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La Garrigue
This restaurant allows online bookings.
- Food served: Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm, 6.30–9pm. Closed Sun.
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 13
- Private dining: Up to 11 covers
- Also offers: Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs
- Music on stereo: Nothing
- Capacity: 50
- Largest group: 50
- Open since: 2001
- Average price 2 courses:
£13.50 (set lunch)
£25 (set dinner) - House wine: £15 per bottle
Nominate this restaurant forThe List Reader Award 2010
This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.
At first glance the décor of La Garrigue is less ‘small piece of France’ and more ‘modern art gallery’. Look closer, though: there’s something of the Languedoc in the deep lavender walls and a hint of southern sunshine in the pale wooden flooring. There’s warmth in the welcome, too, which is followed in quick succession by an amuse bouche, a colourful selection of aperitifs and a vast, but helpfully annotated, wine list. Turning to the menu, starters range from a fresh, citrus-flavoured marinated trout fillet on a bed of chickpeas and coriander, to the rather earthier croquette of slow cooked pig’s head, which is small but perfectly formed, the crispy breadcrumb exterior hiding a deliciously unctuous, rich and sticky centre. The mains are just as varied, offering a large, fall-from-the-bone tender braised lamb shank, honeyed and accompanied by a dark pool of lentils and smoky lardons, or a casserole of shin of beef in a red wine sauce. After the heady seduction of the first two courses, the desserts are refreshingly light, and a special mention must go to the lavender crème brûlée, which marries the soft chewy caramel with a subtly fragranced custard.
- High point: Never mind just French restaurants, La Garrigue is up there with the best restaurants in Edinburgh
- Low point: Priced slightly higher than its mid-range competitors
Take Three: Regional redoubts
13 Nov 2008
Comments for La Garrigue (31 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh)
- 1. visitor, edinburgh – 1 June 2008, 4:39pmReport
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A party of 6 of us dined here last week. I must say I thought the food was really uneven and disappointing; thank goodness work was picking up the tab. Several of us had the seafood entree (pollock or haddock, I can't recall) and it was flavorless rubber with a gash of pesto on top of a bunch of watery vegetables. The meat dishes appeared to be a little better. But why shouldn't EVERY dish at an expensive restaurant be exquisite? Having returned from a business trip in Lyon, I would say this restaurant wouldn't last a week there, or in the US for that matter.
Avoid, even if someone else is paying.
- 2. Nina, Edinburgh – 24 December 2008, 2:56pmReport
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I felt that the food was very expensive for what it was. It was good but not amazing. It should have been amazing though for the price we paid for it. Being French, I may be over critical but I came out of the restaurant that night thinking that my mum or as a matter of fact my nan could have made the same dish I have had 10 times better and needless to say, none of them are chefs....I also felt a bit annoyed because you can go to a restaurant in France and pay next to nothing for a great main course and a coffee and here you have a place like this one playing the French card and asking for a lot of money for average food.
- 3. jean, south queensferry – 21 May 2009, 6:22pm
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We have been trying to book a table in this restayrant for ages and at last, we managed to do so on Saturday.
what a treat ! it was like spending an evening in the south of France, the welcome, food and service could not be faulted .
I started with the baby squid with fennel and saffran followed by the rabbit with snails and walnut sauce, and just managed to detroy a lovely lavender flavoured creme brulee.
We will definetly go back but may be not on a saturday as it is the kind of restaurant where we want to spend the whole evening in and not have to rush for a late show.
merci La Garrigue - 4. Eileen, edinburgh – 22 May 2009, 10:33amReport
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As a birthday present to a friend, we took her to La Garrigue. She loves french food and none of us were disappointed ! Two of us started with the homemade rabbit rillettes which were meaty and delicious. The lamb shank was moist, full of flavour and falling of the bone. I was too full for dessert but the birthday girl took the pancake gateau, and the waitress had put a candle as she knew it was her birthday ! The service was very attentive without being "too much". I probably won't wait for a birthday to go back.
- 5. B-Boy, Glasgow – 12 June 2009, 3:09pm
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Went to La Garrigue on the strength of the List review and certainly wasn't disappointed. One of the best meals I've had this year. Service was attentive without being annoying and special praise for the squid as a starter. Highly recommended
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