La Garrigue has been named as the Scottish regional winner of the Good Food Guide Readers' Restaurant of the Year. Featured on Ramsey's Best Restaurants Gordon described La Garrigue as an "amazing little bistro". Come along and sample the flavours of the Languedoc at either in Edinburgh's New Town or City Centre.
Le Mouton Noir
- Food served: Tue–Sat noon–2.30pm, 5.30–10pm. Closed Sun/Mon.
- Pre-theatre times: Tue–Sat 5.30–6.45pm
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 6
- Also offers: Gluten-free options, Pre-theatre menu
- Music on stereo: French web radio from the 60s onwards – nostalgia radio
- Capacity: 36
- Largest group: 30
- Open since: 2007
- House wine: £12 per bottle
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In no sense is Le Mouton Noir the black sheep of French dining, other than in the literal translation of its name. Instead, this clean-cut yet warmly inviting Bruntsfield restaurant leads the flock with an uncompromising attitude that well warrants a trip from outwith the immediate neighbourhood. Culinary integrity makes its first appearance in a classic French onion soup. Sweet and full of flavour, its reassuring familiarity is just as successful as the more unusual twist on steamed mussels that adds smoked salmon and dill to give contrast of texture and taste. Balance of flavour is not so good when seafood teams up with too much sauerkraut for a main course, although pan-fried calf's liver is melt-in-the-mouth soft and – as with the choices of venison steak, chicken stuffed with black pudding or beef fillet and foie gras – goes well with the standard accompaniments of juicy Provençal-style tomato and gooey potato gratin. A selection of four different tarts – apple, pear, prune or chocolate – means hard decisions at dessert time but lavender crème brulee wins the day. A reasonable cheese selection served with bread, walnuts and leaves is the perfectly acceptable option for those lacking a sweet tooth.
- High point: No kids allowed in the evening
- Low point: Hard to park – take a bus or taxi
Reviews of Le Mouton Noir (3–5 Viewforth, Edinburgh)
- 1. cmn83, Edinburgh – 11 April 2011, 1:38pm
Le Mouton NoirReport -
Had a wonderful meal here last week and just couldn't understand why it wasn't better patronised on a Friday evening, being literally metres from Bruntsfield Place and its other eateries. We hadn't made a reservation and wandered around Bruntsfield looking at a few menus before we settled on this place and we were glad we did.
Starters were snails in a garlic butter for me (mopped up the extra delicious butter sauce with the bread!) and goat's cheese in filo pasty with a salsa for her, followed by a perfectly cooked pork fillet wrapped in pancetta with a well balanced parsnip and mustard puree, and guinea fowl stuffed with a lovely moist black pudding (so often black pudding seems dried up, but not here) with parma ham and horseradish potato mash. Desserts were a duo of creme brulee (vanilla and cinnamon, nice but not as 'wow' as the lavender one sounds from other reviews) and a generous wedge of rich dark chocolate torte topped with sea salt (sounds unusual but worked!).
What shone through was the quality and home-cooked nature of the food - my girlfriend has a nut allergy and the waiter was able to ask the chef who'd made the torte if it contained nuts; something you just wouldn't get in so many other places which just buy in their desserts. Pleasant atmosphere with large comfortable chairs, service was attentive but not intrusive - we'll be back. You can't argue with less than £30 per head for 3 courses of that quality and wine, certainly better value for money than other restaurants in the area.
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