It seems so long ago now that we ate at Sylvesters but actually the dining experience is still fresh in our mind. You may have seen our Q&A feature with Kieran Sylvester posted a wee while ago. After asking Kieran a few questions we were invited up to try out the food at Sylvesters and to meet the man himself.
Located on Edinburgh’s West Nicolson Street, Sylvesters is a family run restaurant providing innovative food by taking traditional Scottish dishes and adding imaginative ingredients to create unique combinations. It’s location on the corner of West Nicolson Street and Chapel Street, it is close to many tourist attractions such as Greyfriars Bobby, Chambers Street Museum, The Meadows, The Festival Theatre and Edinburgh University and makes it the perfect stop off during the festival.
We arrived looking forward to an evening of great tasting, simple Scottish food. Our welcome was warm and friendly and we also had the chance to say hello to Kieran before he headed off to the kitchen to work his magic. Once we had chosen our drinks ( Mr E had a cab sav. and I choose a Fentiman’s Lemonade) we were shown the specials and allowed to take time to read through the menu and decide what we fancied. Deciding what to order was the hard part.
Deconstructed prawn cocktail, tomato jelly and bloody Mary foam.
Wild mushroom risotto log with Parmesan purée
All of the starters on the menu could easily have ended up in front of us. We thought we’d opt for a special starter and a starter of the al a carte menu. My risotto log was very well cooked. The risotto was soft but with still a bit of bite and was a much bigger serving than I was expecting. The wild mushrooms added some flavour along with the parmesan puree. Only thing missing was maybe a little seasoning in the log itself but with the bits around it, it didn’t hinder the dish. The deconstructed prawn cocktail was delightfully presented and ticked all the boxes for Mr Edinburger. It offered up a range of flavours. The spiciness from the bloody Mary foam gave it a little kick and the tomato jelly added a freshness. The prawns were well cooked and meaty. The starters definitely get a thumbs up from us.
Oven-roasted salt cod, Stornoway black pudding, local crayfish and samphire with roasted beetroot and garlic purée
Mains were again served in a timely manner, allowing us a little break after our starters. My lamb shank was delicious. The meat just fell of the bone, it was very well cooked. The carrot and sweet potato provided a sweetness to the dish and the red wine jus livened the dish up and added some strong flavours. Mr is a huge black pudding fan and having previously had a great starter of crayfish and black pudding elsewhere he ordered the salted cod mains to see if it would be just as good. He was given the option of fighting with the crayfish himself to get the meat out or the kitchen would take care of that for him but I’m so glad he choose to do it himself as it added to the presentation. The roasted salt cod was well cooked and easily fell apart whilst maintaining it’s texture. The roasted beetroot offered an earthy taste which balanced out the saltiness of the cod and the garlic puree added an extra taste. The whole dish worked very well together and it is something which he would certainly order again.
Slow-braised lamb shank with carrot and sweet potato mash and red wine jus
You’d think that after that feast we would be full but I was tempted by the apple tarte tartin and across the table Mr Edinburger was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the chocolate and pecan nut pie. My tarte tartin was excellent. The pastry at the bottom was crisp and well cooked, no soggy bottoms here and the apples where just the right side of being tart. I’m not a huge fan of sweet apples in pies and tarts. The chocolate and pecan pie was equally as good. I was offered a small taste and it was nutty, chocolate heaven. The salted caramel sauce added an extra flavour to the dish and prevented the dish from being over powered by the nutty taste.
Apple tarte Tatin with Chantilly cream
Chocolate and pecan nut pie with salted caramel sauce
Overall it was an excellent evening at Sylvesters. It has a lovely relaxed atmosphere and would make a great location for a dinner with family or friends. Next time you’re looking for somewhere new to try out, give them a go, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Her x
*Disclaimer, we were invited to Sylvesters for a complimentary dinner. We were not asked to write a positive review and all views are our own.
Sylvesters | 55-57 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DB | 0131 662 4493 | sylvestersedinburgh@gmail.com |
Twitter: @SylvestersEdin
Facebook: Sylvesters
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