Edinburgh has a huge array of restaurants, ranging from fast food favourites to fine dining award-winning independents. In short, you’re certainly not going to go hungry. But if you only have a short amount of time in the city, picking just a few to try is a more difficult task than expected. Of course, you could just opt for my usual method of walking around until the hunger completely consumes me and I cave in and run to the nearest restaurant in site. Or, you could read on and gain a little insight into a place I think you’d like to try…
It goes by the name of Kyloe and it offers Edinburgh a gourmet steak option – a menu filled with twists on much loved classics and a whole heap of, you guessed it, steak.
Now, before I start professing to be some sort of steak goddesses (whatever this would consist of), I’ll admit now – I don’t actually eat steak. I probably never have – aside from being adventurous and trying it once when I was 14. Oh I knew how to live! So I can’t really claim to have been really excited by the prospect of it.
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However, a quick look on the website and the online reviews told me that it was much more than just a steak restaurant. It had the glitz and glamour of somewhere special in London, but a far more relaxed, chilled atmosphere with friendlier staff and a focus on the experience, rather than just churning out customers. Luckily, I couldn’t describe it any better myself. It fitted the bill perfectly.
Upon arrival, we were taken upstairs to the gorgeously decorated restaurant area – complete with cow hide booths, wooden barrel lights and a glitzy mirrored bar. Despite the contrast in interiors, it all worked seamlessly together to create a very welcoming environment, teamed with our attentive waitresses who was so knowledgeable about every dish and drink but also stopped to take time to chat to us about our day.
A few cocktails later and we’d finally decided on our food options, which together – were a real mix of cuisines and styles, but equally – very delicious sounding, so we couldn’t wait to tuck in. Shopping in Edinburgh certainly builds up an appetite, that’s for sure!
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First up was a platter of warm poppy seed bread and creamy hummus, which I believe comes complimentary with every meal (I love it when restaurants do this, such a lovely little bonus) and was so delicious, I could have eaten it alone as a starter.
Then came my choice – the tempura scallops, aubergine and courgette with chilli jam, which was nothing but incredible. The scallops were just right (they are notoriously difficult to get right and often end up unappetisingly chewy) and the chilli jam complimented the delicate flavours beautifully. David had opted for something a little more hearty – the beef yorkie, complete with red wine jus and a huge crispy homemade yorkshire pudding.
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The portion sizes – just in case the pictures don’t do them justice – were incredibly generous, and if you weren’t overly hungry – a starter would probably suffice as a main. Personally, I’m never one to say no to large portions but it is worth noting if you’re considering a three course meal and aren’t a huge eater!
The mains also didn’t disappoint and were rather mammoth in size, mine the pan fried stone bass and David’s the 60 day aged rib-eye. My only criticism was that I did specify that I didn’t eat dairy or eggs before ordering and yet plopped on top of my fish (luckily on the skin side, which I don’t eat) was a mayo style sauce, which I did confirm with the waitress – indeed contained egg.
I’m not allergic but intolerant, so the worst it would have given me was a poorly stomach but still – I do think it’s important to honour such requests, as you never know why someone isn’t eating something in particular. It didn’t ruin the meal for me in any way – and I still very much enjoyed the fish, which was melt-in-the-mouth delicious but this did taint my main a little.
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David and I had both opted for the highly recommended beef dripping chips, which were HUGE and very crispy on the outside, with a soft, flavoursome centre. I’d definitely opt for these over the normal fries if you do visit, as they’re well worth the switch!
We also snuck in a plate of smoked mac & cheese which David tried and confirmed it was indeed as delicious as it looked. Not overpoweringly cheesy but gorgeous in flavour.
With so much food consumed, we didn’t know whether we’d have room for yet another course – but ever the good sport in the name of blogging, David gave the Chocolate assisette a go, a combination of white chocolate mousse, dark chocolate pave (half expected this one to be a full on paving slab) and milk chocolate sorbet. The pave was rather heavy and dense, but everything featured was a chocoholic’s dream, so it’s definitely one to try if you can manage it!
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Overall, we had such a wonderful, relaxing evening filled with great food, fabulous cocktails and the very best company. I love the mix of fine dining elements with an environment you don’t have to feel uncomfortable in, so for us – this was the perfect combination. If you’re in the city and fancy somewhere memorable but chilled, Kyloe is the place to make a booking!
Kyloe Restaurant & Grill | link
1-3 Rutland Street
Edinburgh . EH1 2AE
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