Porto & Fi on the Mound

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.

Those who cherish Porto and Fi's café in Newhaven will feel right at home in this city centre offshoot. The morning rolls and muffins, gorgeously Bunterish home-made cakes plus dishes adaptable to a light lunch or hearty supper are all here. But while the ‘passionate about food’ signature is the same, the feel is subtly different. Sharp contemporary design and opening hours stretching longer into the evening say sleek city bistro rather than seaside café, while the terrace overlooking the Mound and Princes Street beyond just begs you to linger for a civilised glass of wine. The cooking is bistro/café fare at the top of its game. If it’s fried, it’s piping hot and crackling crisp, like the crab and shrimp spring rolls, the curly fries and fresh haddock goujons, while home-made tartare sauce, mayonnaise and dressings add zap and zing. Fish is spanking fresh, or quality smoked like the haddock in the leek-flecked Cullen skink risotto. Comfort food comes in the shape of venison sausages with red cabbage atop parsnip and potato mash, or curvaceous Nutella bread and butter pudding. Love handles on a plate.

• High point: Great quality, great value, great view
• Low point: 'Light Meals or Starters' are brilliant on their own but as starters could leave you too full for pud.

1. Joanna Edwardson, Edinburgh – 30 May 2011, 3:19pmPorto & Fi on the MoundReport

After being to the other porto and fi, this was a disappointment! With the being Scottish produce i would expect to see staff who know a lot about Edinburgh, Scotland and where the food came from!

The Staff had little knowledge of the menu and seem very rushed while being a bit unsure of what was going on.

The food was good but the service let it down as i had a special order which the server didn't write down.

This was a let down after it having a beautiful view and a prime spot, poor tourists of Edinburgh who visit! As being a few times now i wouldn't go back, i would just talk the 5 minute walk to the mile or down to the Scottish Cafe at the Galleries.