Folks, I’m just back from my fab-u-lous adventure in Canada, and my short few days back have been pretty much non-stop. So, perhaps the outside temperature isn’t quite as balmy as I’ve been used to, but over the past few sunny days, our dear city has looked gorgeous.
On Wednesday night I enjoyed some great company, a couple of glasses of vino (just to get back into the groove, you know) and sensational views thanks to to an invite from the lovely Kirsten at
Eric Young & Co‘s to visit their panoramic roof terrace. Situated on the top of the old GPO building at the east end of Princes Street, the vistas over the city were sensational.
I’m in wedding-mode at the moment, as one of my best buddies Louise has recently become engaged to Peter, and I’m totally chuffed that I’ll be a bridesmaid on the big day next spring. Last night, we met up for a catch-up and cin-cin of glasses, before going to see the very apt and insanely hilarious
‘Bridesmaids‘ at the Omni.
We decided on Treacle as a suitable spot, and because the sun was splitting the pavements (trees, and everything else) the outside area was mobbed with a sunshades-wearing after work crowd. We managed to get a window table inside, and Lou started with a strawberry daiquiri, which was sweet and zippy however I resisted entirely thanks to my recent ‘martini’ night in Montreal. Let’s just say that having spent a few hours showing the barman how to make *quote* ‘really good cocktails’ I paid for it all the next day.
A bottle of prosecco was decided on for ‘moi’ and as our other friend (and co-bridesmaid) Gill was running a bit late, Louise and I decided to get some nosh in our bellies. Treacle is run by the same peeps as Hamilton’s in Stockbridge, and has a similar laid-back vibe and retro pop-art motifs on the walls. Staff are really switched-on, the cocktail menu screams temptation, and we found their food menu to be filled with some good bar staples, as well as a few Asian-style noodle dishes and salads.
Seeing as it was such a summery evening, we strayed away from the burgers ‘n’ pies style offerings and opted to go ‘halfers’ on a couple of lighter-sounding options. Oh, and the obligatory olives to start, which were pretty darned good. I’ll maintain that their neighbours across the street, The Basement do the best olives in town, but these were a good contender. Chunky green olives and kalamatas with a spicy marinade were gleefully stabbed and munched as an appetiser.
Next up the mains. The teryaki chicken and pak choi noodle dish was presented on a board in a retro-style carryout carton, with accessories of chopsticks and a bottle of Kikoman soya sauce. The flavours were big, with plenty of umami and chilli to give that oriental kick, and the pak choi bites were a welcome fresh mouthful. In the stir-fry the usual mix of peppers, onions, beansprouts and sugarsnaps made it appealingly colourful too. It just nudged the boundary of too much salt, so none of the soy was needed. The salad was excellent, with juicy soft pieces of mango, grilled chicken fresh leaves and more chilli in its tangy dressing. This worked well with the sweetness of the fruit and in all, the salad was the perfect foil to the noodle dish.
Both dishes were very generous in size, and a good sharing combo, and well-priced at under £9 each. Treacle is well-known as a venue for a great post-work tipple, but it also earns its stripes kitchen-side. The freshness of the ingredients and big flavours make this a tempting spot if you’re in the area.
As for the girls and I, we went on our sweet way to enjoy the film. Next post- wedding dress shopping and lunch at Ondine.
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