Frankie's Restaurant

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £9.99(set lunch)
   £17 (evening meal)
• House wine: £13.90 per bottle

• Hitlisted
• High point: Feeling as if you've discovered a well-kept secret
• Low point: Wishing you had discovered it sooner
• Food served: Mon-Wed 11am-10pm; Thu-Sat 11am-11pm. Closed Sun
• Delivery: free over £10
• Open since: 2004
• Also offers: 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.

Located opposite the Point Hotel and just footsteps from some of Edinburgh's less salubrious drinking dens, Frankie's Restaurant is perhaps the most, if not the only, understated establishment on Bread Street. But walking past this relaxed restaurant would certainly be a mistake. Pale sage walls, 20s-era light fixtures, banquet seating and the cool sounds of Ella Fitzgerald create a casually romantic atmosphere. And the refreshingly brief menu keeps things simple without sacrificing variety. Starters such as tomato and chili bruschetta are light and fresh, with enough kick to keep the dish from being predictable. And the self-styled 'incredible' fish-cake with lemon mayonnaise, available as a starter or a main course, is every bit as good as chef and proprietor Celina Collins says it is. The main courses range from rustic pasta dishes that genuinely feel like authentic Italian home cooking, to meatloaf, lasagne and a deliciously plump Italian sausage served with wilted spinach and mashed potato. Specials are drawn up daily, and from Thursday to Saturday Celina selects seasonal fish and seafood from the market to feature as a catch of the day. The dessert menu is equally brief, but the memory of their homemade tiramisu may well last a long, long time.