REVIEW : Printing Press, Edinburgh

I have the thank Wild Flowers Edinburgh for making Edinburgh even prettier. They are adorning some of the most well loved eateries and bars in Edinburgh with splashes of bright vivid colour that create a grand arched entrance anyone would be proud to be seen walking under.

The Printing Press Bar and Kitchen on George Street has been ‘flowered’ in draping purple and pink Wisteria. What an entrance!

The very cool interior of the Printing Press was very much welcome on this exceptionally humid day. The interior is sleek and modern, cool and calm and pretty impressive. We sat upstairs in the bar area, in a booth seat by the window and watched the world pass by as we ate, drank and chatted over lunch.

Executive Chef Colin Fleming and his team have created a raft of new dishes showcasing the vibrant colours and flavours of Summer.

On the dinner menu expect to find starters such as Heritage tomatoes teamed with Kirriemuir strawberries, roasted cashew nuts and aged balsamic, and Cured salmon with pomegranate, avocado and fennel. Lemon sole darne with clams, chilli, spinach and crème fraîche and Huntingdon Farm lamb rump with herb crust, roast aubergine, anchovy, red pepper and tomato dressing mains sit alongside favourites in the form of Craft ale-battered fish and chips with minted peas, and a selection of certified, grass-fed Tweed Valley Scotch beef cuts aged for a minimum of 28 days (including a new rotating sharing cut handpicked by the team). Strawberry and lemon thyme mille feuille with lemon sorbet puts a summery twist on the classic dessert.

They’ve also got their seasonal ‘Let’s Lunch’ menu which we went along to try. It’s available from 12.30-5pm Monday to Friday with one main and a glass of wine priced at £12; two courses at £15.50 and three courses at £21.

We went for 2 courses and a glass of wine for £15.50. We decided to have dessert instead of starters (we could have chosen from 3 dishes ~ Soup of the Day, Potted Smoked Mackerel and Ham Hock Terrine).

Mains ~ Linguine with pesto, olive crumb and pecorino

A massive bowl of pasta was laid down and the smell from the pesto and the melting pecorino, made your mouth water. It tasted just as nice. The pasta was al dente, and well coated with the pesto. The pecorino cheese was plentiful and complimented the pesto beautifully. A truly lovely Summer dish.

Mains ~ Pan-seared sea bream with peas, bacon and lettuce

Cooked to absolute perfection, so much so that I even ate the skin which was thin and crispy - easy to pull apart with the fish meat. Peas were just soft and the bacon added the much needed smokey saltiness. The only thing I didn’t like was the lettuce underneath. It was warm and limp, so I never ate it. It didn’t distract me however from loving this dish.

Sides ~ Young Broccoli with brown butter and hazelnuts

Tender broccoli stems, well seasoned with just enough crunch to sink your teeth into. Hazelnuts are a classic accompaniment.

Side ~ Mixed leaf salad

One, we were trying to be healthy and two, it was pretty darn hot so a fresh bright side salad did the trick (until the dessert arrived).

Dessert ~ Kirriemuir strawberry and black pepper pavlova

Sensational. If there ever was flavours that complemented, contrasted and were perfectly matched it’s strawberries with black pepper. Sweet, heat and crunch - a perfect dessert.

Dessert ~ Lemon posset with macerated berries

They knocked this one out of the park. I honestly couldn’t get enough of this and was literally scraping my spoon around the sides of the dish. Tangy, soor, pull your cheeks in lemonness! The berries were sweet and soft but give me a vat of that posset and you’d make me a very happy person.

For £15.50 in a city centre location, this is one lunch that you’ll not want to miss. The food is good and delicious. The wine list small but well formed. The staff super friendly but happy also to just leave you to eat your lunch and enjoy your lunch break.

The Printing Press Bar and Kitchen, 21 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2BP. Tel : 0131 2407177 www.printingpressedinburgh.co.uk

My Spoon Award : Silver Spoon (8/10)

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