It was a bit of a battle to maintain my Sunday walking routine, this week, as I’d mysteriously contracted a hangover. I suppose that’s what a trip to Divino Enoteca, after our dinner at Nanyang will do to a man.
Exterior
So after a wander that included a stop at Wedgwood to fix a reservation, and a little chat with the lovely folks at Cranachan and Crowdie, I ended up in No1 High Street, a pub which for many years was The Tass.
It’s a very traditional pub layout, with no frills. The majority of the customers, who seemed to be a fair mix of locals and tourists, were in for the food, which I thought was a good sign.
Interior
The menu is priced according to their prime location, but offers a good range of traditional pub grub options, with a few little twists. The fish and chips is served in the chipshop paper, and they have a nice range of burger options, too.
It was a hungover Sunday, so I was very much in “bring me soup, and bring me roast” mode. The soup proved to be spicy tomato and coriander, with the roast of the day being pork. I ordered these, along with a large glass of ice-water, and a half of their house ale.
Soup
Soup arrived promptly in a smart bowl. It proved to be quite good, with abundant flavour and nice aromatic notes from the coriander. The accompanying bread wasn’t the most wonderful tool for the mop-up job, as it was a little too prone to disintegration, so they might want to consider an alternative.
The roast was of good quality. Two thick slices of nicely roasted meat, with a mustard glaze, were satisfyingly rustic. Potatoes, carrots and parsnips were all well done. The gravy had good notes of rosemary. The apple sauce was good, although I would have preferred it to be warm, or at least less cold than it was. My only other criticism of what was a grand plate of food was that it could have used one more savoury element (perhaps a nice green veg), as the balance of the dish was a little too much towards the sweet.
Roast
Overall, I enjoyed my visit to No1 High Street. It’s a rewarding spot to spend a Sunday lunchtime. The food smartly exceeded my expectations. There are a few improvements to be made, here and there, but I’d be happy to suggest that those looking for good pub grub pay the place a visit.
Scores
Blythe scores No1 High Street
3.5/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
3/5 for service
giving an overll 13/20
Today’s quester was: Blythe
I ate: spicy tomato and coriander soup; roast pork dinner
I drank: water, No 1 High Street ale
I wore: old faithful walking boots
Total bill: £15.40
1 High Street
Edinburgh