Bigos

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £7.50 (Mon--Fri only) (set lunch)
   £13.20 (evening meal)
• BYOB: no charge corkage

• High point: Generous portions and a cosy, welcoming atmosphere
• Low point: More information from wait staff about dishes would be helpful
• Food served: Sun-Thu noon-9pm; Fri/Sat noon-11pm
• Open since: 2006 (May)
• Also offers: Childrens portions, Take away

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

This review is from the 2007 edition.

With its honest home-cooking, Bigos, the capital's first Polish restaurant, has set the bar high for any competition. Brothers Tadeusz and Dariusz Krzysiak named the place after their national dish (a stew of sauerkraut, meat and mushrooms), and, with just half a dozen tables, they have provided Edinburgh's ever-expanding Polish community (and adventurous Leith locals) with a rustic little haven. Portions are huge, and the service is friendly and fast, but diners unaccustomed to heavy eastern European cuisine could do with a few insider tips - choose badly and you'll suffer a nasty case of dish envy. Most specialties can be ordered as a starter or main. The Bigos stew can't be overlooked: it is hearty and peppery-hot, but somewhat upstaged by the rich, chunky goulash on a potato pancake. Other traditional dishes include pierogi z serem, dumplings loaded with cottage cheese; and golabki (stuffed cabbage leaves) which, although substantial, are slightly watery, with the spicy tomato sauce masking rather than enhancing the blandness of what lies beneath. Most appetites should be satisfied after two courses, but, if not, a compote of stewed cherries will round things off nicely, or just sup on a Polish beer (Bigos is BYOB) from nearby Deli Polonia.