REVIEW : EAT - Pier Brasserie, New Haven Harbour, Edinburgh

The seagulls squawking, the harbour and boats, people in shorts and t-shirts and the balmy weather; we could almost have been in the Costa Del Sol!

Newhaven harbour most certainly teams with more than the sealife when the sun shines. This Sunday, two weekends into the ease after lockdown there were queues for fish n chips, families out walking and dogs running up and down the pier. Such a joyous sight to see.

We were heading to the recently opened and then reopened Pier Brasserie right smack in the middle bewtween The Fishmarket and Loch Fyne restaurants for an early dinner.

Pier Brasserie had just finished a busy lunchtime service and was heading back into a busy evening service. Their outdoor deck area remained constantly busy during our visit. We chose to sit inside and it started to fill up around 630pm.

Their menu is compact with a good balance between meat, fish and vegetarian dishes with gluten free options available too. They also have a kids menu. They pride themselves on use of local ingredients and considering their location, you would hope that their seafood is super fresh. (Welch’s fishmongers is located in the same building block).

REVIEW - DINNER AT PIER BRASSERIE, EDINBURGH

I did battle to choose a starter. It was too hot for soup, I wasn’t in the mood for mussels and I don’t like pate, that left me with prawns or a salad. But as Mr TS was having a salad, that left the prawns for me.

PAN FRIED KING PRAWNS WITH BLACK SESAME SEEDS, FRESH VEGETABLE SALAD AND CHILLI SAUCE.

I was disappointed with this when it arrived. I had envisioned large prawns with heads still attached, juicy and succulent smothered in garlic butter and a little kick of chilli. I felt sorry for this plate of prawns as it just didn’t meet my enormously exaggerated expectations that I had conjured up in my head.

The prawns were nice enough although I think they were frozen and not fresh. They were nicely cooked but found the black sesame seeds did nothing to enhance this dish! The chilli sauce dip accompanied the prawns well.

TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND BASIL CROUTONS

Oh dear. This salad looks so summery and fresh; I’d almost lick my screen if I could but alas this dish which held so much promise was not good!

Firstly, the dressing was most certainly NOT balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is a very dark concentrated colour and this vinegar was clear and pungent like a malt vinegar. We were informed that the tomatoes were marinading in a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for three days. If that is true, the tomatoes would definitely have softened and possibly broken down and also would be a completely different colour!

Nope a great start to our meal, however it does get better and Pier Brasserie redeemed themselves with two superb mains courses.

SLOW BRAISED BEEF CHEEK WITH BOURGUIGNON SAUCE, TENDERSTEM BROCCOLI AND MASH

This dish was warm and hearty with the beef cheek soft and unctuous falling apart at the sight of a fork. The mash was light and creamy and a perfect vehicle for soaking up the delicious rich sauce.

PAN FRIED CHICKEN BREAST WITH CHARRED SWEETCORN, CRISPY PARMA HAM, TRUFFLE LEEKS AND MASH POTATO.

Classic combo of chicken and sweetcorn. Both stars in this dish. The sweetcorn char certainly brought out a smokey sweetness and the chicken was super tasty and packed with flavour. The leeks were soft and melt in the mouth and scooped up with the mash just made for a very happy belly.

The afternoon, early evening was gorgeous and I was so tempted to enjoy a glass of ice cold Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough but as designated driver, a mocktail was the only option. Mark, the owner, made me a Ginger Collins. Delish!

AFFOGATTO ESPRESSO WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

Good coffee, nice ice cream.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING WITH BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE AND VANILLA ICE CREAM

The meal just got better and better. This was lick my plate dessert yumminess. The sponge was soft and full of datey flavour, plenty of sauce (which is a must and enough to last until the last bite) and overall warm enough to slowly melt the ice cream to mix in a swirl of hot and cold with the butterscotch sauce.

The owner, Mark, is very much a hands on manager and you’ll find him working front of house, meeting and greeting, clearing plates and making sure you have a great dining experience. Pier Brasserie certainly has many of the right ingredients to make for a wonderful restaurant - stunning decor, private dining area, socially distanced tables and a one way system, large outdoor open terrace and friendly staff. For the most part, the food is good. However I’d definitely be skipping starters and heading straight to mains and desserts.

Pier Brassserie Bar and Grill, 25B Pier Place, Newhaven Harbour, Edinburgh, EH6 4LP. Tel : 0131 552 5278 www.pierbrasserie.com

My Spoon Award : Bronze Spoon 7/10

I was invited by Pier Brasserie to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.