International Starters

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £11 (lunch)
   £16 (evening meal)
• House wine: £11.50 per bottle

• High point: Something for all tastes
• Low point: Jack of all foods, master of none
• Food served: Mon-Fri 5-10pm; Sat/Sun noon-10pm
• Open since: April 2000
• Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least 25% of menu), Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access

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

This review is from the 2007 edition.

There's a pretty strong clue in the name of this Leith restaurant about what you get on your plate, and that's because this bustling and fun venue has one overriding gimmick: the menu consists entirely of starters or appetisers from around the world. It's a bit like a global tapas menu, with a huge range of smaller dishes on offer, split into Mediterranean, Asian, Americas and Scottish sections. Diners are advised to try two or three each. It's housed in a sympathetic and surprisingly cosy conversion of one of the old whisky bond warehouses, and the unpretentious attitude of the staff and diverse food range mean this place is often the busiest in a street of eateries and bars. It's particularly popular with younger diners and larger groups, when the sharing nature of the experience comes into its own. The menu covers everything from chicken tikka to fajitas, Loch Fyne mussels and Italian meatballs. It's all well-prepared and presented, without ever totally blowing you away. And covering so much ground, the menu inevitably lacks a little focus, but the enthusiasm and friendliness of the owners and staff more than make up for that.