Andes addition
Superico is sweet spot for food writer Juliet
ARRIVING AT SUPERICO, the old 99 Hanover Street bar, I feel immediately out of place.
They’re playing cool music I don’t understand. If it’s not on Smooth Radio I’ve never heard it before. However, it’s not long before our friendly barman and I discover I’m in the wrong place and he gallantly walks me to the other Superico, the restaurant version a few doors up. They’re playing Alexander O’Neal - normality restored.
Previously a trad family Italian restaurant (La Lanterna), it’s been transformed into a rather lovely contemporary space featuring South American delights. Stone walls, comfortable seating and soft lighting, what’s not to like?
The drinky-poos pack a reassuring punch and we’re onto the menu which is as creative as it is brief. I’m always more trustful of a menu that knows when to rein in the amount on offer.
Here you can have small sharing plates or a proper meal. We order a random selection of small plates and one modest oyster for me.
The food in Superico comes out “as it’s ready”. The chef who invented that concept should get an MBE for services to making lives in kitchens easier. All the dishes were fresh, tasty and generous, especially The Crudo, basically a chunkier Steak Tartare with citrus, soy, chilli, shallot, caper and chircharron. The star of the show was the Tiradito: sashimi cut sea bream, avocado, mango and blood orange, tiger’s milk and coriander oil. I can only presume you milk a tiger with its express permission.
If you worry these dishes sound too complex, I can assure you they are delivered with a delicate touch. The lily is not over gilded here. My oyster dressed in jalapeño, lime and coriander was delicious, and I’ll keep it to myself whether or not it worked.
Superico offer two small plates with a cocktail or glass of wine for £18 all day Wednesday and Thursday and until 6pm Friday to Sunday. With cooking this confident, friendly service and top-notch ingredients, that’s a real bargain. To read my full review, which also offers some entertaining conversation and inside info on a fruit and veg shop that’s really a fetish dungeon, visit The Edinburgh Reporter website.
I also had a lovely pre-theatre dinner at Shezan on Picardy Place. Their Chicken Tikka was the most succulent I’ve ever tasted. As Edinburgh Playhouse reopens in September I trust they’ll be packed to the rafters as usual.
If you’re a sociable sort and love entertaining, then the concept of Moda McEwan apartments in Fountainbridge might just be for you. Not only do the rental flats come with a communal sitting room, gym, cinema and work spaces, but they’ll even find a flatmate for you, perfect if you’re new to the city. I’m informed that in all the exquisitely decorated apartments, the bedrooms are on opposite sides of the flat “so you won’t be disturbed if you work different shifts”. Yes, that was a real problem for me when I flat shared, those pesky shifts. All bedrooms have an en-suite, so nobody needs to see their flatmate’s shift work assistant in their undies. The best part about living here for me is the fabulous kitchen dining area you can hire for dinner parties or any celebration.
With all these distant bedrooms, perhaps a singles night?