Wannaburger, Queensferry, 28/01/11, ££

Wannaburger used to be a popular choice for Miss Twin and Mrs Fish, the giant burgers so tasty that on their last trip they decided to just half one to prevent spending the afternoon meaty full and sleepy. Plus you got a shot glass of peanut M&M’s when you paid! We were worried when it shut near the end of 2010 for a revamp and opened up as a counter service establishment, so returned to find out what the new look Wannaburger was like.

The design has altered a little, very simple and modern, with some small booths, tables for 2 and counters for 4 to sit at. Ordering is done at a counter in front of the open kitchen/grill area and you’re given a numbered pager which vibrates when the order is ‘up’ - “If I’m shakin, your burger’s waitin'". Food is then served in disposable wrappers and cups on a cute rectangular metal tray.


Miss Twin had: Cheeseburger (£3.45) with Cajan fries (£1.55) and chocolate shake (£2.95) = £7.95

The burgers have reduced in size from before, but thankfully this is accompanied by a reduced price, so they’re more wallet friendly and you can actually hold them in your hand. Well nearly, stuff was still falling out of mine and all down my face. There are lots of options to customise your burger, some free and others at an additional 30p, I went for some free relish and red onion to accompany the pickles, onions, cheese and salad that were already crammed inside the bun with the juicy meat. Definitely as good as I remembered. I chose the Cajun fries as an accompaniment which had a spicy kick to them, would probably go au naturale next time.

This was washed down with a chocolate shake which I was looking forward to the most, thick with flecks of chocolate, basically drinking ice cream through a straw is a tasty way to end your week.

While I do miss the shot class of sweeties, the food remains just as yummy and now comes at a cheaper price. Plus there’s bonus points for playing Counting Crows, the Rolling Stones and Bloc Party while we were there.


Mrs Fish had: Cheeseburger (£3.45) with fries (£1.50) and banana shake (£2.95) = £8.20

First off, you may have noticed the price doesn't quite add up on my order. I was charged 30p for something which I was hoping would turn out to be a giant pickle, which I would have been very happy to accidentally receive, but no, the 30p remains a mystery. Perhaps I was bazinga-ed. Not that it really mattered because the meal that followed was a very tasty meal indeed.

I opted for relish and fried onions as free extras in my burger, which I managed to hold together using the three napkins I was given. Surely burgers were never meant to be a tidy affair? A smaller burger than before, but still very tasty and easier to handle and to finish! Slight niggle - a bit too salty. The fries were good - nice and hot, golden, and again in the right quantity. And the milkshake? 11/10 - freshly made, not overly sweet and not too filling.

To summarise the changes: no crinkle cut fries, no peanut m&ms, no table service, better portions, better prices, better atmosphere, more speed and still very tasty. I think there were also a few new things on the menu too.

Entered Restaurant, ordered and paid at 13:05

Food arrived at 13:15

Finished food at 13:40

La Tasca, Charlotte Square, 21/01/11, ££

Nearing the end of the month and tightening the purse strings we sought out a cheapish lunch Spanish style at the Charlotte Square branch of the tapas chain La Tasca. 3 dishes for £5 sounded good so we ordered 6 items.

• Calamares Andaluza - squid rings with garlic mayo
• Croquetas De Pollo - chicken croquettes again with the mayo
• Albondigas A La Jardinera - Beef and pork meatballs in tomato sauce
• Tortilla Espanola - Spanish Omelette, and more garlic mayo
• Berenjenas Gratinadas - Aubergine baked in tomato sauce topped with cheddar cheese
• Paella De Verduras - Vegetable paella

Miss Twin: The principle of tapas is a good one - lots of things to share and try but dining out my general impression has been that the portions are tiny, you end up spending more and you can't eat at your own pace. Add to this the polite "no you have the last one..." and potential "Joey doesn't share food!" moments (Friends - The One with the Birth Mother) and this does not equal superfun dining. However, Mrs Fish and I are unlikely to duel over the last squid ring and I hadn't been to La Tasca before. We were also looking forward to a big meal and copious drinks at a friends later and didn't want to stuff ourselves.

