Olive Branch Bistro

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

Broughton Street is not lacking in places to eat, so any restaurant looking to make its mark has to offer great food with an atmosphere to match. The Olive Branch has both in spades. In a compact, almost post-industrial-style setting, candle-lit tables are packed snugly together, making for a cosy atmosphere without making you feel like you're sitting on your neighbour's knee. What's more, the food is at once homely and innovative, with an emphasis on seasonal produce and menus deliberately designed to mirror the external elements as you sit and watch the outside world go by. A starter of roast vegetable and goat's cheese stacked together with fresh pesto oozes flavour, while honey and sesame chicken skewers are sticky and moreish, if a little on the sweet side. A rich and juicy venison casserole bursts with redcurrants, while the fish and chips are predictably satisfying – and it's good to see the use of sustainable coley on the menu in place of the less available haddock or cod. With a seasonally changing menu and a focus on getting the freshest of ingredients at all times, this place always has its finger on the pulse of what the customer wants, which makes a refreshing change. Across on the south side of town, the newer Olive Branch repeats the same successful formula in cosy, candle-lit surroundings. Fresh, well-chosen ingredients are the order of the day, providing the locals of Bruntsfield and Morningside with a welcoming neighbourhood haven that they may well want to keep a secret.

• High point: Seasonally changing venues in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere
• Low point: Wine by the glass doesn't come cheap

The LIST Card C7

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