When we travel we plan our days around the places where we want to eat. Yes, that’s how we roll. We investigate the best lunch spots and then we plan the routes according to that. Priorities.
While planning our trip to Edinburgh there was a restaurant that we knew we had to try. The Dogs, located in Hannover street, which was convenintly close to our hotel, The Howard Hotel. We have read a killer review of this small restaurant in one of our foodie/traveller bibles: Where chef eat. Small menu based on Scottish and British ingredients? Easy vibe? Cosy decor? We booked a table, of course.
The Dogs is located in Edinburgh’s New Town and it’s almost hidden in the first floor of a building. Once you enter you are welcomed by an unusual mix of a classic style with quirky touches. And two dogs, obviously. They have two small dining rooms and we were lucky to have a small table by the window in the main, bright one.
And then we felt it again: The joy of knowing you have found a great restaurant where the air smells of slow cooked stew (ambrosia!), where you feel really comfortable, relaxed and really excited at the same time because you know you are in for a treat. That moment after a whole morning of exploring when you sit down and appreciate that instant: you are nicely tired and great food is coming. Pure joy.
The menu was small, as we expected. Traditional, comforting dishes, among which two were screaming our names: a chicken, mushroom and sweetcorn pie and a pulled pork bun with pickled red onion and baby leaves. Well, I think the images speak for themselves but we wish you could smell and taste those dishes. Unbelievebly good. The pie was creamy and comforting on the inside and smooth and flaky on the outside. The base sauce of the pulled pork tasted like home in a Winter day. And, surprisingly, both dishes were really light. So that meant dessert.
I was pleasently surprised to see that in such a small menu they had five desserts. All of them extremely tempting… but we went for the lemon and lime posset with ginger biscuit and the Overlangshaw farmhouse chocolate ice cream. I’ve eaten a fair amount of chocolate ice cream in my life and this was one of the cremiest. Delicious. But even though chocolate will always be my favourite, I had to concede that the lemon and lime posset was the winner this time. Exceptionally light, refreshing and gently zingy.
We left the restaurant amazed by the quality and flavour of the food, the astonishingly low prices and the relaxed, fun atmosphere. With just one visit this unaffected, delightful restaurant has become one of our top five “restaurants to recommend to our dearest friends”. Besides, a restaurant dominated by a cute dog has to be fantastic, hasn’t it?
interesting place and good food…a great place to stop by!! 😋
Absolutely! Oh, how we wish we could be regulars! If only we’d live in Edinburgh…
Such a lovely place! I have added it – together with the Howard Hotel – to my “Scotland file”.
Where Chefs Eat is an excellent guide: I use it whenever I go somewhere.
I love your photos, I wish I was as good as you. When I take picture in restaurants I always end up with terrible results ;)
Glad you like it Silvia! Please eat here if you ever visit Edinburgh! And thank you for your kind words about our photos. In this case it was very easy due to the fantastic natural light!
I love this place! I had the same pulled pork burger. :)
It is amazing, isn’t it? The pie was delicious but that pulled pork bun… heaven!
Your photos really reflect that feeling of cozyness and vibrand and… all the joy a good restaurant can bring.
By the way, that nail polish is great ( is someone asking for a winter make up post 😜?)
Hehehehe! The nail polish is After School Boy Blazer by Essie. It’s a beautiful dark navy, I love it even though I’m more of a red nail polish kind of girl. But sometimes you have to change things a little bit.
I’m more of a red nail polish too but this is a fantastic change for a day or two. And I really appreciate your make up tips!
Then stay tuned for next week! ;)
Great blog! It is such a nice place – and dogs are welcome too :)
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