The New Bell by Nicky Howden

If there’s one thing this city doesn’t lack, it’s style bars and restaurants. These days if you don’t see stainless steel, granite, opulent wall coverings and minimalist furnishings, it’s almost strange. Perhaps that’s why when we arrived at The New Bell we were so pleasantly surprised. In contrast to the abundance of city-slick restaurants, it was refreshingly atmospheric and reminiscent of a bygone era.

Walls adorned with traditional artefacts, a hotchpotch collection of tables and chairs, Persian rugs and dark woods; the eclecticism of the place certainly works. And the menu captured our attention for its creativity – Scottish produce with European flair is the order of the day.

Starters included steamed Shetland mussels married superbly with a creamy sauce of smoky bacon, basil and crunchy pine nuts (£6.50) or the rather more filling smoked haddock, leek and Mull cheddar fishcakes with tomato and chilli jam for extra kick and to bring out the flavours (£7).

Scottish beef, game, seafood and vegetarian options make up the mains. My dining partner opted for chargrilled fillet of Scottish beef, fondant potato, caramelised shallots and Madeira jus, served with shredded mange tout and carrots (£19.50).

The portion was sized perfectly, leaving her feeling ‘really satisfied rather than uncomfortably full’. Fresh and zesty salsa complemented the meaty flakes of my main – grilled fillet of seabass, saffron mash, crispy pancetta, purple sprouting broccoli and lemon, tarragon butter sauce (£18). To finish, we forced ourselves to sample the hot chocolate fondant with a wonderfully tart and refreshing mandarin sorbet (£6), worth every penny.

The menu isn’t exactly cheap but it does compare very favourably with food of similar quality nearer the centre of town. And with a special set price of £25 for three courses it’s well worth it – after all there aren’t many restaurants in town that would be buzzing on a Monday night like this one was.

The restaurant’s been around for six years now and owners Richard and Michelle Heller should be proud. They’ve created a homely, relaxed ambience and good food with perfect service – something many of the style bars cannot claim to have done. Known to Edinburgh residents as one of the city’s great culinary secrets, The New Bell rightly deserves its excellent reputation.

17th May 2007