FOOD : Dulse, Edinburgh's newest Seafood restaurant from Chef Dean Banks
I really like the West End of Edinburgh. It’s alot quirkier than the East End, not as commercial and has a lot more to offer in terms of independent food and drink restaurants, cafes, bistros, sandwich shops, bars and pubs.
Many of the places around the West End are so deceptive in size and offering, and the fairly new seafood restaurant, Dulse is no exception.
REVIEW OF DULSE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT, EDINBURGH
Walking in from the street it displays a lovely bar and quite a few tables seating perhaps 20-25 people. This areas focus is an intimate wine and cocktail bar serving small sharing plates but ascend the staircase at the back and you find yourself in Dulse, the seafood restaurant. This space opens up into a gorgeous medium sized room that’s light and bright with large windows bringing as much of the skyline inside as possible and if you are lucky enough, you’ll get our seat with views right up to the Castle.
The seaside decor is understated with pale wood, turquoise blue tones incorporated through glassware, the colour of the accent wall and picked up in the tablemats that are made from recycled plastic that has been recovered from our oceans. Shells, coral and general maritime objects fill spaces and corners, giving a very relaxed and welcoming vibe.
When you’re not just staring out this window at the view and blue skies you’ll be tucking into some great seafood.
The menu consists mostly of small plates to share with a section of five large main dishes. They also have a Day Boat Special with specials like Lemon Sole, Langoustines and Lobster.
SMALL PLATE 1 - CUMBRAE OYSTERS (£3.50 each)
We decided to order small plates enabling us to try more of this fabulous menu. We started off with a colourful carousel of Cumbrae Oysters, 2 of each - natural, Cucumber and Jalapeno and Bloody Mary. The oysters were properly cleaned, loosened at the foot and none were milky. A fab start. I loved too that we were given proper two pronged oyster forks!
SMALL PLATE 2 - TROUT PASTRAMI (£12.50)
The Trout Pastrami with rye bread and creme fraiche was beautiful and delicate. Melted like butter and I loved the contrast of textures when placed atop the rye bread. I just wish I had ordered this plate to myself.
SMALL PLATE 3 - LOBSTER CRUMPET (£19.00)
Lobster Crumpet with citrus brown butter. All the butter had soaked into the crumpet making it just ooze with goodness at every bite. This was a nice wee dish. I wanted it to be outrageously good but it was just nice. Nothing necessarily wrong with it, I just felt it could have done with a bit more punch!
SMALL PLATE 4 - HALF SHELL SCALLOP (£14.50)
This dish was a beaut. You know my love affair with scallops, well this just took it to another level. Scallop dripping in Dulse de Paris Butter equals one very happy Adele.
SMALL PLATE 5 - SCOTTISH LANGOUSTINE TAILS (£15.50)
Although the scallop will always and forever sit atop my food pedestal, this was my favourite dish of the day. Scottish Creel Caught Langoustine Tails in a pumpkin and coconut soup. Oh my gosh this was superb - I really did want to lick the bowl clean! The sweet give of the langos against the smooth creamy delicious yumminess of the pumpkin. Gimme gimme gimme.
SMALL PLATE 6 - SINGAPORE STYLE MUSSELS (£11.50)
This bowl of Singapore Style Mussels was so vibrant. The sauce was quite thick coating the mussels and getting into every nook and cranny of the shell and mussel. Tangy from the tomatoes and zingy with a hint of heat. Another great bowl of food.
Not all the mussels had opened up and some shells still had barnacles on, but we discarded these.
SMALL PLATE 7 - OCTOPUS (£14.00)
Another dish that was sunshine and happiness on a plate. Octopus, burnt tomato and citrus barley. The octopus was so beautifully cooked that if you were blindfolded you’d never have known that it was octopus you were eating. It was succulent, soft and meaty. The burnt tomato sauce was incredible.
SIDES - SEAWEED NEW POTATOES (£5.50)
These Dulse seaweed potatoes are a must order. They arrived slightly crushed or split and are so inviting you can’t wait to take a bite, then end up eating five! Crispy skins with fluffy hot centres. Divine!
Dessert was Cheese of the Day with truffle honey madeleines and a Vanilla set cream with cherries, basil oli and brittle.
DESSERTS - CHEESE OF THE DAY (£11.00) and SET CREAM WITH CHERRIES (£9.00)
The Cheese course was delicious. A large amount of cheese was served with what I claim is a stroke of genius, warmed through madeleines that had been dipped in truffle honey. Sweet foodie heaven above!
The Set Cream dessert was very light and a nice way to end lunch. For me the basil oil was too overpowering though and I felt it really dulled the flavour of the cherries. Maybe less oil would be better. I still ate it though!
Dulse is a place you’d go for a celebration, a special date night or you just want to treat yourself to some incredible seafood. The dishes aren’t cheap but the cost of fish and seafood in general has risen considerably and I think the prices here reflect that. I don’t see any particular dish that is a rip off and I was pleasantly surprised to see a whole lobster available for only £52. I think that’s a bargain!
Dulse is well worth a visit and if you are a Seafood lover, there is no way you are leaving disappointed.
Things to note :
There are no meat or vegetarian dishes available
The menu can change daily as their produce is fresh of the boats and dependant on what was caught that day
Disabled access - street level entry with toilets on the ground floor. Call to check for wheelchair access
Really great wine list and they make some great cocktails including their Lunun Gin Martini
Dulse Seafood and Wine Bar, 17 Queensferry Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4QW www.dulse.co.uk
My Spoon Award : Gold 9/10
I was invited by Dulse Seafood and Wine to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.