You’re thinking about the cocktail bar on Queen Street, aren’t you? Well, not today. Instead, my lunchtime stroll took me to Albert Street, in Leith, where a little sandwich bar called Bramble lives, just next to the Sicilian Pastry Shop.

Exterior

I’d spotted it on many trips to and from Leith, but not felt compelled to visit before today. As is often the case, silly me.

The compact premises are painted in a warm bramble hue, and the colour scheme is continued in the crockery. The cornicing is delightful, which is always good to see.

Soup

The counter chap does excellent work, with orders prepared accurately and quickly. During my stay, someone came in and said “same as yesterday, please”, which turned out to be a rather long list of stuff. It was all prepared with perfect recall, so bravo.

My simple requirements were for soup and a sandwich. I spotted their lunchtime deal of soup, a toastie, and a tea, coffee or soft drink for the meagre sum of £3, so decided to give that a whirl.

Toastie

The soup of the day was spiced lentil and coconut. It was a very good soup, packed with satisfying flavour. I’d gone for a chorizo and cheese toastie. This was a more humble affair, but the freshly grated cheese had a good tang to it, and the chorizo was tasty. A good cuppa washed this down.

So overall, I was really impressed with Bramble. There’s a lot to be said for getting the simple stuff right, and Bramble is certainly doing that. The counter man’s approach was a joy to behold, and I enjoyed both of my dishes. I’d happily point you in their direction, next time you’re looking for a tasty and high value lunch.

Scores
Blythe scores Bramble
3.5/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
3.5/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving an overall 14.5/20

I ate: spiced lentil and coconut soup; chorizo and cheese toastie

I drank: tea

I wore: brown brogues

Total bill: £3