Il Castello
- Food served: Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm, 5–11pm; Sun 5–11pm
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 2
- Also offers: Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs
- Music on stereo: Italian pop and classical
- Capacity: 60
- Largest group: 60
- Open since: 1991
- House wine: £12.90 (1l Carafe) per bottle
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Il Castello takes its name from Edinburgh’s best-known landmark, which towers over this compact, split-level restaurant in the city's busy theatre-land. They have been feeding hungry theatre-goers here since 1991, from a menu that reads as a long list of the usual antipasti, breads, soups, pizzas, pastas, risottos and main plates of meat and fish. While long menus can be a sign of a jack-of-all-trades approach, Il Castello gets around this by serving clever alternative options of the same ingredients. A starter of Macheroni Mare e Monti involves large tubes of pasta served with clams and asparagus in a tomato and garlic sauce. The macheroni is also available in other sauces involving artichokes, prawns and chicken. A main of agnello arosto – roasted fillet of lamb served with a white wine, garlic and rosemary sauce – comes with chips that have all the hallmarks of frozen cater-pack standard and a small, plain salad on the side, but what it lacks in finesse it makes up for in flavour. Again, the lamb can come cooked in two other ways. The premises have had a freshen-up recently and are light and modern. The food is almost the opposite, but somehow reassuringly so.
- High point: Good variety of tasty, uncomplicated food
- Low point: Poor chips and dull side salad
Reviews of Il Castello (36 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh)
- 2. MaryP, Edinburgh – 5 April 2011, 4:19pm
Il CastelloReport -
Friendly service, reliable food - some of the best steaks in the city and probably the best pannacotta anywhere (if there's any left!). Hard to think of a better place to dine post-theatre (especially the Lyceum, obviously). Ideal neighbourhood dining.
- 1. Valerie, Edinburgh – 15 May 2010, 4:32amIl CastelloReport
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It's very sad to see a once-great place go to the dogs. I've been a regular here for years, but the last 3 visits have been rotten. The standard of food has dropped significantly. The service was always hit or miss, but has been dreadful on the last 3 visits. The owner has opened another restaurant and seems to be there all the time. Sorry to say that this is a case of 'when the cat's away..'. I know that I won't go back but luckily there are many other decent places to go. In the current economic climate, I will not have loyalty to any bar or restaurant. Life is to short and money is too tight for me to go somewhere where my custom is not appreciated.
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