The Walnut

Edinburgh

I’VE BEEN in The Walnut for, oh say, five minutes and it's already blindingly obvious this place is a victim of its own location. I’ve booked, everyone else who is in here has booked. The few empty tables over there are already fully booked. It’s only just after half five. But the sole waiter is being driven quietly demented by the steady stream of people drifting in from the tourist river out there that is Leith Walk.

Three camera-toting visitors just wandered in and sat down when his back was turned. What follows is one of those Fawlty Towers moments where everyone is speaking at the same time, different languages, and nobody is understanding anything, before the waiter manages to politely shoo them out again.

Couple after couple pop up and linger at the door. A man even comes right in and begs for a quick dinner. And won’t take no for an answer. Even when he’s told people are coming soon to fill those tables. I’ll only have the main course, he insists. I have to be at church for half six.

The mention of church springs us eavesdroppers upright. I’m thinking loaves and fishes. There is, after all, still salmon on that menu. And the counter is loaded with giant freshly-baked focaccia on greaseproof paper. A staff confab takes place at the open door of the kitchen. We wait. The chef: he say yes. But be quick.

The diner then orders the short rib. Ah, well, I’m on a tick-tock clock myself. Having been told they will need the table back at quarter past eight. No problemo.

I am keen to get out of Dodge before the Festival starts and not even the staggering number of Edinburgh road-closures I navigated on the way in is going to stop me.

That focaccia, then. Good. It’s one of the this evening’s drawbacks that pretty much everything is gone from the blackboard menu by the time I arrive. Just that short rib dinner, some scallops, salmon, pea soup, risotto. Oh, and half chickens.

Was that skate wings that have been rubbed out? Damn.

I take the scallops to start. Appetisingly seared to sticky on the outside, clean, fresh and fading from pink to white at the centre, sitting on top of a caponata that’s all pine nuts, capers and mild Scottish zing, sliced firm green tomatoes underneath. I like it, and consider the £2 supplement on the £17.50 for two courses reasonable in Edinburgh.

Now, there’s not much more summery than this steaming bowl of sweetly-in-season pea soup, shavings of soft ham hough bobbing around, a poached egg drifting in the middle and a drizzle of truffle oil to liven things up. Putting aside the question of whether there is ever any actual truffle in truffle oils it’s a nicely balanced dish.

I’ll pause here for a moment simply to say this lone waiter is terrific. He’s setting tables, serving tables, charming customers, gently repelling unbooked boarders and all the time keeping his head up so that eye contact with customers is instant.

The short rib then? A crisply carmelised chunk of Scottish beefiness, unctuously falling off the bone, bread sauce, roasted veg and a piquant salsa verde. A 21st century version of a traditional Sunday lunch.

Even the fondant potato, normally a chef’s downfall, is light, cooked through and made with a reasonably floury potato. So far so good? Yes. And making it pretty obvious why the little Walnut restaurant here has already made a name for itself and could frankly, be based anywhere in Edinburgh and still succeed.

Not everything is perfect though. To the waiter’s surprise – 'are you sure you are going to eat that, too?' he asks – I ordered up the seared half-cured salmon with hot smoked salmon salad, bacon and parmesan.

It’s not a bad dish. A large leafed, baby gem salad, tangy dressing. But the two salmon fillets themselves are salty and bit dry. Overall though? Well worth a visit. But best to book first.

The Walnut

9 Croall Place,

Leith Walk,

Edinburgh

0131 281 1236

Menu: Modern Scottish bistro menu; blackboard had short rib on a Sunday; skate wings, too; scallops and soup. 4/5

Service: The whole, admittedly, small place was being served by one terrific waiter all on his own who kept his head up, made eye contact and made it all look easy. 5/5

Price: Sunday lunch (even at 5.30pm) was £17.50 for two courses, with a £2 supplement for the scallops. Good value. 4/5

Atmosphere: Shop front restaurant on Leith Walk that was going like a fair, full of vim, vigour and life – if at a squeeze. 4/5

Food: Great short rib, excellent pea soup with poached egg, deft touch, attention to detail, only the ordinary salmon to knock a point or two off. 8/10

25/30