Redwood Bistro

Chef Annette Sprague had come along to tell Scran Salon all about her new venture, Redwood Bistro, way back in August 2014. Following a couple of near misses, I finally took a trip to the west of the city to visit her Californian restaurant on a clear and crisp Tuesday night.

Corstorphine is a hive of restaurant activity as I found on my trip to Wong’s. On an erstwhile sleepy Tuesday there seemed plenty of interest in the local eateries.

Upon arrival at Redwood, I was welcomed by the friendly and efficient waitress and shown to a table in the smart dining area. The menu was brought and it was explained that most, if not all, of the starters could be served as mains, which seemed a nice idea.

After a good few moments considering what was on offer, I settled upon a nibble of gouda and walnut biscotti served with salsa verde, then followed with a fish stew called ciopinno, then a main of duck breast served on lentils.

The nibble was swiftly with me. The biscotti were nicely brittle and packed with nutty flavour from the walnuts and aged cheese. The sauce was a suitably piquant accompaniment.

The starter stew soup was impressively good stuff. With lovely aniseed hints, the tomato based soup was packed with lemon zing, white fish, king prawns and mussels. This made for extremely satisfying soupy eating.

The main course duck was as beautifully understated and accomplished a dish as you could wish to find. The duck skin was crisp, the flesh nicely pink, and the accompanying puy lentils, spinach, cherries and goat cheese absolutely spot on.

I wasn’t quite ready to draw a curtain on things, so I ordered the cheeseboard, which brought together a really good selection from Mellis. The rough oatcakes were a real delight and the chutney very good.

So overall, Redwood Bistro was extremely pleasing. It’s just like I want a restaurant to be: fundamentals absolutely nailed; creative flavour combinations; and an atmosphere that promotes relaxation. You should make it your business to visit soon and visit often.

Scores
Blythe scores Redwood
4.5/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
4/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving an overall 16.5/20

I ate: aged gouda and walnut biscotti with salsa verde; ciopinno with mussels, prawns and haddock; five spiced duck breast with puy lentils, cherries, spinach, goat’s cheese; cheeseboard

I drank: house white; house red

I wore: www.tieclub.co.uk

Total bill: £41