FOOD : Vittoria on the Walk, Edinburgh
Put carbs in front of my face, and you’ll find I turn into the happiest wee person on the planet. Bread, pasta, rice, pizza, I love it all.
An absolute favourite, which I tend to cook at home when I am on my own, is Spag Bol with garlic bread. Now there’s not been that many opportunities these last 18 months to tuck into my guilty pleasure at home, so when the opportunity arose to dine at one of Edinburgh’s great Italian institutions, Vittorias, I knew what I was going to have before I even read the menu!
REVIEW OF VITTORIA ON THE WALK, ITALIAN FOOD, EDINBURGH
Of course there is more to Italian food than pizza and pasta, there is arancini, and burrata; both of which just had to be ordered.
Arancini Al Ragu (£6.95) are stuffed with mozzarella and bolognese sauce. Pulling these beauties apart incited joy, seeing that mozzarella melted and oozing!
With eyes trained to zone in on anything with garlic, we decided that the best garlic bread was going to be the Focaccia with herbs, garlic and olive oil (£5.50). You could smell this even before it arrived at the table. Thin flatbread with lovely soft patches of intense garlic where the oil had soaked in. Beautiful but oh so filling.
Insulata Caprese (£8.95) with tomato, rocket and basil was ideal for sharing, with the garlic focaccia being the perfect vehicle in which to scoop up this yumminess. Unfortunately, the burrata was a little dried out and cutting it open was a disappointment as it didn’t release that gorgeous silky gooness; still it was delicious.
I have to be honest, I was salivating all day waiting for dinner. I was so looking forward to a large bowl of steaming hot pasta the size of my head, covered in an abundance of sauce and parmesan cheese.
I was so certain that I was going to order the Spag Bol but when I seen Carbonara on the menu, the thought of creamy sauce with bacon and parmesan really got to me; as did the Raviolini Gorgonzola and Pear. My head was spinning with thoughts of sweet pear, walnuts and pungent creamy cheese.
TartanSpoonie Lotte, was on the same flavour train as me and ended up ordering the Spaghetti Alla Carbonara (£12.45) which meant I could order the Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese (£12.45) and we could have a wee bite of each others pasta. (that’s normal practise right?!? haha)
Both these dishes were as good as they look in these photos. Fully loaded bowls of tasty forkfuls laden with silky pasta ribbons smothered in sauce and cheese. Bowls of pasta too big to finish but the smiles on our faces said it all. Our bellies were full and our hearts were happy!
Besides loving the food here, the cocktails are just as good.
MISTAKEN SPRITZ (£7.95) - A lighter take on the Negroni with Campari, Cinzano 1757, soda and prosecco, served with a wedge of grapefruit. We especially loved this one!
MANGO MARGARITA (£7.95) - A tangy citrus blend of Batanga tequila, Mexican limes and a dash of Gabriel Boudier Mango
PINK GIN FIZZ (£7.95) - Hoxton pink gin shaken with lemon juice & elderflower cordial & topped with soda
Without a doubt this is comfort food at the top of its game. It will satiate any hunger but leave you begging for more. It’s a family restaurant, its busy and can get quite loud especially at peak times; but don’t let that put you off, you’ll soon be lost in your pasta bubble and nothing else will matter.
Vittoria on the Walk, 113 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh. www.vittoriagroup.co.uk/vittorialeith
My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10
I was invited by Vittoria Group to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.