The service was quite impressive - the restaurant was quiet and the waitress attentive. Without asking she brought me a glass of tap water along with my 'Sunshine Mountain' (Orange, Cranberry and ginger ale, £2.95 - yummy!) and orders were taken and dispatched quickly. The food was nothing to write home about but at least it made a nice difference from the dull sandwiches I've been eating the rest of the week.

The chicken croquettes were not what I expected at all - thinking I would be eating a piece of meat, instead it was more like a soft cheese paste in breadcrumbs. If I hadn't known there was chicken in there I would be none the wiser. Not a big fan of aubergine but that dish was quite tasty, and the meatballs were also decent. The rest was standard fare which I can't really get excited about in any way. But that drink was darn tasty.

Mrs Fish: I have to say the service was very good indeed, quick, friendly, efficient. But the food: school-dinners-do-Spanish - luke warm, over cooked and discoloured. Edible, not delectable. Some dishes worked better than others - the albondigas for example were good enough and it's a nice word to say - albondigas. Albondigas. Albondigas. And the calamari was also good - not chewy and in a nice light batter. The two that I was less fond of was the chicken croquettes (slimy and strange) and the vegetable paella (tinned veg and yellow rice). I'm not even sure if it was turmeric which made the rice yellow. To summarise: quick, cost-effective and filling, but bland, tepid and boring.

Entered restaurant at 13:05 and ordered drinks

Drinks arrived and food ordered at 13:10

Food arrived just after 13:15

Paid and left at 13:45

Weekend Lunch: Montpeliers, 15/01/2011, ££

Mrs Fish: Is fridge belonging to Mr & Mrs Fish, always bare come Saturday morning? You don't know? Is the pope Catholic? Does a bear shit in the woods?

Sometimes this results in a hasty trip to the shops, sometimes a liquid lunch, but today it resulted in a trip to Montpeliers in Bruntsfield. Montpeliers offers "comfortable, stylish surroundings, classic drinks and good quality dining at a reasonable price", and although disappointed in the past, Mrs Fish does tend to agree.

There always seems to be an offer on in Montpeliers and two mains for £10 seemed not bad at all. I opted for the house salad, whilst my bearded companion went for the chicken Thai green curry. Still freshly one-tooth-less and tender gummed, I admit to having had some difficulty with the odd poke of the rocket stalks and the odd goats cheese filling (and I mean odd). However, the house salad was lovely. Creamy melting goats cheese, piquant sun-dried tomatoes, cucumber (for some reason stripped of its seeds), crisp chicory, peppery rocket and a nice balsamic dressing. Very tasty indeed. The curry was also reported to be rather good, with minor niggles that it could be more "curryish" and there could have been a little more of it. Additionally, with lots of sauce to soak up, Mr Fish would have preferred the rice and the curry to be together on the plate. Since the curry was served in a bowl and the rice on the plate, the logistics of soaking up sauce with rice were made more difficult than they needed to be, though a soup spoon was provided.

All in all, not bad. Not bad at all.

Ghillie Dhu, 14/01/2011, ££

Second up, Ghillie Dhu. A traditional Scottish pub spread over three main areas, Ghillie Dhu boasts “the finest local produce, ales and premium spirits”, including their own brand Ghillie Ale and Ghillie Dhu own blended Scotch whisky. The décor is traditional without being tacky, the waiting staff wear kilts and serve to the sound of lively pipe music (slightly cheesy, but fun). Ghillie Dhu is a fairly new addition to the area (having revamped the casino formerly on site) and is a venue for all sorts – ceilidhs, tea dances, live music, weddings, meetings, hens and so on. You could have a three course meal and ceilidh until the wee small hours, or a cosy drink by the f'ire.

Miss Twin had: Hot roast on toast with small bowl of kitchen soup £5.55 + Coke £2.10

Miss Twin: My lunch was the 'hot roast on toast'. The roast of the day was pork, and two reasonable slices were served on a slice of fresh bloomer bread on top of an apple and sultana accompaniment. This was served with a few salad leaves and a small bowl of the soup of the day – tomato and basil.

Digging into the soup first I found it flavoursome – but the kind of strong tomato taste that reminds you of pasta sauce. You don't want to drink a lot of pasta sauce so I'm glad it was just a small bowl. The roast on toast was better, the meat succulent and tasty – and not too chewy! The leaves could have perhaps benefited from a better dressing – just oil is a bit dull and tasteless. I ordered this with a Diet Coke, which turned into full fat on the way to the table, but nevermind, its only a few extra calories. I also approved of the way it was presented on a wooden board rather than a plate.

