The Ship on the Shore

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £15 (lunch)
   £19 (evening meal)
• House wine: £11.95 per bottle

• Hitlisted
• High point: Relaxed environment, delicious flavours
• Low point: So relaxed the time flies
• Food served: Mon–Fri noon–3pm, 5.30–10pm; Sat/Sun noon–10pm
• Bar open: Mon–Thu noon–11pm; Fri/Sat 11am–midnight; Sun 12.30–11pm
• Open since: 1988

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008
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The Ship on the Shore has often been overshadowed by its more prominent fishy comrades in this area of Leith, but this is sure to change with the arrival of new management and new chef Michael Pasiecznik. The wood-panelled bar area is good for a pre-dinner drink or a bite to eat at any time of day, while the spacious dining area provides a relaxed, enjoyable area in which to linger. At first glance the menu here perhaps looks too familiar, but the subtle, deft touches make the food really stand out. Arbroath smokies and crab mousse is an exotic combination, skilfully flavoured and light as air, while the Scottish smoked salmon, which is zinged up with capers and lemon, truly melts in the mouth. And it gets better, because the stars here are the main courses. Huge, dewy Black Isle king scallops are lent an air of the exotic with a sprinkling of crispy chorizo, and the hake fillet cooked in coconut milk and lime leaves is a superior fusion of Scottish and Asian cuisines. Desserts are slightly on the heavy side, but a chocolate and ginger sticky toffee pudding still goes down well.