La Garrigue has been named as the Scottish regional winner of the Good Food Guide Readers' Restaurant of the Year. Featured on Ramsey's Best Restaurants Gordon described La Garrigue as an "amazing little bistro". Come along and sample the flavours of the Languedoc at either in Edinburgh's New Town or City Centre.
La Garrigue
- Food served: Mon–Sun noon–2.30pm, 6.30–9.30pm. [Extended in Festival].
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 10
- Private dining: Up to 11 covers
- Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least ¼ main courses), Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Wheelchair access
- Music on stereo: Nothing
- Capacity: 45
- Largest group: 50
- Open since: 2001
- Average price:
£12.50 (set lunch)
£26.50 (evening meal) - House wine: £14.50 per bottle
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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).
This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.
La Garrigue has been described as the most authentic French restaurant in Edinburgh and it certainly stands out. Owner and chef Jean Michel Gauffre is passionate about his home region, the Languedoc, and this is reflected in everything from les aperitifs, rarely found outside France, to the rural paintings done by a Scottish artist working in Jean Michel's home town of Bédarieux. If you're looking for frog's legs and moules frîtes, you may be disappointed. On the other hand, if you want a classic, southern French experience you're in the right place. La Garrigue, which now has two restaurants covering both Old and New towns, is a classy operation. Both restaurants share the same, seasonally changing menu, although there are a few more vegetarian options in the New Town. It is set-price year-round and excellent value considering the quality. For a starter, try the light, soft rillettes de lapin with two leaves of chicory and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. The blue-cheese soufflé is also a favourite. Mains can combine a delicious variety of flavours and textures, such as a perfectly flaky halibut with squid 'sausage' stuffed with pork and herbs to provide a flash of green. A typical winter dish is the shoulder of lamb, cooked for two-and-a-half hours until meltingly tender, in a simple, rich, red-wine sauce and scattered with lamb kidney. The crème brûlée shows a Languedoc influence with just a hint of lavender. Alternatively, there's a prettily presented lemon tart, also with a caramelised top and accompanied by refreshing orange ice-cream. Ask for a recommendation if you're unsure which regional wine to choose.
- High point: Suis-je en France?
- Low point: Heavy furniture hems you in
Reviews of La Garrigue (31 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh)
- 10. Long Tom, Edinburgh – 14 February 2012, 12:11am
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This restaurant is authentic french, authentic french arrogancy that you will accept any rubbish that they decide to serve you under the banner of their "cuisine".
- 9. Solo, Edinburgh – 15 February 2011, 4:55pm
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Like others have said the food was quite disappointing considering how much you pay for it.
Although the service was good (just the right amount of contact) it was not personal or anything special. I felt the same about the atmosphere; it didn't really exist... no music, no personality, nothing. Nice simple decoration and furniture though.
So overall no major complaints but nothing to get excited about either and for that price I would not recommend it.
- 8. Glasgow Loves Food Blog, Glasgow – 1 February 2011, 7:48pmLa GarrigueReport
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After meeting in a pub just off princess St we walked across the bridge to La Garrigue. There was a little hype about this particular restaurant after featuring on Gordon Ramsays best restaurants in the French category.
We arrived at the restaurant and were immediately greeted by a young French guy who showed us to our table at the back of brightly lit dining room. THe restaurant has a simple layout with blues and cream with dozens of framed paintings hanging on the walls.
The menus were perched on our tables attached to slates with the first page showing the aperitif menu where we opted for a bottle of Cramant (£28.00) the fizz promtly arrived then we got on to the serious business of choosing our food and wine as we searched through the pages attached to our slate.
A bottle of Sauvignon blanc and a bottle of Merlot were chosen from the "grand terroir" old vine section of the wine list. Both at £28.00 which were both very good.
The £28.50 two course set menu had a good variety of traditional french fayre from soufflés and fish soup for starters to French rabbit and veal cassoulet for main courses.
After much deliberation I opted for the scallops with spinach and garlic butter to start (£3.00 supplement) and the braised leg of veal with haricot beans for main course. Our starters arrived promptly with my scallops being served in a shell. After the endless rosettes and awards this place has had I would have loved to have said that they were great unfortunately they were slightly over cooked and I didn't really get any flavour from the garlic butter. On the other hand my wive and friends raved about the fish soup and blue cheese soufflé.
