Restaurants and cafes that sell just one type of food are all the rage in London. Well whatever London can do, we can do equally well. Oink serves just one thing, and it’s perfect. That one thing is Hog Roast Rolls. Juicy pork shredded straight from the pig (the whole pig can be viewed from the window tempting in the hungry punters) and served on a white or brown roll with your choice of haggis or sage and onion stuffing. Top your hog roast roll with a choice of sauces including apple and barbecue. Don’t forget to ask for some of the crackling too #foodinburghtip

Prices and options at Oink.

This was my ‘Oink’ with sage and onion stuffing, apple sauce and crackling.

Pictured at the top: ‘The Grunter’ with haggis and barbecue sauce.

Oink is located on one of my favourite streets, Victoria Street. After you’ve enjoyed your hog roast roll, visit the tweed shops, Ian Mellis Cheesemongers and Anta.

Oink
Location: Victoria Street
Price: £3.95 for The Oink, £4.95 for The Grunter
Bestinburgh: Best Pork
Child Friendly: Kids can enjoy ‘The Piglet’ at £2.95
Foodinburgh Tip: Don’t forget to ask for crackling

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One of our family members wanted to try scallops so I was tasked with recommending a restaurant. I got the shortlist down to Fishers, Ondine and Mussel & Steak Bar. All three have a great reputation for their seafood but we settled on The Mussel & Steak Bar at the Grassmarket.

We kicked off with queen scallops in garlic butter. These are the smaller version, the king scallops being the ones often featured on cookery programs.

Mushroom paté with caramelised onion chutney and oatcakes. The paté was lovely but the ratio of paté to oatcakes was out and I had to request a few more.

Filo wrapped haggis with sautéed turnip and whisky sauce.

For main I went for one of the specials, rare breed short horn beef served with tomato soufflé, portobello mushroom and some of that whisky sauce. The beef definitely tasted different with an earthy/grassy aftertaste which was much richer than standard beef. I’m really glad I went for something off the specials menu, it’s well worth having a look at.

The husband also turned to that specials menu for his main, a half lobster with chips which at £25 we thought was quite a good deal in comparison to the price of some of the other mains. After a battle with what looked like a set of pliers, a wrench and a screwdriver, he demolished the lot.

Pictured above: Hot Roast Seafood Platter – Mussels, oysters, queen scallops, crevettes, and fish of the day in a bouillabaisse and roast garlic oil. This dish ate really well but was crying out for some garlic toast or a hunk of bread to mop that bouillabaiise up. In fact, some bread at the start of the meal would be a really nice touch, especially when a meal for two is hitting the £100 mark.

And so we moved onto the desserts. The husband said his apple and raisin crumble was the highlight of his meal, which after seeing his lobster was high praise indeed.

A lovely chocolate mousse cake with coffee caramel and brandy snap cone. This went down well but I think with cake like this you want a slab, the person who chose this would definitely have liked a bit more!

I turned back to that specials menu for my dessert – chocolate and Tia Maria ganache filled ravioli, fruit and nut truffle, banana and peanut butter ice cream. I’ve been wanting to try dessert ravioli for a while and I love Tia Maria so this was perfect for me, I loved it.

A lovely meal that was lacking in a few small areas – bread for the table, and I’m not sure if the chips were handcut as opposed to the frozen ready for the deep fat fryer version. It’s not cheap but they are high quality ingredients and you’re on the Grassmarket so you expect to pay a bit more.

The Mussel and Steak Bar
Location: Grassmarket
Price: Meal for two £90-100

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On a nice sunny day we decided to head down to the Cowgate in Edinburgh to try a new restaurant that we’d wanted to try for ages. After parking the car we were walking to said restaurant and got distracted by a place called OX 184. Set inside what looked like an old car garage (it even has a set of massive double doors), this place gave off the kind of feeling I want from a place to eat. Relaxed, stylish, good menu but not trying too hard.

Inside, there were  tables of all sizes, big picnic style benches, a long bar and a smoker (no, not an old guy with a cigarette) giving off a lovely barbecue smell. It had a sort of old warehouse feel to it, but warm and welcoming, not cold and damp.

We ordered a wide selection of starters to sample what was on offer from the wood fired grill. The Hot Rib Tips and BBQ Glazed Chicken Wings were really good, as were the Burnt End Beans and Chipotle Sausages With Bacon and Barbecue Glaze.

We also had a very tasty Mac ‘n’ Cheese along with some house fries that came with a creamy cheese dip.

For dessert we were tempted by the intriguing Warm Doughnuts with Caramel Sauce and Beer Ice Cream. We enjoyed it so much, we’ve added it to our Bestinburgh list!

Ox184
Location:  184-186 Cowgate, Edinburgh.
Price: Rib tips, Chicken Wings & Chipotle sausages all £5, Mac ‘N Cheese, House Fries & Burnt End Beans all £3.
Good for: Lovers of barbecue food and craft beer
Bestinburgh: Beer Ice Cream

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