Looking for new restaurants and bars in Edinburgh? Hello Mockingbird Bar and Kitchen and The Jaffle Joint.
Step this way. We have a lot to catch up on.
The Mockingbird Bar and Kitchen has opened on Newington Road in the site that used to host The Steamie.
It is still very much a bar with lots of draught beers, cocktails and wines but there also seems to be a much greater focus on food.
Naturally, there is a burger section. We suspect this may be a legal requirement for new bars these days? However, there are also options like the goat cheese salad, Mediterranean risotto and slow-cooked lamb shanks.
In addition, there are brunches, small plates and sharing platters with choices such as oven-baked Camembert, charcuterie and cheese or pots of mussels.
On top of all this, there is also a separate Mexican section for those of you that can’t contemplate dinner without a handful of jalapeno poppers.
The Jaffle Joint gets toasty
Meanwhile, down in Portobello, the Palm Tree on Portobello High Street became The Jaffle Joint way back at the start of December.
Given that some wits refer to Portie as Nappy Valley on account of the number of young families who move there, The Jaffle Joint has wisely opted to be very family friendly.
As well as a toy box, they also run open mic music sessions where young ‘uns are encouraged to jam with the adults.
For those of us who can just about remember our own childhoods, The Jaffle Joint’s attractions include regular live bands, adult jam sessions, old school arcade games, Monday night film shows and something called Bogan Bingo.
That last attraction suggests an Australian influence (bogan is Aussie slang for ned or bam) as does the bar’s name.
Apparently, jaffles are what Australians and South Africans call toasties and The Jaffle Joint’s menus feature several variations of them.
Today, we’ve had Mockingbird Bar and Kitchen and The Jaffle Joint. Tomorrow, the 5pm Dining blog will be back with news of The Baker’s Arms and a look at developments on Market Street.