Traverse Bar Café

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £8.50 (lunch)
   £8.50 (evening meal)
• House wine: £11.50 per bottle

• High point: Extensive eating hours
• Low point: Limited dessert choice
• Food served: Mon-Wed 10.30am-11pm; Thu-Sat 10.30am-midnight; Sun 5-11pm (performance nights only)
• Bar open: Mon-Wed 10.30am-midnight; Thu-Sat 10.30am-1am; Sun 5pm-midnight
• Private dining: N
• Open since: 1992
• Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least 25% of menu), Childrens portions, Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access, Take away

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

This busy theatre bar has one of the best atmospheres in Edinburgh. Attracting a wide range of people, partly drawn from the nearby financial sector but mainly theatrical types here to either put on a show or watch one, the Traverse is never short of customers. Serving food until late at night, the bar is even more appealing now that the thick fog of smoke that used to permeate it is long gone. Optimum seating is to be found in the three cosy booths, but there are plenty of other tables and bar stools to cope with the theatre's busy periods. The ring binder-style menu indicates the flexibility at work here. Pages are torn out and inserted to fit the moment - for example a kids' menu is added when the Children's Festival takes up residence. You can start the day with hot-filled breakfast baguettes, croissants or pancakes. From there, the menu opens out to include soups, sandwiches and panini, nachos and a range of salads. The chef's daily specials, such as Moroccan bean stew or jumbo pork sausages and mash, kick in between 6-9pm, while the 'main events' are available throughout the day, featuring a build-your-own fajita, tasty risotto or filling chicken stew.