A recent birthday jaunt back to Scotland afforded me the joy of confirming that one of my favourite haunts in Edinburgh remains the best all-round bistro in the city.
Ge' Oot! — the best bistro in Edinburgh
My relationship with The Outsider is as sentimental as it gets. Long known to me, this was coincidentally the place the then curator of Talbot Rice Gallery —Pat Fisher—invited us for lunch when we visited to plan the groundbreaking show of renowned Belgian painter Luc Tuymans. I took it as a good omen; something by which to trust her instincts...
Silly as it sounds, it's one of those places I really hoped made it through the pandemic with quality intact when recommending it to a friend visiting Edinburgh on a weekend break a few months ago. It seems it did. I took her word for it. But, I was lucky enough to confirm her findings for myself.
The Outsider
The Outsider is located close to both the University of Edinburgh and the National Museum of Scotland—dannae worry, it's on a tried 'n trusted route along which I've dragged many a visitor to this "Athens of the North".
The backbone of its seasonally changing menus is combining Scots cuisine with European and international influences. And, it does it very well. Even currently, it seems.
Set in a classic Edinburgh building, remodelled as split-level with excellent views of the famed castle at the rear, it serves up delicious food in a pared-back space with nods to modernism.
On my birthday—when we lunched there—I opted for the the mussels, white wine, cream, bacon, parmesan pine nuts and basil with fries; pretty much a classic moules-frites with fancy bits. My friend Brian went for the tagliatelle, a plat du jour, also with a seafood bent. We concurred that our lunches were excellent.
The Outsider is not exactly a "hidden gem": it's entrance is on a pretty prominent Edinburgh street. But, it's not until you get inside that you realise its true assets—quite aside from the food, it has a wonderful atmosphere and a menu that really delivers.
And then you get to the staff. We arrived at the height of the lunch rush without a reservation—it's clearly a current "hot ticket" for the French bourgeoisie visiting the city for autumnal "off season" fun. From the maître d' who managed our expectations to the charming server who took care of us at table, everything about this place remains pure Scottish charm.
Yes, there was a certain melancholy returning, walking past the landmark of Edinburgh' Elephant House, currently closed, where J. K Rowling wrote the original Harry Potter books according to the legend and—more importantly to me— where Ian Rankin worked. And, yes, I do live in dread that it will open up again as some kind of tourist theme park. In the meanwhile simply eat the good food at The Outsider instead.
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