Edinburgh’s south side is fast becoming a foodie haven and there’s a new and improved kid on the block. The Salisbury Arms is a recently renovated Georgian Gastropub with beautifully finished features inside and out. On entry to the main restaurant you are greeted with a cosy yet open dining area and your eyes are immediately drawn to the roaring fire which is the centre piece of the room.
On arrival we were greeted with the friendliest of service, everyone was all smiles and the waitress who served us (unfortunately I can’t remember her name but she was really lovely and from Nice) was very informative in regards to the menu and what the dishes were like from sampling them herself. Whilst we waited on our starters we were served complimentary chilli and lime spicy tortilla chips which were so addictive!
I ordered the porcini mushroom arancini with lovage pesto to start and Gavin went for the crispy duck wings with plum, hoisin & sweet chilli glaze, roasted plum and toasted sesame seeds. It was so hard to choose which starter to go for as there was so much varied choice from scallops of the day to deep fried Somerset Brie.
The food was full of flavour, and perfectly presented we were both really excited for our mains of Buttermilk Southern Fried Chicken stuffed with nduja sausage accompanied by sweet potato fries, apple salad and preserved lemon aioli. Initially I was told that it wasn’t available which made me want to have it even more! Any main meal which comes with sweet potato fries and aioli as standard is a winner in my eyes and I’ve loved spicy nduja sausage ever since I had it on a pizza at Taste Buchanan. Gavin was all about the Wagyu burger with crispy onions, tomato relish and again some sweet potato fries accompanied by aioli. Gavin is not a cheese fan and as a substitute our waitress offered him something else on his burger to take its place and Gavin opted for some chorizo, which was really accommodating of them.
My buttermilk chicken was melt in the mouth good and I managed to steal a thin, crispy onion ring from the top of Gavin’s burger which was so much better tasting than any regular onion ring I’ve had. The Wagyu burger was a different class and it was great to see that as an option on the menu.
The cosy yet eclectic decor really added to the ambience of the evening, the tables are spaced out enough to allow you some privacy and it would be the perfect place for a Valentines date this week (check out their specialised menu from Feb 13th – 17th) or indeed any intimate dinner any night of the week.
Next up, pudding and our very helpful waitress recommend to us the sticky toffee pudding and the Melting golden chocolate bomb which was something very special see video here.
What a treat dessert was, the sticky toffee pudding was easily one of the best I’d ever tasted and you could really taste the sweetness of the dates coming through. The chocolate bomb was a really nice surprise and the edible flowers made the pudding look too cute to eat.
I can’t recommend The Salisbury Arms enough, with mid-week deals and a kitted out beer garden for the summer months, I think it’s going to become a firm favourite with Edinburgh residents and visitors alike.
Tuggy Tucks In 