My second attempt at getting a table at The Walnut was successful and a warm welcome awaited us. I learnt my lesson the first time – book in advance especially if wanting to dine on a Friday or Saturday. We booked a table early in the evening and were the first people to arrive but that didn’t last long, it soon filled up. Happy to have the restaurant to ourselves for the first 10 minutes meant we could have a wee look around and peruse the blackboard menu at our leisure.
My second attempt at getting a table at The Walnut was successful and a warm welcome awaited us. I learnt my lesson the first time - book in advance especially if wanting to dine on a Friday or Saturday.
We booked a table early in the evening and were the first people to arrive but that didn't last long, it soon filled up. Happy to have the restaurant to ourselves for the first 10 minutes meant we could have a wee look around and peruse the blackboard menu at our leisure.
There are only a few members of staff here but they are good at their job. Friendly, efficient and there when required.
We had a difficult choice on what to eat from the menu with starter dishes like Home-smoked Salmon with beetroot salad and horseradish or Pork Rillette with pickles and oatcakes; and main dishes such as Lamb Shoulder hotpot with anchovy greens and Braised Beef short-rib with salsa verde; but we eventually settled on a different starter each and the same main.
TheHannarchistCookbook
+4.5
The Walnut February 2016
In a Nutshell; Perfect
The expected thick creaminess broken nicely by the cleanliness of the leek, and suddenly that salty mistress appears with a filthy blue kiss. The tickle of salt from the bacon becomes a full on copulation and it is good!
Lovely cafe serving multi course priced meal with local ingredients. Made a lunch reservation, recommended due to limited seating and turnover. Had the lightly smoked Salmon Gravlax and North Sea Coley fish dish, both very flavorful with a couple glasses of well priced wine. Excellent service! Accessible restroom.
Simple menu but surprises with great flavours and excellent execution. Polite and helpful staff , reasonable prices and don’t even add service charge. Grilled sea bass with artichoke purée was just heavenly. Sauvignon blanc white wine was great. But the dessert didn’t meet the same standards and was overly sweet even for a person with sweet tooth.
Delicious food, really attentive service, great value for money and a lovely cosy atmosphere. Would recommend and we’ll be back!
Lovely hole in the wall, serving great food prepared by a small team. Fish and chicken were on point, pipeing hot and delicious, as was the Walnut Whip.
Been meaning to try this place again for a while after enjoying a Christmas lunch at Walnut a few years ago.
Really enjoyable experience from start to finish, was just the right level of busy for a pleasant atmosphere. Good background music, staff are friendly and attentive. Relaxing minimalist decor with a clean and spacious restroom.
The menu is very limited but it actually felt nice to not be overwhelmed by choice- and all the available options sounded delicious. We had the three course lunch and were not disappointed once with any of our choices, the food was utterly sublime! I especially loved the fig tartan with pecan ice-cream, such a warming spicy and sweet treat. What a wonderful midweek piece of decadence.
Such a great place! Highly recommended to take your friends who are visiting Edinburgh.
The Walnut Whip is absolutely delicious!
Amazing service such a cute little restaurant - felt cozy but not cramped at all - and just the most delicious food!
Delicious food. Great service. The menu is limited, but you won't be disappointed. I will definitely return.
Critical point:
It can get loud! The space is small, so with two large parties (6 & 8) on a Friday night, there was a lot of shouting. The staff apologized without a comment from us. It's a place to be merry! But if you want a chill dinner experience, maybe try a weekday or an earlier time before the olds get themselves sloshed.
We had a delicious dinner with the roquefort starter & ravioli, followed by the fish (sea bass) & chicken, then the "walnut whip" & affogato for dessert. I would have enjoyed a few more veg with my main. Our third diner was later than expected and the staff were very accommodating in preparing & serving the main entirely out of sync. The food is excellent but the portions aren't large (which was perfect for us). There aren't that many tables so make sure you reserve. The only tiny point for improvement is that the acoustics are less than perfect when the restaurant gets more crowded.
Visited early in 2023 following numerous recommendations. The food was absolutely excellent - particularly the seabass. Pork belly was also delicious and presentation on point! Lovely wine and very friendly front of house staff. We were the last ones left in the restaurant and didn't rush us out. Can't wait to go back!
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