Mrs Fish had: Prawn marie rose olive oil baked potato £4.95 + lemony water (tap)

Mrs Fish: You should know something first. This meal was eaten just a few hours after I had a wisdom tooth pulled. I was not at my best. I could only feel half my face. I required something soft and mushy.

So. A baked potato it was! Prawn Marie Rose. An “olive oil baked potato served with house dressed salad”. As Miss Twin mentioned, the house dressing was... interesting (in a Loyd Grossman way) - It was a bunch of chopped parsley in a vat of oil and didn't really taste of much. I've ordered the same thing from Ghillie Dhu before and it was much the same this time – mediocre. It was a good tattie, good size, but the prawns were a bit small and tired (not “the finest local produce”, although Farmfoods is closer than the Atlantic), and the marie rose lacked tang. As I said, it was the same before and I ordered it a second time so it's good enough. Just not great.

Entered Restaurant at 13:00

Ordered drinks at 13:05, food at 13:15.

Food arrived at 13:25.

Finished food at 13:45

Received bill and paid at 14:00 (and were given a voucher - £5 off when you spend £10 valid until end Feb).

Friendly waitress, but given the number of staff, overall service was a wee bit on the slow side. Reasonable value for money but food nothing to write home about, nice atmosphere, well-stocked bar, but why were the Christmas decorations still up!?

Zizzi, Queensferry Street 06/01/2011, ££

For our first lunch of the new year we visited the Queensferry Street branch of the Italian chain restaurant Zizzi which has 8 branches in Scotland, 3 of which are in Edinburgh. This one particularly attracts workers on their lunch break and people who have perhaps been shopping on Prince's Street. Apparently they are "passionate about food" and pride themselves on what "comes in and out of our kitchens". Mrs Fish likes the stripy aprons the staff wear, quite "dungarees like". We started here as they have a 50% off main courses deal until 16th January, and it being the first week back at work after Christmas a little treat was needed.

Mrs Fish had: Chitarra Alla Pescatora £11.95 + Appletiser £2.10

Chitarra alla Pescatora

Mrs Fish: I opted for the Thundercats themed spaghetti dish - Cheetara Pescatora, or was it Chitarra alla Pescatora? Chitarra aparently means guitar in Italian and the shape of the cutter resembles the neck of guitar with strings through which you press the pasta. This produces (according to my luncheon) a thick rough spaghetti which holds on really well to sauce - in this case white wine, tomato and chilli with seafood.

The seafood consisted of king prawns (plump and juicy), squid and mussels (which were just right to begin with, but got a little rubbery as they continued to cook in the heat of the sauce). Speaking of which, the heat of the sauce was just right - both in terms of temperature and in terms of chilli. Plenty of pasta, plenty of sauce, plenty of seafood. Another customer had plenty of pizza, but for some reason this was a complaint! With only a knife and fork I pondered spoon etiquette, and managed not to slurp (I think - but you can ask Miss Twin).

Miss Twin had: Seabass Al Vino £13.25 + Sprite £2.10

Seabass Al Vino

Discount voucher in hand I skimmed over the pasta and pizza options and headed for the pricier meat and fish options and went for the Seabass which was cooked in wine, garlic, parsley and baby plum tomatoes and served with a lemon wedge and herbed potatoes. I do like a nice piece of fish, but unless its battered or sold as a 'finger' it doesn't tend to be too cheap.

The fish was tasty with a simple, inoffensive sauce and accompaniments. The real star was the potatoes which had a nice crunch and tasty topping. I could have eaten many of them. In fact I probably could have eaten the whole dish again as it wasn't the most filling. A nice light lunch all the same, and no Mrs Twin did not slurp.

Entered Restuarant at 13:00

Ordered at 13:05

Food arrived at 13:20

Finished at 13:35

Received bill and paid at 13:45 (couple of extra minutes while they worked out how to properly apply the 50% off voucher to the bill).

Good service and reasonable value for money (especially if you can get a deal). If we had been paying full price we might have been more likely to stick to old favourites.