East is East - Glutton in Edinburgh part 2

Petit Paris - Grassmarket, Edinburgh

Hangover averted our second day in Edinburgh took us to Petit Paris, a French restaurant down in the lovely Grassmarket.   It could not have been more different in style from our meal at Castle Terrace but it was equally as good.  This restaurant is small but perfectly formed in a traditional French bistro style where French waiters, checked table cloths and art nouveaux posters complete the scene. 

Pitchers of house red and white wine were served in tumblers the same as they do in a lot of Parisian bistros and my favourite way in this kind of restaurant.  Again, both an a la carte and lunch menu were offered but the lure of a salmon rillettes starter on the lunch menu swayed my decision and I’m glad it did.  The salmon had a slightly smoked flavour and was bound in a light dressing spiked with dill, it was served with toasted croûtes and it tasted utterly sublime, it’s a dish I’ll be trying to recreate at home.

For my second course I ordered the steak.   A word of warning - I asked for the steak to be done medium as I know that French restaurants prefer to undercook their steaks which indeed was the case here, it came rare.   Ask for anything below medium and you run the risk of it still mooing.... 

Aside from being slightly less done than I would prefer the steak was fantastic, seared until crusted it was well seasoned and tender.  The accompanying peppercorn sauce and sautéed potatoes were equally as good and a separately ordered, well dressed side salad ticked the green box.

My husband’s dish of pork fillet with a blue cheese sauce served with mash was also an authentic nod to bistro cuisine and although slightly cold he devoured the lot and proclaimed it delicious.

The lunch menu is a steal at £11.90 for two courses and coffee (supplement for steak) and the pitchers of wine also offer up decent value our bill for two was under £50.   I think this is wonderful restaurant, on a sunny Sunday it was packed to the brim inside and out and it is bursting with French charm and charisma.  Although a very different experience from our lunch the day before I would be as eager to recommend a trip to this adorable bistro to anyone interested in a low fuss, rustic dining experience.