
The Devils Negroni is all about ‘theatre’ and arrives in a bell jar filled with smoke. Worth pointing out that classic cocktails cost just £5 with the seasonal menu so bargains to be had!
Menu
We enjoyed our cocktails and started looking through the market menu options. We have eaten in Dine a while ago to try out the A La Carte and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I know the quality of food and presentation is top-notch.
The market menu is a scaled down version of the A La Carte offering, with four starters, mains and desserts (with the menu changing monthly). Ingredients are locally sourced and in season and the finger is firmly on food provenance with meats from the Scottish Borders and fish from Scotland’s fine shores.
Food
So here is what we chose……..
Starters
I opted for the Chargrilled Tomato And Basil Pesto, which is served with a half tomato that has been grilled but still has some bite to it, a dollop of pesto, small rocket salad and marinated Mozzarella.
And my dining partner went for the Smoked Haddock Pate, which is quite a generous portion, coming with a seeded cracker, cucumber salad and sprinkling of dill to balance the taste of the haddock. Both starters were really tasty, I would say the Haddock dish had the edge, though.
Mains
I went for the Courgette Katsu Curry. The courgette took the place of the normal breadcrumb fried chicken and sat on a bed of rice and Katsu Curry sauce. The sauce had a real depth of flavour to it without it being too spicy, it worked well. I think what could have been even better would have been to have used fried tofu instead of courgette, but given the price point of the menu, courgette was perfectly acceptable.
Lomb Kofta was also a winner, and came with pomegranate seeds, two half pitta breads, a bed of herb infused tabouleh and spiced babaganoush. The babaganoush tasted fantastic, I have tried it many times and all too often it is bland and quite tasteless, but this was very rich and full of flavour.
Dessert
For dessert we shared a Salted Caramel Profiteroles and a Selection of Cheeses, both good sized and tasty desserts.
Service
The team were very friendly, we received a very warm welcome by the reception staff on arrival and the bar staff were very helpful too when selecting cocktails. I liked the fact we were shown across from the bar to our table and drinks taken across for us. Our server was very helpful and guided us through the menu and our wine was topped up consistently without needing to ask.
Ambience
I have been before so knew what to expect and I do like the ambience of the restaurant. It does have a slightly corporate feel to it, I can’t quite pin it, perhaps its the use of the veneer wood, but all the same it is a nice space, testament to how much we enjoyed the dinner afterwards we went back to the cocktail lounge rather than heading off to another nearby bar because it is very chilled and relaxed.
Worth noting the cocktail lounge is also open to guests just looking for a drink, you don’t need to dine, so worth adding to your list of bars for a drink.
Final Thoughts
I liked Dine the first time I went and still like it now, I think the market menu offers great value for money, the portions are not as big as a A La Carte mains, but fair for the price.
Prices start at £15.50 for two courses on the midweek lunchtime Market Menu (inclusive of tea or coffee).
For those who want to celebrate early or have a show to catch, the Early Dining or Pre-Theatre is sure to impress at £15.50 for two courses and £21.50 for three courses. Midweek Evenings (from 7pm) are £21.50 for two courses or £27.50 for three courses. And at the weekend every Saturday or Sunday lunchtime, diners can enjoy a lingering three-course meal plus a bottle of house wine to share for £47.50.
Contact Details
Address: 1st floor, 10 Cambridge St, Edinburgh EH1 2ED, UK
Web: www.dineedinburgh.co.uk
