When your foot crosses the threshold of Cafe St Honoré, it’s like stepping into another world. Not only a place hundreds of miles away but into another era. You are taken to turn-of-the-century Paris – the nineteenth century, that is. The first time I visited, I half-expected to see Toulouse Lautrec in a corner sipping absinthe.
What I did see – in terms of the clientele – were business people, a few tourists and a customer base of local residents. The menu was brief and to the point. Dishes were seasonal and locally produced items, including drinks, were highlighted.
A long time had passed since I’d last eaten at Cafe St Honore. Far too long.
Recently, while I was in the process of booking my table online, my thoughts went back to the dishes I’d enjoyed there in years gone by. Succulent cuts of meat, expertly prepared fish dishes and the freshest shellfish. This time, I decided in advance to take my own advice and go for the set lunch menu. Not only would it provide good value for money but I’d be allowing Chef Director Neil Forbes and his team to choose my dishes for me. In doing so, I’d be coaxed away from my usual favourites and broaden my experience of the range this kitchen team can produce.
My resolve faltered when I read the set menu on the day. Soup, Cottage Pie, Mousse. I can cook all of those myself. Rather well, actually. (I’m not going to feign modesty – my versions of those dishes are excellent!) I wanted a trained chef to feed me delights I’m not able to produce for myself. Then I remembered my self-imposed brief: to discover how much flavour this team could extract from modest ingredients.
Before my first course arrived, I’d asked to be served a glass of chilled vermouth as an aperitif. It seemed a good way of setting the scene for a meal in this gallic-themed environment. The drink, however, was not from France. This vermouth – Wermod – was produced only a few miles from where I was seated. What a discovery it proved to be. It has a crisp, clean, floral flavour and a complexity which emerges gradually. (I’ll leave the description of the drink and its Scottish producers there as I feel it merits a review in its own right!)
The Food and Wine
I’d anticipated the plate of beautiful sourdough bread which was delivered shortly before my bowl of cauliflower and Lanark Blue cheese soup. The soup, made from simple ingredients, was outstanding. The vegetable must have been roasted very slowly, carefully and patiently to extract flavour of such depth. The velvety texture was complemented by a garnish of sweet, crunchy toasted hazelnuts. Comforting and satisfying, my two-hundred-mile round-trip to Edinburgh seemed worth it for this bowl of soup alone.
A dish as straightforward and traditional as Cottage Pie needs no fancy embellishment and it wasn’t given any. The pie was served in an individual gratin dish with a portion of sautéed green-leaf vegetables alongside. Once again, the modest menu description and simplicity of presentation could lull the diner into anticipating plain food.
Every item on the plate was seasoned perfectly and the flavour of the pie’s meat base had a gratifying depth. I felt beaten into submission. My homemade Cottage Pie doesn’t come close to this!
I almost always ask for wine recommendations to match dishes in restaurants and the suggestion of a glass of Malbec to go with the Cottage Pie was very good. This French wine, from Cahors in South-Western France, was delicious. Very deep red – almost purple – the initial flavours of cherry and blackberry provided freshness. Then complex layers of “forest floor” earthiness, liquorice and spice developed. It was a wine to be sipped and savoured.
French wines predominate the wine list, which seems appropriate for this French-influenced restaurant. There are some very interesting and lesser-known gems on the list which also offers a range of aperitifs, spirits and soft drinks. The very locally produced “Wermod” is a prime example. This recent visit was not the first time I’ve walked out of Café St Honoré having just become a devotee of a newly discovered drinks creator.
Happy and replete, there was no need for a dessert. Then again, it would be a shame to come all this way and miss out on the skills of the pastry section, I reasoned. After a short rest, another simply presented dish arrived: crème fraîche mousse with poached pear and a shortbread biscuit. The silky mousse expertly balanced richness with freshness and the fragrant, sweet pears complemented it very well.
I tasted the biscuit and mused that this little piece of confection well represented the blended French and Scottish influences of this restaurant. Had I eaten this dish in France, I might have expected a Sablé biscuit on the side. Here, in Scotland’s capital city, I enjoyed this national speciality made from a very short list of good quality ingredients.
Accessibility:
The dining room is at ground floor level. The toilet/washroom is on a slightly lower level a few steps down from the main cafe area.
Edinburgh is a hilly city and the lane where the cafe is situated is cobbled. Edinburgh has a “Black Cab” taxi-hailing service – no need to book – and this could provide a convenient solution if the walking route posed a challenge.
Prices:
The daily set menu is priced at £25 for two courses and £32 for three at lunchtime. (£28.50 / £36.50 for evening service.)
The menu which I would call A La Carte offers starters at £14 – £15, main courses ranging from £27 to £35, and desserts at £10 – £15.
Wines are priced starting at £7.45 a glass and from around £30 a bottle.
Comment:
The “Frenchness” of this cafe is not merely about its decor. Classical French Cooking techniques are used in its kitchen. The atmosphere in the dining room is relaxed and the service friendly. Café St Honoré has adopted the French Bistrot mindset of people being there to enjoy the food and wine and not to stand on ceremony.
Dishes are seasonal and make imaginative use of a variety of fish and cuts of meat along with excellent vegetables and salads from local growers.
In my opinion, this is a superb neighbourhood restaurant utilising excellent local produce and blending cooking techniques and styles from Scotland and France.
A Final Tip:
Café St Honoré is located – to quote their website – “Hidden down a cobbled lane”. Don’t be deterred from finding it. It is a ten to fifteen minute walk from Edinburgh’s Waverley Railway Station. It’s in one of those roads which runs parallel to Princes Street in Edinburgh’s New Town.
Don’t be put off by the appearance of Edinburgh’s back lanes either! This is not only an historic city but a working city. Working premises have large refuse bins stored in the lanes surrounding them and this can make for a cluttered appearance. This is an inevitable part of city life. See past them, walk past them and you’ll find some back-lane gems tucked away in this city!
Details:
Chef Director: Neil Forbes
Address: Cafe St Honoré, 34 North West Thistle Street Lane, Edinburgh, EH2 1EA
Telephone: 0131 2262211 (+441312262211 from outside U.K.)
Restaurant Website: https://www.cafesthonore.com/
Reservations can also be made through Open Table’s website or App
A.P. 4 Jan 2025
Photo Credits: A.P.
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