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Come to La Garrigue and sample the flavours of the Languedoc, in the South of France. Beat the credit crunch with our special offers. If you bring a party of four, or more, for either lunch or dinner your own meal will be "on the house". Sample the deep South's food, its terroir wines and the warmth of its welcome.

Black Bo's

Black Bo's
57–61 Blackfriars Street
Edinburgh, EH1 1NB
Phone: 0131 557 6136
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  • Food served: Mon–Thu 6–9.30pm; Fri/Sat 6–10.30pm
  • Bar open: Mon–Sun 4pm–1am
  • Number of wines sold by the glass: 5
  • Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least ¼ main courses), Gluten-free options, Children's portions
  • Music on stereo: Relaxed indie e.g. Badly Drawn Boy
  • Capacity: 40
  • Largest group: 25
  • Open since: 1989
View larger map of EH1 1NB
  • Average price 2 courses: £18.00
  • House wine: £13.95 per bottle
Nominate this restaurant for
The List Reader Award 2010
Eating & Drinking Guide 2009

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

Tucked away on a quiet Old Town side street, Black Bo’s – or just ‘Bo’s’ to its numerous friends – has established a solid reputation for serving quality veggie food in comfortable, laid-back surroundings. The cosy, candlelit atmosphere and charming service lend themselves perfectly to whiling away an evening of bohemian bonhomie – particularly if fuelled by something from the brief but smartly chosen wine list, which features an interesting selection of organic options. The menu changes regularly, reflecting the season and the chef’s occasionally capricious imagination. Variations of staples including bean or tofu burgers, crepes and falafel-style balls stuffed with cream cheese and vegetables regularly appear alongside more fanciful concoctions such as smoked pistachio and nori roulade with a rather sour chilli-spiked cassis, or banana stuffed with chickpea and chilli soufflé topped with flambéed Kahlua. Overall, the menu is imaginative and wide ranging, but an idiosyncratic habit of garnishing every dish with medleys of fruit harks back to more retro vegetarian cuisine. Saving the strawberries to accompany the stand-out dessert of warm, gooey chocolate brownie might be sensible, but could also undermine the quirkiness that’s part of Black Bo’s considerable charm.

  • High point: Warm, personable service
  • Low point: Retro fruit garnishes

Comments for Black Bo's (57–61 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh)

1. Disappointed of Edinburgh, Black Bo's – 7 October 2008, 10:42amReport

On Friday the 3rd of October a number of my colleagues were enjoying a company evening out and decided to visit Black Bo's as it is one otheir favourite Edinburgh haunts. They had been for an excellent meal at Mother India's Cafe and arrived at Black Bo's at 10.30pm.

The barman was rude, brusque and provided 'Alf Garnett' type service to my Chilean colleague Juan and after racially insulting him because he did not understand the order asked him to leave. The bar manager was present and with a shrug indicated there was nothing he could do about the boorish and racist behaviour of his colleague.

Further. A female colleague who intervened and calmed the situation and who wished to speak to someone in management was later called a 'bitch' by the same barman for requesting his name. At no point did any of our colleagues use bad language or threatening behaviour and this whole incident was unprovoked.

I will make a point of disuading friends and colleagues from using Black Bo's, as will others in our company, until such time as the owners and management instill some common decency and decorum in staff who appear to have torn up the good practice rule book on how to attract customers and cater to long standing clientelle.

2. KrazyE, Cambridge – 11 March 2009, 8:56pm(5s)Report

We had a lovely meal at Black Bo's, and found the staff very pleasant (completely at odds with the comment above!).

3. Jen Edinburgh, Edinburgh – 18 May 2009, 3:51pmReport

Black Bo's have a separate bar and restaurant.
There are a couple of notoriously grumpy bar staff.
Be warned....

Nice beer garden though.

4. The Gash – 20 May 2009, 8:19pm(3s)Report

Bo's isn't that bad. Although the beer garden feels like a basement.

5. Jake M., Edinburgh – 8 November 2009, 12:13pmReport

We came here for a dinner for two, one of us being a vegetarian for 15 years. The decor was a bit shabby (our table was rickety - seems petty but can get very annoying during the course of a meal, and surely isn't difficult to fix!). The service was friendly and fast, and the items on the menu seemed interesting. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to its promise. It tasted bland and some vegetables were undercooked (not acceptable if you're talking about aubergine). The main issue we had was the price: too high for basically bland food in a bit of a shoddy setting.

There are better places for vegetarian food in this price range.

6. Rich, Edinburgh – 1 January 2010, 9:20pm(5s)Report

Amazing food! Unusual, innovative and great flavours. Lovely warm atmosphere - candles, quirky alcoves and friendly staff. Been back already for a second time in 3 weeks and had the same great food. Rapidly becoming my favourite place eat!

7. QUIET MAN, SCOTLAND – 22 January 2010, 7:54pm(5s)Report

It's great to enter Bo's and enjoy the unique (the world is short of uniqueness)atmosphere of this real and friendly place,as I have done for over twenty years.

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