Situated on the Royal Mile (say a 10 minute walk from the flat we're staying in), AwB was ideally located as the bad weather (which had plagued us on Thursday) was threatening to return. It's a smart restaurant located on a strip saturated with bland chains and traditional pubs serving up cheap grub. To find somewhere serving up decent freshly prepared food here is pretty good going.
We'd drooled over the menu before setting off and although the a la carte looked tempting, the lunch deal had enough to hold our interest and meant that we could save a fair few pennies.
Remembering an amazing cauliflower soup with blue cheese Gav had a year or so ago at Devonshire Arms, I had to have it here for my starter here and I was glad that I did. Creamy and salty (with the cheese) it was exactly what I needed given the weather (and my hangover). It was a decent portion too with my bowl being a lot deeper than I'd expected.
Gav had the croque madame which was served with a fried egg (the menu says quail, but that yolk looks pretty big for a quails egg) and some wild mushrooms. It was simple and tasty, although I think Gav would have liked a slightly bigger madame!
For mains it was going to be the mackerel or the lamb for me and in the end I opted for the lamb. It was a decent serving and the meat was well cooked; it literally fell apart at the touch of my fork, but was still pink. However, it was a bit bland tasting, which was a shame, but didn't kill the dish for me. On the plus side the gravy was flavoursome and the mash was perfectly creamy.
Gav had gone for the mackerel and he regretted it. It was a 'light' portion as one fillet was served on some beetroot and fennel. Essentially, he needed some potato on the side and he was envious of my mash. Having said that, there was nothing wrong with anything on the plate and the fish was beautifully cooked with soft flesh and crispy barbecued skin.
I had been craving cheese for some time and with the savoury option only adding an extra £1.25 to the cost of lunch and Gav craving a bit of stodge, we both went for it. Three decent chunks of cheese (I forget the names of them) were served with an ample supply of crackers and some rather tasty pear chutney.
Three courses and a bottle of Scottish cider for me and a beer for him along with a bottle of still water left us happy and the bill of around £47 left us even happier! With friendly and efficient service, a pleasant atmosphere, good food and an amazing lunch deal this is certainly one to try...
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