Cafe Vivo

On a bright and sunny day, I had a strange hankering for meat, not least because MJ had mentioned to me that meaty aromas had been wafting in the window of her office for most of the day.

Speculation was that the new Mussel and Steak Bar had opened on Jeffrey Street, so I went to investigate but found it still a little way away from opening. It turns out that the folks from The List had a hog roast on the go in their courtyard, but we didn’t find that out until later in the day.

So I found myself on the High Street in need of something meaty. I resolved to pop down the Canongate to Cafe Vivo to give their burger a try.

The place caters largely for the tourist market, given its location, and their Italian influenced menu has a huge range of dishes on offer, from paninis and baked potatoes to pizza and pasta dishes.

The friendly counter man and incredible multi-tasker seemed to be handling the vast majority of tasks including prepping and cooking the majority of dishes.

I was clear that I wanted to try their burger, which for under a fiver seemed like a potential snip. I tried their espresso, while the burger cooked. It wasn’t at all bad.

The burger soon arrived accompanied by a nicely dressed, fresh and crisp salad. It proved to be very tasty indeed and reminded me of a burger I’d enjoyed with similar relish at Eatings on Rose Street. I’ve had burgers in other places that were twice the price and had half the flavour. I was very pleased with things.

So overall, I enjoyed my trip to Cafe Vivo. It’s good to see a place at the heart of tourist land that’s producing good quality dishes for a pretty reasonable price. Next time I’m in need of a burger in this neighbourhood, I know where to go.

Scores
Blythe scores Cafe Vivo
4/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
3/5 for setting
giving an overall 14.5/20

I ate: burger

I drank: espresso, water

I wore: linen suit

Total bill: £6.60