Compass

I heard a good anecdote about stubbornness, the other day, to effect that it’s one of the few absolutely universal “qualities” that everyone recognises in themselves, in one way or another. I’m a pretty easy going to sort of chap, but I do sometimes have a stubborn refusal to follow extremely sound advice.

Many people, not least Edinburgh Etiquette’s Katey, have been telling me that the Compass, on the corner of Queen Charlotte and Constitution Street, was worth a visit, but somehow I never managed to find the time until today.

The interior is warmly welcoming in the pub style, but with touches of real elegance including some lovely cornicing. The friendly barman-waiter did a good job of matching the air of conviviality, with a jovial and accommodating approach to service throughout.

Their menu features a number of tasty sounding seafood options, but I was in soup and sandwich mood, so started with the beetroot soup then followed with the steak sandwich.

A monster portion of the soup soon arrived looking eye-catching bright and wafting a really appealing aroma. It proved to be very good eating, with the distinctive sweet earthiness of the beetroot really hitting the spot. The accompanying bread was very good, too.

The main course maintained the standard with a succulent piece of steak topped with a generous amount of softly caramelized onions encased in more of their excellent bread. The accompanying chips and salad were very good, as well.

So overall, it was a resounding thumbs up for the Compass. I was really impressed with the quality on offer and look forward to visiting again. Next time I’ll definitely give one or two of their seafood options a go. I’d heartily recommend a visit.

Scores
Blythe scores the Compass
4/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
4/5 for setting
giving an overall 15.5/20

I ate: beetroot soup, steak sandwich

I drank: water

I wore: black and red

Total bill: £11.90