181 Delicatessen

After a jolly wander around the city, which included a stop at community greengrocer Dig-In, I stopped by the 181 Deli in Bruntsfield. I’d heard good things so was brimming with optimism as I crossed the threshold.

The deli counter is where the shop’s main business is done, with an impressive cheese selection central to their offering. They have a few cafe tables at the back, so it was to their that I headed, checking that they still had soup left as I passed.

The soup was roasted pepper and chickpea, which sounded good to me. I added a little mackerel, ricotta and walnut quiche which sounded highly enticing.

The friendly counter people were soon delivering both dishes with the soup served with good, rustic bread.

The soup proved to be flavour-packed and full of charm. It was a lovely bowl of wholesome goodness.

The quiche tasted just as good as I’d hoped. The combination of oily fish, toasted walnuts and creamy ricotta was a wonderful balance between richness and lightness. It was really tasty stuff.

So overall, 181 is a highly impressive place. I really liked both dishes I sampled and did very well to get out of the place without buying further items to nibble on at home. I’d strongly recommend a visit and I’m sure you’ll be as pleased with your time spent there as I was.

Scores
Blythe scores 181
4/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
4/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving an overall 16/20

I ate: roast pepper and chickpea soup; mackerel, walnut and ricotta quiche

I drank: water, espresso

I wore: camel coat

Total bill: £7.05