I’d managed to organise a very agreeable start to my week, this week. First up I had a meeting that rather enjoyably took place at Lovecrumbs. Then once that was finished, I toddled round the corner to the Traverse Theatre Bar, for a spot of lunch.
Exterior
Joining me today was Danielle, who most recently quested at Tuk Tuk. It was Danielle’s suggestion to come here, today, as she’d recently visited and had an impressively good lunch.
I’ve been a visitor to the Traverse Bar at various points, but this was the first time I’d sampled their food. They offer a selection of simple dishes, reasonably priced, and well executed. They cater equally well for those looking to graze, as well as those looking for something more substantial. Cheese lovers should note that they serve a rather good cheeseboard, right up until closing time.
Soup
From the menu, I opted for the haggis nachos to go with my soup, which proved to be pea and mint. I got these to arrive at the same time, as we weren’t overly blessed with time, today.
Danielle opted for the fish and chips. She’d seen this dish previously, when the fish in question had been served as two chunky fillets, amounting to a huge amount of food. She asked if she could get just one piece of fish. Our extremely helpful waiter/barman said that the dish had been modified to be a single fillet, as its size had been defeating a number of the patrons.
Fish n chips
After we’d had time for a little catch-up on all the comings and goings across the Edinburgh dining scene, we were soon snapping pictures of our dishes, then tucking in.
My soup was an extremely generous portion, served with chunky, rustic bread. It packed good flavour and well-judged texture, although the seasoning could have been just a little sharper.
Haggis nachos
The nachos were really good, too. As displayed by the famous Los Cardos burrito, haggis is an excellent feature filling for this type of cuisine. The guacamole was particularly fresh, the salsa chunky, and a good dollop of sour cream topped the cheesy tortilla chips. It was simple and tasty, which is always a winning combination.
Danielle was delighted with her fish and chips, with the batter, made with their own Traverse Ale (brewed by Stewart Brewing), attracting very high praise.
So overall, I was mightily impressed with the food on offer at the Traverse. Nailing popular classics, then putting your own twist on them, can be a tricky business, but the chefs here are making a mighty fine job of it. The staff couldn’t be friendlier, the place is smart and arty (can we call it “smarty”), and the food is guaranteed to please. I look forward to my next visit, and hope to see you there, too.
Scores
Blythe scores the Traverse Theatre
4/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
3.5/5 for setting
giving an overall 15/20
Today’s questers were: Danielle, Blythe
We ate: pea and mint soup, Traverse ale battered haddock and chips, haggis nachos
We drank: sparkly water, lemonade
We wore: black coat, black boots
Total bill: £20.65