On to the mains and my veal arrived which was rustic to say the least, this is no doubt traditional French regional simple food but I was just expecting a bit more, whilst what I had was perfectly fine it just lacked that something. My friends had the braised shin of beef with my wife having the french rabbit, black pudding and cabbage. Again there was no complaints with the food but just didn't have the wow factor i think we were all expecting.
After a short brake the desert menu arrived (additional £4.00) where I went for the chocolate fondant with a glass of Maury desert wine on the recommendation of the waitress. The fondant was perfection with a crust on the outside and gooey chocolate sauce in the centre.
All in all a good night out in the capital with great service and somewhat average food.
The final bill £248.00 with 10 percent tip already included.
- 7. Sam, Edinburgh – 19 October 2010, 10:05pmLa GarrigueReport
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So glad Gordon Ramsay didn't pick this restaurant for the semi-finals. We have been to La Garrigue twice and I thought the food was ok but the service was awful. My girlfriend was given the incorrect main course and when we mentioned that to the waitress she said that it might take another 20 mins to make the other dish and hence she should just eat the one she was given. You wouldn't expect this from any decent restaurant. And in the end they charged us the full amount and even added the service charge to the bill automatically.
- 6. HMS, Edinburgh – 26 June 2010, 11:27pm
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Great place, great service and great people.
Set lunch menu: Amazing price, good variety of choices. The food itself could had been prepared with a little bit more attention to details.It really deserves to be on the Hit list. I will definitely come back many times.
- 5. B-Boy, Glasgow – 12 June 2009, 3:09pmLa GarrigueReport
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Went to La Garrigue on the strength of the List review and certainly wasn't disappointed. One of the best meals I've had this year. Service was attentive without being annoying and special praise for the squid as a starter. Highly recommended
- 4. Eileen, edinburgh – 22 May 2009, 10:33am
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As a birthday present to a friend, we took her to La Garrigue. She loves french food and none of us were disappointed ! Two of us started with the homemade rabbit rillettes which were meaty and delicious. The lamb shank was moist, full of flavour and falling of the bone. I was too full for dessert but the birthday girl took the pancake gateau, and the waitress had put a candle as she knew it was her birthday ! The service was very attentive without being "too much". I probably won't wait for a birthday to go back.
- 3. jean, south queensferry – 21 May 2009, 6:22pmLa GarrigueReport
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We have been trying to book a table in this restayrant for ages and at last, we managed to do so on Saturday.
what a treat ! it was like spending an evening in the south of France, the welcome, food and service could not be faulted .
I started with the baby squid with fennel and saffran followed by the rabbit with snails and walnut sauce, and just managed to detroy a lovely lavender flavoured creme brulee.
We will definetly go back but may be not on a saturday as it is the kind of restaurant where we want to spend the whole evening in and not have to rush for a late show.
merci La Garrigue
- 2. Nina, Edinburgh – 24 December 2008, 2:56pmLa GarrigueReport
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I felt that the food was very expensive for what it was. It was good but not amazing. It should have been amazing though for the price we paid for it. Being French, I may be over critical but I came out of the restaurant that night thinking that my mum or as a matter of fact my nan could have made the same dish I have had 10 times better and needless to say, none of them are chefs....I also felt a bit annoyed because you can go to a restaurant in France and pay next to nothing for a great main course and a coffee and here you have a place like this one playing the French card and asking for a lot of money for average food.
- 1. visitor, edinburgh – 1 June 2008, 4:39pmLa GarrigueReport
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A party of 6 of us dined here last week. I must say I thought the food was really uneven and disappointing; thank goodness work was picking up the tab. Several of us had the seafood entree (pollock or haddock, I can't recall) and it was flavorless rubber with a gash of pesto on top of a bunch of watery vegetables. The meat dishes appeared to be a little better. But why shouldn't EVERY dish at an expensive restaurant be exquisite? Having returned from a business trip in Lyon, I would say this restaurant wouldn't last a week there, or in the US for that matter.
Avoid, even if someone else is paying.
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