Ransacked Black Oven

I had heard some mixed reports about Ransacked Black Oven – most notably from Gaby Soutar in the Scotsman – but decided to give it a look as it was very close by and I was hobbling significantly following a drunken stair slip the night before.

Exterior

Taking over where Wildmanwood lost direction and suffered from nearby road and pavement disruption meaning that significantly diminished numbers were walking by, Ransacked has kept the fabric of the space much the same as before. It is using the chunky pizza oven that had been installed to make Wildman’s initially great, then subsequently rather meh pizzas.

Their focus is on freshly baked flatbreads in various forms, with a strong commitment to fresh, vegetable-driven dishes with salad bowls to the fore.

I was keen to try their flatbread pizzas but not quite sure what else to have in terms of a starter. My helpful and highly attentive waitress suggested one of the “tear and share” breads with dip. I opted for the gram flour roti with their hummus of the day which was pumpkin.

Roti and hummus

This promptly arrived looking quite neat. The flatbread was nicely crisped at the edges and quite pancakey towards the middle. It was studded with whole spices and proved enjoyable eating. The pumpkin hummus was excellent.

The flatbread pizza was very good, too. It’s a style quite unlike puffed Neapolitan pizza with a thin and crisp base. I thought it was really satisfying and my chosen topping of beetroot, spinach pesto, sunblushed tomatoes and dukka worked really well. It was very accomplished stuff.

Flatbread pizza

I also tried their espresso which was made with Dear Green beans. It was very good, too.

So overall, Ransacked Black Oven looks to be starting life at a good level of quality. The place has a fresh and vibrant feel to it and I thought their menu was similarly enticing. It certainly seems to be packing the crowds in as it was very busy for a drably showery Wednesday. Make sure to give it a look, soon.

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

I ate: roti and pumpkin hummus; pesto, beetroot, tomato and dukkha pizza

I drank: espresso, water

I wore: grey and maroon

Total bill: £13.50

Address: 27-29 Marshall Street, Edinburgh EH8 9BJ