Edinburgh: David Bann Vegetarian Restaurant

It is fifteen years since my last visit to David Bann Vegetarian Restaurant.  At the time I was impressed with the food but my photos in the dimly lit evening were sub-par.  I went again with Sylvia on our visit to Edinburgh.  Again the food was inspiring and looked beautiful.  I think you will find the photos more flattering this time as we sat in a window seat for lunch.

We were brought a chilled bottle of water with mint and orange wedges and I ordered a mocktail.  The Blackberry, elderflower and ginger spritz: comprised ginger beer with lemon, organic blackcurrant and elderflower cordial with a top-up of soda water.  It was a lovely fruity refreshing drink.

Sylvia was not feeling great and just ordered "Chunky chips with fresh rosemary and thyme, served with homemade apple and tomato ketchup and sour cream."  It is a shame she did not get to try any other meal, even though she was not impressed by the menu. 

 

Meanwhile I had an amazing meal: Jerusalem artichoke and smoked cheese pudding served with polenta chips, roasted carrot and beetroot velouté and a garnish of micro greens on top.  The baked pudding was quite soft and light, like a souffle.  By itself I would not have so been keen but the generous helping of the beetroot veloute was both a great sauce and a great contrasting flavour.  I enjoyed the roast carrots.  Possibly my favourite part of the meal was the polenta chips which were satisfyingly crisp on the outside and comfortingly soft on the inside.  The meal also looked stunning .

It was gluten free or Non Gluten Containing Ingredients (NGCI) which I assume is shorthand for saying that they do their best to be gluten free but they cannot guarantee that there is no gluten in the meal as it made in a kitchen which cooks with gluten ingredients.  I had not seen the use of NGCI in Australia but saw it in a few places in the UK.

For dessert I had the Chocolate cake: warm chocolate coulant with plum and port compote and beetroot, coconut and whisky ice cream.    It was really beautifully presented and I was pleased it wasn't a huge slab of cake.  Although I had pudding for mains and dessert they were very different puddings with contrasting textures and sides.

And it was vegan.  David Bann, like a lot of vegetarian restaurants these days had a good selection of vegan food.  In fact all starters were vegan, only two of the mains weren't vegan - including my savoury pudding - and four of nine desserts were vegan. 

I have not come across the term coulant before.  It is French for flowing and like a lava cake.  It was so unexpected and amazing and gooey and satisfying.  And did I mention how good the fruit and ice cream served with it.  Sylvia tasted the ice cream before me and was not impressed.  I had forgotten it had port it in which was quite intense.  It was a really lovely winter dessert.  I was delighted at the plums because it was hard to leave stone fruit season behind in Australia.  It was also nice that plum, blackberry and port seem very British flavours.

Then we headed out into the chill wind in St Mary's Street.  While the street had some modern buildings, I enjoyed admiring the old stone buildings.  This beautifully painted shop front was the studio workshop of artist Gerald Gapinski.

We passed by Ragamuffin on the way there and went in on the way back.  The display of Jelly Cat soft toys was gorgeous.  Inside they have the most beautiful knitting.  I loved the jumpers but just purchased a paid of fingerless mittens with a thistle pattern.

Across St Mary's Street from Ragamuffin is the Waverley Bar (right next to the World End pub on the Royal Mile).  Notable is the blue figure climbing the wall above the bar.

I really enjoyed my meal at David Banns.  The staff were attentive and the decor was pleasant.  My mealwas without a doubt the best British cuisine I had in my time in London and Edinburgh.  Most of the menu had a lot of international dishes but I really appreciated that it included some more traditional British options.  The innovative use of local ingredients with clever incorporation of elements of other cultures.  I have always loved how the vegetarian food traditions have developed in the UK and I loved how there were items on the menu to reflect old-school vegetarian dishes in a most elegant and delicious style.  Sylvia tasted so much interesting food during the trip that I feel if she had felt better she might have enjoyed some exciting food at David Bann.  I would definitely liked to return if and when I am back in Edinburgh.

David Bann Vegetarian Restaurant
56-58 St. Mary’s Street, Edinburgh
Off Royal Mile near the Cowgate
Opens 7 days a week 12-9pm
www.davidbann.co.uk