I live just along a bit from here and its a nice half hour wander with a pint at the end, and those views are amazing. Seals are often seen from the window seats and they also have outdoor seating overlooking the bay between Granton and Newhaven.
Last week I was invited to La p’tite folie on Randolf Place for a little sketching and scoffing…It was a windy autumnal evening when I crossed over from Melville Street to see the beautiful Tudor looking exterior of La p’tite folie on Randolf Place. Welcoming us in to the cosy warm interior we were shown upstairs to our table overlooking the square.
I hadn’t realised autumn had arrived until that windy night and as we watched the amber leaves dancing around the cobbles outside I was glad we had full and lively restaurant to keep us warm. The steak was deliciously juicy and my partners fish beautifully seasoned and perfectly cooked.
The atmosphere was great and looked just like the sketch above, a perfect place for a family meal or special occasion, I felt relaxed and at home – just what you need on a chilly night 😉
La p’tite folie restaurant website. 
Where in Edinburgh have I sketched?If you can you tell me where in the Scottish capital I have sketched then you could win a great prize. Email me your answer using the link below and I will randomly pick a correct answer tomorrow morning, who will then go into the monthly draw to win a prize.
The prize for February is a meal for two at the superb city centre Apex Grassmarket Hotel.
Thanks to the friendly staff at Apex Grassmarket Hotel I have a meal for two up for grabs in February’s WhereArtI quiz. Located in the heart of Old Town Edinburgh, this contemporary glass-fronted restaurant enjoys stunning Castle views. Inside you’ll find food and drink inspired by classic Scottish produce and flavours. For more information about this perfectly situated hotel and restaurant click on the website link below.
The answer is always in Edinburgh so keep looking up and noticing the details in Scotland’s stunning capital city. Keep an eye on my facebook and twitter feeds for clues through the day if they are needed.
Recently I popped in at the The Atelier Restaurant for a bite to eat, and a little food sketching.The 2 AA Rosette Scottish dining restaurant lies on Morrison Street in Edinburgh’s West End, and has a cosy and relaxed atmosphere with a friendly welcome.
I visited with the Sketcher Clan for a week day lunch, they open 12-2.30pm, 5.30-9.30pm Tue-Thu and 12-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm Fri and Sat, and the place seemed to be a popular business lunch location.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary ‘Atelier’ means a room or building in which an artist works. This couldn’t be more appropriate for this Edinburgh kitchen.
Atelier: a room or building in which an artist works
We enjoyed 3 courses of beautiful food. Each plate was a work of art, the above starter of ‘Lamb ballotine, buckwheat, fennel, artichoke’ had delicate sauces dabbed around the the plate like one of my sketches.
Not only did they look good but tasted delicious, the Sketcher twins shared a pasta dish of ‘Fregula, peas, asparagus, ricotta’ and when they couldn’t finish it all asked if we could take the rest home.
Our shared dessert of ‘Poached apricot, dark chocolate cremeux, sorbet’ disappeared before I could sketch it to a flurry of silent scooping and synchronised ‘mmmm-ing’.
Below is a sketch from after the event 🙂
Today’s sketches were made with a black fine liner pen and watercolour paint.
The Atelier Restaurant website
The Atelier are holding an ‘Aura Night’ Italian cuisine evening on Monday 22nd August for one night only from 7pm-10pm, creating a ‘Tasting Menu offering a Journey through great Italian flavours’. Places are £45 per person and reservations are required. To book, please call 0131 6295040
As the second restaurant in Edinburgh for chef Jason Wright Fish Eatery at 12 Picardy Place had a lot to live up to.The new fish restaurant is located next door to Jason’s flagship restaurant Steak, which has proved a huge ssuccess I myself can testify to having the best steak not only in Edinburgh but in my life there earlier this year. A sketch of which can be found here.
I started with ‘Rollmops in a tin’ which were presented as if just opened, extremely fresh and tasty. Accompanied with tempura gherkins, light and crispy on top of a dill mustard sauce. Delicious.
The main of ‘Roast Sea Bass’ was extremely hard to sketch before eating, the enticing aromas making my mouth water. Sat upon seared spiced cabbage and a potato purée the sea bass didn’t disappoint. Crispy on top, succulent and meaty underneath, perfect. Dotted around the fist were chestnut mushrooms on a garlic butter sauce.
After reliving that meal I need to visit again! To book your table follow the link below and let me know what you think. All sketches are in black ink in my A5 pad with a water colour wash to finish.
Venture out of the city for a steak to remember, locally sourced Scottish beef grilled over charcoal at the new grill house and pizzeria in Fairmilehead.
I’m a huge fan of locally sourced food and produce, and partial to well cooked steak so when asked if I would like to sample the menu at Charwood Grill house I didn’t hesitate. Located in Fairmilehead in the south of the city in the premises previously know as Tusitalli, and you would be hard pressed to notice the difference inside, apart from the glorious smells coming from their Josper chargrill, using lumpwood charcoal which gives each steak an authentic smoky taste.
The sketch above is their mighty signature steak, the ‘Charwood Rib-eye’, and at 300g is a match for most appetites. Each mouthful melted in the mouth, and we devoured every gram. If you like steak then head south, just make sure you go hungry!!
There is a new restaurant opening up in the heart of Edinburgh, within the Quartermile development, once the Royal Infirmary Hospital.Now a mixture of old and new architecture, the area is really coming to life as more businesses move in to the vibrant area just off the Meadows park. It is a favourite place to sketch for me as there is a real mixture of buildings, stunning old stone work and striking walls of glass which create great reflections plus the greens of the park in the background.
This sketch is from the square one block back from Meadows Walk, which is fast becoming a foody hotspot in Edinburgh’s South side. The new restaurant will sit in the middle of this block over two floors and include an outside bar and seating within the square.
Currently known only as ‘Project Quartermile’ there has been plenty of buzz around the restaurant opening online. The official name and branding will be revealed tomorrow, Friday 6th June. I’m looking forward to seeing the building finished, and enjoying a little alfresco dining in Quartermile square.
A visit to the Apex International Hotel in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket provides a stunning view.The fifth floor restaurant boasts 2 AA Rosettes and an exciting menu of Scottish cuisine, focusing on locally sourced seasonal produce. As well as serving breakfast for hotel guests the restaurant also serves a 3 course dinner menu between 5.30pm and 9.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
But the real attraction has to be the view from this perfect setting, follow the link below to book your place and dine beneath Edinburgh Castle, I’m sure it looks equally stunning in the evening.
Fancy some fine dining this lunch time? Steak restaurant in Edinburgh has a new lunchtime menu with two courses of mouth watering treats for less than a tenner.
I took along my paintbrush and paper to capture each course as head chef Jason Wright, previously of Ondine seafood restaurant in Edinburgh, created them. The apple and walnut salad with blue cheese was crisp and fresh, dotted with sweet caramelised walnuts which combined perfectly with flashes of blue cheese.
The main event at ‘Steak’ is always going to be the steak, there are other choices; parmesan breaded chicken escalope with gremolata for example, or Scot pine gnocchi with mushrooms, cheddar and truffle sounded intriguing. But in all honesty it took just seconds to decide on the rump steak frites with bearnaise sauce. Juicy and perfectly seasoned the steak was delicious and the frites crisp and home made, and gluten free too which was a bonus.
This really is fine dining for a bargain price, the only trouble I had was not devouring the lot before I had time to sketch my lunch!
Lunch is available at Steak every day from 12-2.30pm, two courses (starter & main) for £9.95 – add a dessert for £3.50 / add a glass of house red/white for £3.50.
