Vegan eatery where good things will continue to grow out of this place.
Vinyasa, Chi Kung, Nidra, TaiChi –not the names of delicious dishes on a menu, just a small selection of the therapies and classes on offer at the Edinburgh CommunityYoga social enterprise off Ratcliffe Terrace.
This time we are not visiting to unblock our chakras, or take a yoga class, but to sample some of the food at Beetroot Sauvage, a vegan café/ restaurant located in the downstairs space.
This independent eaterie is the brainchild of Edinburgh-born chef Gary Mcgirr, a vegan street grub vendor, and French woman Marie-AnneMarten, who ran the Beetroot police box at the Meadows. She is a top-notch foodie, as well as being a Reiki practitioner and yogi (this is a holistic joint, what else would you expect?).
I made the mistake of arriving absolutely famished and almost, couldn't wait to sample the healthy delights on the à la carte menu. It's all wholesome, plant-based grub promising to lovingly nourish you, from soil to soul.
A large party arrived just before us, so we made a beeline for the quieter courtyard with outdoor seating. Think bohemian shanty town chic, with taverna bulbs swaying in the breeze. We staked a claim to a booth roofed with corrugated iron, complete with sofa, wooden table and carpeted with fake grass and a scary distressed framed portrait hanging on the wall.
The back yard also hosts a weekly Sunday vegan market and there is a weekly Wednesday kids' project called Corylus, where youngsters can grow their own fruit and vegetables and eat healthy food.
These events have been such a success, there are plans for other pop-up events galore. After relaxing and taking in the calmingatmosphereIselected the roasted salted beets starter, which arrived delicately presented on a very Instagrammable cracked-glazed plate.
Slivers of golden and regular beetroot topped with pea tendrils and berries were artfully displayed, complete with piped stars of smooth, nutty cashew butter and a swipe of pistachio purée. The dish was finished with a fine drizzle of a vinegary dressing.
My least favourite part was an aniseed flavour in the pistachio concoction, but otherwise, this was an immaculate start to the meal. My companion had plumped for a warming bowl of courgette and sorrel soup, topped with a frothy almond foam and pumpkin seeds, which was served with a chunky slice of wholesome bread and a pot of an oil-based spread ideal to smother it with.
An extra slice would have been welcome, especially as the distinctive sorrel tang made the soup stand out from the crowd.
Our waitress was charming and attentive although a little busy, so after we had demolished our starters we decided to move inside for our main course before we became too cold.
Here we found large wooden tables and benches, exposed walls and painted iron beams, softened by pretty flowers and flickering tealights.
There is also a private dining room, very much like a posh potting shed, which you can book for a friendly get-together.
To make amends for the leisurely service we scored a complimentary pot of Orange Pekoe tea from the extensive tea selection. Our cockles were well and truly warmed.
The main course for my companion consisted of pan-fried scallops served with roast garlic mash, asparagus, chanterelles and romanesco cauliflower, decorated with seared foraged greenery.
Don't panic anyone, everything on the menu is entirely plant-based, the scallops were, in fact, mushroom stalks.
Fans of fake meat will approve of the other main course offering which was seitan steak Sauvage, served with sweet potatoes, broccoli and smoked tomato.
I chose a whopping bowlful of orzo pasta, mixed with courgette and purple kale, which was flavoured with lemon, olives, sage and kale pesto. Overall it was a little bland –but I adored the crisp kale and tempura battered courgette flower which took pride of place on the top.The most substantial dishes of the evening were our desserts. My companion selected an ultra-rich meadowsweet and chocolate torte, which was served with cherries and a few broken crackles of mighty fine hazelnut brittle. I confess I couldn't quite finish my doorstop-sized lime, blueberry and ginger cheesecake, topped with a flower and dots of jam, coconut, and blueberries.
I reckoned food waste would be frowned upon here so I snuck the offending article out in a napkin, to savour at home later. Whether you are a vegan or simply fancy a bit of a change, this café is friendly and welcoming and it produces proper vegan cooking, rather than fast food.
As it only opened in May and has only recently begun serving evening meals on a Friday night, I know, given time, good things will continue to grow out of this place.
Beetroot Sauvage 33-41 RatcliffeTerrace EH9 1SXX Tel: 0131-629 4484
This article first appeared in Scotland on Sunday 19/08/2018
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