REVIEW : EAT - Sunday Lunch, New Chapter, Edinburgh
A question that popped up on Instagram - is it Sunday Lunch or Sunday Dinner?
Surely it goes on the time of day that you eat it? but then us Scots like to have dinner at around 5pm and supper at 8pm so having Sunday Lunch at 4pm doesn’t really matter.
What does matter is where you have this Sunday Lunch.
New Chapter restaurant is located in the New Town and due to its sister restaurant, Otro, closing in the West End, it’s now their responsibility to take up the helm on the Sunday Roast front. And boy do they triumph!
The weather was grim, it was that fine rain that slowly soaks you to the bone. I was walking towards the restaurant staring in through the windows, it looked so warm and cosy, with candlelight, heavy curtains and inviting understated decor. I couldn’t wait to be inside filling my belly.
REVIEW - SUNDAY LUNCH, NEW CHAPTER, EDINBURGH
Sunday Lunch at New Chapter is either a 2 course or a 3 course affair. You cant just go in for a Sunday Roast and why would you want to at these prices - 2 course £20 and 3 course £26.
With 5 starters and 5 mains to choose from, its a tough decision to make as I know that most dishes are scrumptious.
I was in for lunch a few weeks ago so I’d already sampled the Celeriac and Apple Soup and the Cured Salmon with Soy and Lime Dressing.
After eliminating foods that I don’t eat ie the Duck Liver Parfait and knowing what Clare would eat, it only left me with one delicious option
HAND DIVED WEST COAST SCALLOPS with bacon broth, Cockburn black pudding and pork belly terrine with crunch celeriac.
Honestly, I can never go wrong with scallops and NC had cooked them perfectly. Large, plump, silky bites that melted on the tongue. The mushrooms and bacon broth brought a nice earthy warmth to the dish and the terrine was salty. A wonderful combination of flavours and textures.
ROASTED CRAPAUDINE BEETROOT with burrata and orange salad.
What a stunning plate of food. The burrata took on the flavours and the colours of the beetroot but held onto its creaminess throughout. The segmented oranges where sweet which balanced out the woodiness of the beetroot. This dish was all about textures, complimenting and contrasting to play on your tongue bite after bite.
Without a doubt the star of the show is the Sunday Roast but for those that don’t like a Sunday Roast (yes there are haters out there and I’m not judging you) you can tuck into Plaice with potted shrimp or Roasted Pumpkin with fregola pasta or the Free Range Chicken with leek and girolle fondue. Three exceptional choices but we settled on:
PROSCUITTO-WRAPEED COD with puy lentils, celeriac puree and lemon sabayon. Everything about this dish is winter on a plate. The puy lentils were filling and added a bite to the dish in contrast to the soft silkiness of the celeriac and the soft flakes of the fish. The cod is cooked sous vide style so it came across looking a little undercooked, but we were reassured that it was thoroughly cooked through. This didn’t affect the taste which was fab.
ROAST BEEF with Yorkshire pudding, duck fat potatoes and seasonal veg.
Their rare roast beef is sensational ~ thick cut succulent tender slices; the duck fat potatoes cooked and seasoned perfectly with the correct proportion of crunch to inside fluffiness; their seasonal veg will make an artist's heart sing with the colours of orange and purple predominant on the canvas and the Yorkie ~ mmm it just finishes this fine plate of Sunday Scrumptiousness off!
For dessert we both had the CARAMELISED APPLE TART with crème diplomate.
A crispy thin base that provided the snap and crack every dessert spoon deserves. The creme was whipped and thick and soft and totally lickable all at the same time. The flavours were spot on with cinnamon and apple, caramel and little hits of lemon. If I had been at home, I’d have licked the plate!
If you want your mind to say wow, your heart to fill with Foodie joy and your belly to be stuffed, then there is only one place to head to for Sunday Lunch and that's New Chapter.
New Chapter, 18 Eyre Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5EP. Tel : 0131 556 0076 www.newchapterrestaurant.co.uk
My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10
I was invited by New Chapter to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.