Angels with Bagpipes, Edinburgh

'Angels with Bagpipes' on the Edinburgh Royal Mile seems to have established itself as one of the best Scottish restaurants the capital city has to offer since its opening in 2010. I have to admit, I was somewhat concerned about how good the food would be due to it's location on such a prominent street known for attracting tourists, however I followed the many positive reviews online, and decided to try it for myself.

Exterior of Restaurant

My boyfriend and I arrived fairly promptly on a Wednesday evening, straight after getting off our train at the Waverly station - so around 6pm, and thought we would have no trouble getting seated, however it seemed that we were wrong, and the waiting staff were great fumbling around to get us a table laid at the front of the restaurant so we could enjoy our meal - must be a good sign! Although extremely grateful, I'd recommend booking a table for whichever night you intend to eat, as this area of the restaurant is quite near to the door, and on a cold February evening it was a little drafty. The interior is like tardis though, when trying to find the toilet I saw that there was a seating area towards the back of the restaurant, as well as another downstairs, all decorated wonderfully - keeping simple and modern, whilst retaining as much of it's 'Old city' charm as possible.

Inside 'Angels with Bagpipes'

Being a Scottish restaurant, and travelling to Scotland for what could really be described as a 'Foodie Holiday' we both thought it best to order the 'Haggis, Neeps and Tatties' for Starter. This would be the first of I think four different types of haggis we tried in Scotland, and I have to say there was none I hated at all!
If you are unaware of what Haggis is, or how it tastes, it is very unique (but totally delicious - although it might not sound it!). Traditionally it is a savoury pudding made from the sheep's pluck, a.k.a. heart, liver and lungs. Each butcher will have their own secret recipe of spices which they add to the pluck, as well and oatmeal, onions, salt and suet, and this is all encased in a sheep's stomach (or more commonly now, sausage casing). This mixture is then cooked in a water bath, and the casing cut open when ready revealing the haggis inside.

Haggis, Neeps and Tatties with a Whisky sauce

This particular haggis was wrapped in streaky bacon, and served on the creamiest mash imaginable - not a lump in sight! The neeps (turnips) were cubed so intricately, and all cooked perfectly with just a little bit of bite - definitely a texture needed alongside the mash and haggis. The whisky sauce had just the right kick of alcohol and wasn't overly creamy, which made a lovely addition, but the real star of the show (as it rightfully should be) was the haggis. Of all the haggis I tried during our three days in Edinburgh it definitely had the most peppered taste, but that wad excellent with the cream of the mash, and sweet turnips, and the bacon added the extra element of saltiness which was gorgeous.



Lamb with pearl barley risotto and roast vegetables

 

My partner ordered the lamb after much deliberation; I have to say it looked fantastic, and smelt wonderful. I was allowed to try a little sample, and from what I tried it tasted as good as it looked. The lamb was served nice and pink so none of it's flavour was lost, and again the vegetables were cooked with a little bite which I personally think is perfect. I found the risotto a lovely accompaniment, and definitely something I will look forward to trying again in the future, the creamy flavour really suited the rich meatiness. 
The dish I chose was hake, and it arrived with a parsnip puree, little tempura battered mussels, also some risotto and a sort of concentrated coriander gel.

Hake with tempura mussels, parsnip and coriander.

As you can see, the dish was presented as pretty as a picture, and I could not wait to dive into it! It was to die for! The salty fish just flaked apart and matched the sweetness of the parsnip extremely well. To add to this the quite strong 'clean' taste of coriander just seemed to cut through the creaminess leaving your mouth more than ready to take it's next bite! To finish the little battered mussels were totally scrummy, I could have devoured a whole bowl of these, let alone only three, and added a much needed salty flavour and crunchy texture to the dish.

Banana Parfait with Innis and Gun ice cream, Chocolate and Caramel

We were both a bit stumped after 6 hours on a train and then a fantastic first two courses we decided to share a dessert from their excellent menu, which was a unique take of a kind of banoffee, crumble...thing! The parfait was light, and smooth, and the caramelised banana perfectly sweet and crunchy. As well as this there were little blobs (for want of a better word!) of rich chocolate, and sticky caramel sauce so it gave you the opportunity to mix and match what was on your taste buds which I really liked. This was all served on top of a nutty, crumbly, oaty mixture which tasted lovely and again added another texture to the dish - all in all, two rather full people polished it off no problem at all!

'Angels with Bagpipes' was an excellent start, to what would end up being a wonderful few days in Edinburgh. Although the food was not cheap, I definitely think it ticked all of the boxes on presentation, service and flavour so could not recommend more highly.
If you are ever on the Royal Mile and pass this restaurant give it a go, I was worried initially, and it didn't disappoint!