Milk at The Collective

It’s always nice to see pop-ups and street food ventures that dip a toe in the water during Festival time re-appear on a more permanent footing. I guess Ting Thai Caravan is the most celebrated member of that club. Now Milk at The Collective can join that number having set up as the permanent café accompanying Calton Hill’s Collective art space, in mid-March.

With an offering that essentially replicates what they served during the Festival, they have a little (but only a little) more spacious premises. The good news for diners is that it’s a good deal more sheltered than their previous place, with three large wooden tables with accompanying benches located just next to the observatory dome.

On this visit I tried their pastrami, cheese and caramelized onion sandwich. It was a monster. I really enjoyed it, particularly the interplay of the wonderfully sweet onions and the peppery meat.

I tried one of their coconut, carrot and raisin muffins, in a rare departure to the sweet side of the menu. I enjoyed it muchly.

Given that the top of the Calton Hill tends to be a rather chilly and windswept place, even on the sunniest days, I think the addition of soup to the menu would be welcomed, but I understand that they’re very pressed for space so perhaps this just isn’t logistically possible.

So overall, I was delighted to see this place established on a more permanent footing. The views from the hill are spectacular, as countless postcards have shown, so it’s worth a trip up the hill to drink in the view, periodically. It’s rather nice that you can now grab a cuppa or a tasty snack when there, too, as well as sampling some work from new and emerging artists.

I ate: pastrami sandwich; coconut, carrot and raisin muffin

I drank: espresso

I wore: lilac shirt

Total bill: £7.30

Calton Hill