Having previously been to the The Printing Press when it first opened we were keen to revisit. So when we had a willing babysitter and an invitation to pop along we couldn’t turn it down. We visited on a Sunday evening a few weeks ago just before the Christmas festivities started in town and restaurants start to get super busy. It was a nice chance relax before things started to get busy. Having just launched an updated menu for the autumn there were quite a few new dishes and since our visit they have updated the menu again, adding a festive touch to it. Some of the dishes we tried are now off the menu but hopefully they return to give you a chance to try it.
Once in our seats we were treated to one of their signature cocktails. Mr E on this occasion was driving so it all the more for me 🙂 I tried their The Devil Wears Principal – Principal No.25 gin, cranberry, lemon, sugar, raspberry, mint, peach bitters. It was delicious, very easy to drink and erring on the right side of being tart. Things were off to a good start.
Choosing a starter was the easy part. Mr E ordered hand-dived Orkney scallops, orange-braised endive, squid ink sauce and settled on the smoked haggis, purĂ©ed neeps and crispy potato. Both plates arrived with the smokiness of the haggis reaching us before our plates did. The scallops were succulent and well cooked. The orange flavour of the endive added a zing to the dish. Mr E cleared his plate quickly so it must have been good. I enjoyed the smokey flavour of the haggis and the purĂ©ed neeps were smooth and well seasoned. The portion of haggis was generous, so much so I couldn’t quite finish it.
I decided to order the Huntingdon Farm Barnsley lamb chop, lamb faggot, dauphine croquette and spinach with a side of honey and rosemary roasted Chantenay carrots. It was the last portion they had, so I figured something so popular was well worth trying. Mr E went a little way from his usual and ordered a second fish dish of seaweed grilled Scrabster cod, Shetland mussel and clams gratin with sea herbs.
The lamb dish was lovely, cooked pink and tender, the faggot full of flavour and the dauphine croquette crispy on the outside with the potato layers on the inside holding their shape. It was easy to see why this dish had been so popular. Definitely something you’d want to be tucking into on a cold Sunday evening. The fish dish Mr E had ordered was equally as tasty. The fish was well cooked and flaked away into a creamy gratin. The sea herbs stopped the sauce from becoming too heavy and added a splash of colour to the plate. Both dishes were well presented and something we would order again if they were to come back on the menu.
After a successful starter and main courses we thought we may as well give dessert a try. We couldn’t remember the last time we were able to enjoy 3 courses rather than having to quickly eat one dish and then go. With a few things appealing to both of us on the dessert menu our minds were made up when we saw a hazelnut fondant being served at a table close to us. One hazelnut fondant with salted vanilla ice cream and a honey and thyme roasted plum, chocolate custard, cinnamon granola and honeycomb ice cream swiftly arrived at our table. There is a 15 minute wait for the fondant to cook but that gave us plenty of time to let our food settle and take in the lovely surroundings. The dining room in The Printing Press is gorgeous, it reminds me of old school Hollywood glamour.
Each dessert was delicious and well worth the wait. The hazelnut fondant was a nice change from the usual chocolate sponge, mixed in with it was chopped hazelnuts. This added a nice bit of crunch to the dessert. Mr E ordered the honey and thyme roasted plum to try out something different and he enjoyed it very much.
We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at The Printing Press. The surroundings add to the dining experience and the service on the night we visited was great. There was a nice break in between courses and the staff checked in every so often to check everything was OK. We’re looking forward to visiting The Printing Press in the New Year and sampling some more of what they have on offer.
The Printing Press Bar & Kitchen | 21-25 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PB | Tel: 0131 240 7177
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