Living just 5 minutes away from The Compass makes it hard not to go here all the time. Everytime we have been in the food has been great and we’ve always left feeling satisfied. This time it was a wee treat to celebrate our being together for three years (awww).
We love a wee date night out and The Compass is perfect for this. It has lovely dark, candle lit corners and the staff are attentive but not overly, allowing you to enjoy your evening. The Compass does Scottish food pretty well. Haggis, steak and ale pie, fish and mussels are always found somewhere on the menu.
On this occasion I was feeling the need for good comfort food. So I opted for jaggy haggis balls with a homemade sweet chilli dip to start and steak & ale pie with mash for my main.
The haggis balls were well cooked and flavoured. The coating on them was crispy without being overdone and making them hard to eat. Inside was moist and well flavoured, tasted like they had used a good haggis. The sweet chilli dip at first didn’t seem to have a kick but after a few moments it soon kicked in. The spiciness of haggis was well matched with the hotness of the sweet chilli. 3 haggis balls were plenty although if they had of taken away the salad and replaced it with another I wouldn’t have complained.
Steak and ale pie is one of my favourite dishes and this didn’t disappoint. The steak was tender and you could taste the ale flavour of the gravy, which sometimes is missing. I loved the little piece of puffed pastry on top as when it’s in its own wee dish I struggle to eat it politely. The mash was delicious, well seasoned and smooth with no lumps (I hate lumpy mash!!). It might not seem it but there was heaps of steak. The green beans were well cooked, still crunchy and not soggy.
Normally after a feast like that I wouldn’t have room for dessert but the dessert board did tempt me.
It was the apple and blueberry crumble that did it for me.
It came out heated and the ice cream melting on top. The apple was well cooked, on the slightly bitter side but I do prefer my desserts more tarte than sweet. I’m glad the ice cream was there as it did need a bit of sauce without anything I think it might have been a tad on the dry side.
So that’s me stuffed, now for what Mr Edinburger had.
He opted for the seafood chowder for starter and 8oz rib eye steak, medium rare, and chips for the main event.
The chowder had a good amount of sea food in it. Only downside was of the 3 mussels that were in it, 1 was closed. We did think that they might have checked this before serving. It was well seasoned and had a good flavour and accompanied with freshly baked bread. Overall it seemed to hit the spot.
Mr Edinburger loves a good steak. This was an 8oz rib eye, on the plate it looked much bigger than 8oz. It was a perfectly cooked medium rare and had a distinctive chargrilled flavour without tasting burnt. There was minimal fat on the steak so there was nothing wasted and Mr E quickly scoffed it down. It was served with a peppercorn sauce (we think, can’t exactly remember), a side of chips and salad.
He was also tempted by the dessert board and before we had even ordered he had already decided that he would be having the chocolate torte.
This was everything a chocolate torte should be, rich and tasty. Mr E was also glad that the ice cream was there as it was a little on the dry side and needed something to lighten it a little.
Overall we had a lovely evening at The Compass. The food is reasonably priced and good quality. The atmosphere is great, it’s casual and laid back without you feeling like the staff can’t be bothered. We weren’t rushed and there was a good wee break inbetween each course which was very welcome. Next time your down Leith, make The Compass your food stop.
Her x
Contact | 44 Queen Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH6 7EX | Tel – 0131 554 1979 |
Twitter – @thecompassleith
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