The girl who ate Edinburgh

Oof – back since Monday evening and I’ve been running to catch up with meself ever since.

Unsuprising really, when you consider that I bought a daysaver bus ticket and ran all over Edinburgh, eating everything I could, at every opportunity for two of my three days there. (Sunday was a day of rest inbetween, spent gossiping, gawking at Robert Webb’s Flashdance for Comic Relief, raiding my best friend’s bookshelfs and becoming the willing slave of four cats, all of whom had me marked as a soft touch the minute I walked through the door.) 

Now, I did eat some proper meals while I was there (honest, I did) - but there seemed to be a certain theme developing as I sifted through the photos. So, in no particular order, a guide to some sweet and/or nibbly things in Edinburgh…

Loopy Lorna’s Tea House… Charmingly mismatched china, gigglesome and wonderful teacosies that change with the season, the best poached eggs I’ve ever seen and, oh yes, a proper clotted cream tea with soft, warm scones and plenty of jam. Did I take a picture when I was inside? I was way too busy scoffing and it was dreadfully remiss of me.

Apple, custard and raisin brioche from The Manna House Bakery, at the top of Easter Road. All my favourite things in one perfect little bread-wrapped package.

Satisfyingly chewy, rock-salt flecked, rosemary-scented fougasse, again from The Manna House Bakery…

 Valvona & Crolla, a temple of all things food-related at the top of Leith Walk – stacked floor to ceiling with drink, salamis and strings of chillis dangling from the rafters and, if you’re lucky, an old couple arguing in Italian near to the baked goods section. (I liked to imagine they were married and this was just the continuation of an ages-old discussion about something trivial.)

There’s also a lovely little cafe in the back as well  – although the empire has expanded a bit over the past few years to include another cafe and two restaurants. I popped into Centotre on Monday for lunch. Fabulous.

There’s been a lot of redevelopment down near the Old Royal Infirmary site (redubbed ‘the Quartermile’ for sexy selling purposes), most of which seems to involve converting the existing buildings into outrageously overpriced flats and squeezing in some new ones too.

However, tucked cosily at the bottom of one of the new blocks, just next to Middle Meadow Walk, is Peter’s Yard Bakery, a Swedish-run enterprise, where you can stuff yourself full of cardamon-laced pastries and slurp tea to your heart’s content:

Of course, I bought one for later, in case of snacking emergencies, low blood sugar, that kind of thing…

In fact, the only place I didn’t make it to was the one I mentioned specifically in my last post – Falko Konditormeister’s new shop in Bruntsfield. Well, I guess I’ve left something for next time…