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Mums Great Comfort Food

Mums Great Comfort Food
4a Forrest Road
Edinburgh, EH1 2QN
Phone: 0131 260 9806
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  • Food served: Mon–Sat 9am–10pm, Sun 10am–10pm.
  • Number of wines sold by the glass: 7
  • Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least ¼ main courses), Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Wheelchair access, Free wi-fi
  • Music on stereo: Arrow FM - 60s/70s/80s
  • Capacity: 48
  • Largest group: 48
  • Open since: 2010

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  • Average price:
     £5 (set lunch)
     £10 (evening meal)
  • House wine: £11.95 per bottle
Eating & Drinking Guide

The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2012) edition.

Whoever the mysterious Mum was, she clearly had no time for airs and graces. Mum’s is the original Monster Mash from back in 2003, but this incarnation appeared in 2010 and has been keeping the army of dedicated fans full of robust, no-nonsense cooking happy since then. Determinedly basic and honest, the menu is all about British classics: steak pies, stews, fish and chips and sausages. Especially sausages. Mum’s source theirs from the award-winning O’Hagan’s, and the delightfully bizarre mix of flavours changes daily. From the eye-wateringly hot Satan’s Revenge to the more classic Auld Reekie, there’s plenty to keep the faithful clientele coming back for more. Mash is a build-your-own affair, with a mix of typical additions and some more inventive concoctions. If, by some amazing feat, the mains fail to sate, pudding is at hand. The menu is worryingly reminiscent of school dinners, but it’s worth having a punt on the Eton mess or the treacle pudding. Dining here is a delicious, cheering treat, the dishes generously sized and seasoned well. The service mirrors the food – unpretentious, straight talking and relaxed.

  • High point: Rib-sticking value
  • Low point: Looking longingly at the dessert you'll never finish

Reviews of Mums Great Comfort Food (4a Forrest Road, Edinburgh)

5. Yummy Tuck, Le Borders – 7 May 2012, 8:26am5 starsMums Great Comfort FoodReport

I have to take issue with the 2011/12 review by The List as I think the reviewer has missed the point: Mum's takes 'the basics' and elevates them to an art form!

Service was friendly and well informed, which is just as well as there so many options to choose from: over one hundred permutations on bangers, mash and gravy! We've always gone for bangers and mash but have admired other dishes as they emerge from the kitchen: sumptuous pies and golden battered fish and chips, yum! The produce is of the highest quality with an excellent selection of wines, artisan beers and ciders to complement the food with beers from local breweries Tempest and Stewarts and ciders from Thistly Cross. This is serious stuff!

Cheap and cheerful? We had a great meal at a very reasonable price and there are a lot of nice touches to this eatery from wall murals to retro sweets with the bill that means we'll be coming back home to Mum's for comfort and mirth whenever we're in the burgh. I think Nigella and Delia's children would find plenty to write home about too!

Thanks Mum, your ever loving patrons Lili and Benjy x

4. MUMS GREAT COMFORT FOOD, EDINBURGH – 6 September 2011, 10:42pm5 starsMums Great Comfort FoodReport

Any of our customers who are familiar with our work as MUMS Great Comfort Food, or our previous creation Monster Mash Café, will be more than aware of the passion and dedication that we put into our work. MUMS provides its customers with well prepared food using high quality produce, at a great value price point. Additionally we are one of the few independent restaurants who operate a ‘secret shopper’ system to ensure our standards of food and service are independently and continuously tested and maintained. MUMS is dedicated to ensuring our staff are fully trained to provide our customers with a first class service, MUMS service team are passionate, dedicated and enthusiastic individuals, and would never ‘laugh off’ or ignore any customer complaint.
MUMS is 100% dedicated to providing our customers with the highest operational, food and service standards and we spend a great deal of time and effort to ensure our team members are trained to not only meet these standards but to exceed them
MUMS goes to great lengths to source the best suppliers in the UK for both food and beverage, our kitchen team is equally dedicated and hardworking, all of our dishes are freshly prepared, MUMS does not use frozen or microwave products and any individual who wishes to verify this for themselves is welcome to watch our team at work.
Finally, we would like to thank all our customers for their support and goodwill over the years and we will continue to strive and dedicate ourselves to providing great comfort food at great value prices.
MUMS

3. .Teeee., Edinburgh – 13 July 2011, 8:33pm1 starMums Great Comfort FoodReport

I was disappointed with this place. I went with my family we were really hungry and though “comfort food” would be nice and filling. We waited a long time for our food and when it arrived it was cold on top but warm at the bottom as if it had been sitting out for some time. Staff did not come over to ask if everything was ok. In the end we ended up not eating half our meal for fear of food poisoning. When leaving we were asked if everything was ok and we explained it was not, the waitress laughed it off saying they were busy, but when we were served our food it was quiet. Will never go back here! Defiantly NOT “mums great comfort food” more like “dads rubbish mirco meals”. 1 star due to the fact our drinks were good.

2. Winterton, Edinburgh – 25 July 2010, 3:20pm5 starsMums Great Comfort FoodReport

I agree, we visited on Saturday after reading The List, seeing as there had been 'changes'. I can say, we were all very glad we did. The service was first class, great fun and reading the menu, it was great to see they had made a lot of changes for the better.

Of course, we had the sausages - Mexican Pork, Thai Chicken and Tomato and Garlic with Champ mash, all of which were first class. My mates went for the Fish Pie (awesome) and Cuban Steak (sirloin marinated in coffee) with chunky chips - steak was really good. It was all fantastic and great value. Obviously because of The List we did try the Cranachan and Sticky Toffee - which were just terrific. All washed down with a really good value Sauv Blanc.

The unit looks great too, previously the banquettes had been painted an awful black - it had started to look like an old doss house! But all that's gone now. Some great new touches as well with sort of 'manga' style pictures of Michael Caine and Mrs Peel on the toilet doors. We were all discussing how their new inspiration was obviously coming from 'The Prisoner' and 'The Avengers', which is great fun and unique.

You also get cool little badges now with 'MUMS FIXED FOR ME' along with the bill and retro sweets. How cool is that?!

So chuffed it's back and it's even better. We all walked home with full belly's and smiles on our faces, all talking about The Avengers and which Mrs Peel was our favourite - which restaurant in town can make you feel that way? It was like, all was right with the world again......

Well done.

1. Al Hunter, Edinburgh – 24 July 2010, 6:03am5 starsMums Great Comfort FoodReport

After a few abortive visits to 'the other', I am thrilled the original team returned and have turned MUMS back to what we all remembered from this wonderful diner and as The List points out, they have introduced a few great new curve balls which take MUMS to a whole new level that in was before.

The service is as cool as it ever was and exceptionally efficient. I think the new name is better than 'the other', and their value point is better than it ever was - 3 great quality sausages for 7.50.

MUMS has got a real passion for what they do now, the quality of the product they are serving, the sausage and mash, wonderful chicken breast with skirlie, and a fabulous new breakfast menu offering such greatness as pancakes and eggs benedict.

The original retro diner is back with a bang, (or bangers!) but it's cooler and better than it ever was before, good for them!

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