Wedgwood the Restaurant
- Food served: Mon–Sat noon–3pm, 6–10pm; Sun 12.30–3.30pm, 6–10pm.
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 11
- Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least 25% of main courses), Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs
- Music on stereo: Easy listening
- Capacity: 48
- Largest group: 50
- Open since: 2007
- Average price 2 courses:
£10 (set lunch)
£24 (evening meal) - House wine: £12.95 per bottle
This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.
Behind a modest cream and brown exterior lies an elegant dining room producing imaginative Scottish dishes of the highest quality. The menu changes with the seasons and subtly combines elements of Asian cuisine with more traditional takes on carefully sourced local produce. An enthusiasm and love of food is obvious here. Bursting with colour and flavour, the sautéed baby squid with chorizo and tomatoes is an excellent way to start. Or try the signature Salmon 3 Ways – poached with black pudding, smoked with wasabi and caviar, and cured with fennel and celeriac – a heavenly combination of tastes and textures. Mains include rack of venison cooked pink and set on sweet bubble and squeak, or succulent scallops wrapped in caul fat and served with haggis. Desserts are outstanding: a wonderfully innovative roast squash and wild honey pudding is perfectly executed and the sticky toffee pudding is one of the best Edinburgh has to offer. The good wine list features old and new world wines, as well as locally produced lagers, and the set lunch menu is one of the capital's steals. This new venture from Paul Wedgwood and Lisa Channon is definitely worth a visit.
- High point: Foodie heaven
- Low point: Cluttered toilets
Comments
- 1. Raj Seeruttun, West – 6 October 2008, 12:36pm
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We visited Wedgwood last night and found it slightly overrated and ultimately disappointing. Whilst the atmosphere, attentiveness of the staff and the location were all first class, certain elements of the meal were ultimately sub-standard which has resulted in us not rushing back anytime soon.
My partner and I ordered the goats cheese salad and scallops to begin with which were both delicious, although nearly £7 for two morsels of goats cheese is a bit much however still very tasty. The main courses unfortunately are where the disappointments set in. I had the roast breast of guinea fowl and my partner ordered the crisp sea bream. The menu described the sea bream accompaniments as “roasted garlic potato cake, stir fried peas, tomato and mussel dressing”, the reality was very different. Although the fish was light and crispy; the tomato and mussel dressing was literally canned chopped tomatoes and the mussels were from a jar which I wouldn’t be surprised if they were ‘locally sourced’ from the nearby chippy. This combination of tasteless tomatoes and overpowering mussels in addition to the potato cake, which was rubbery and bland, really overrode any praise that had been earned for the perfectly cooked sea bream. My guinea fowl was a bit too well done and came with pickled onions which continued the chip shop theme.
This was raised with the waitress during the customary check up which was then brought to Paul (Wedgwood) attention, the solution was to apologise and offer us complimentary desserts. I don’t normally have desserts but on this occasion they shouldn’t have bothered. Clare had the cheese selection and I the sticky toffee pudding to which I have to disagree with the List’s comment above, the pudding was dry and tough and there was no hint of the Caol Isla at all. The cheese selection was passable but nothing to write home about. The waitress then checked up again and offered to exchange our desserts but I said that it wouldn’t make a difference; our rating of Wedgwood had already been established
If the price of Wedgwood’s food was more reasonable then I wouldn’t have been as dissatisfied, but when you’re aiming for the higher end of the market your expectations are set at a much higher peg and you have to deliver. We dropped over £80 in Paul’s pocket last night (which would have been over £90 inc desserts) so I am very disappointed at the quality of our dining experience.
Wedgwood is located in the same premises as the much loved Reform. In my time I visited The Reform many times and always had a first class dining experience, Wedgwood however has unfortunately left a bad taste in my mouth which does not allow me to advocate it to others.
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