Download February 2011 - Bite Magazine

BiteFeb2011:Layout 1 27/1/11 18:29 Page 11Review: Bia BistrotGood taste in Bruntsfield11‘Bia’ is yet another example of how aneighbourhood eatery blows the socks off ofcomplacent ‘on the main drag’ Edinburghrestaurants. Frankly, (my dear), I am a littlebored by the mantra … local, seasonal, homemade...butluckily at Bia you can take it as agiven and turn your attention to good oldfashionedtaste.My starter of lobster bisque with crabdumplings (£6) was as enticing as it sounds.When it arrived however, I had a hereticfoodie thought ‘what a small portion’. I waswrong of course. The bisque was an intense,rich, concentration of flavours with fruityginger, chilli and aromatic tarragon. I stillthink a shallow plate rather than a deep bowlwould enhance presentation but the soupitself was truly sublime as were the soft crabdumplings which were plump with rosylobster and crab meat. Meanwhile Simonecomplimented her cured Scottish salmon,lemon dressing and potato blinis (£5.50) forbeing ‘not too chilled’ and Rayne scoopedher roasted bone marrow, red onion jam,toasted sourdough (£4.00) mostenthusiastically.Main course for me was coley fillet, surf clamand veg chowder (£13). Simone had halibutfillet new potatoes, spinach and lemon butter(£14.50); it was Bramley old spot pork fillet,smoked sausage, apple and turnip“sauerkraut” (£14.50) for Rayne and blacktruffle gnocchi, butternut squash, spinach andsage butter (£12.50) for Liz. The gnocchi wassumptuously soft and caramelised and sopretty against the burnt orange squash andemerald spinach. Simone and I were bothhappy with our ‘dieters’ fish dishes whichwere characteristically full of flavour andRayne praised the pork for being cooked welland raved about the innovative sauerkraut.Warm gooey chocolate cake, treacle tart &crème fraîche (both £4) and four spoons tookcare of dessert. Again, I can’t criticise as allwas as it should be. An inch of ginger treacleand good-looking pastry was declared“deliciously sticky ‘n’ sweet” by Liz and Ihelped Rayne (so kind!) with the comforting,intense, chocolate delight of a cake.My three foodie friends and I all agreed, Bia isa triumph of good taste. (S. Wilson)Bia Bistro– 19 Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH10 5DP– 0131 452 8453– info@biabistrot.co.uk– www.biabistrot.co.ukOpening hoursTue-Sat 12 noon-2.30pm anddinner 5pm-10pm