Yes Sushi

Yes Sushi, not to mistaken with the national chain Yo Sushi, is a Japanese restaurant on the corner of Hanover Street and Thistle Street. In Far East style, the window menus try and tempt the passer by with colourful pictures of the food on offer. Once inside we were presented with a large informal space.

The menu was quite long and colourful, providing many pictures to tempt the prospective diner. There were all the usual suspects found on a Japanese menu, including many sushi options, katsu curry, tempura, miso soup, teriyaki and udon noodles. If you are there in the middle of the day, you should also consider the good value bento box options, all coming with a bonus miso soup. The beer selection included the trilogy of Asahi, Kirin and Soppora - all very popular lagers local to Japan. Other drink options included sake and a selection of Japanese teas.

First arrived the ubiquitous miso soup as a starter and it did well to wet ones appetite. Then the mains arrived, with the bento box being the popular option. The bento box was very sizeable for a lunch time serving, I selected option 'A' which included tonkatsu, sashimi, rice and salad. The food was just lacking a wee bit in flavour, the wasabi did not have the oomph that you expect and the salad ingredients looked slightly limp.

I have to point out that the service on our visit was particularly disorganised. Four of our dishes arrived for our party of five, with the last one taking close to ten minutes to arrive. We had to ask the waiter three times about the missing dish before it arrived. Not sure if waiter did not quite understand (something lost in translation? excuse the pun) or the kitchen just did not have all the dishes ready at the same time. This had happened on a previous visit,  to one of the members of our party, so it does not sound like an isolated incident. The restaurant was not really that busy and there were at least two people waiting the tables, so it all seemed slightly inexcusable.

The city centre does not have many sushi options,  so without the competition you could well consider this as an option if you are in the mood for this type of food. I would however suggest that if you are willing to walk a bit further, that there are other satellite options that provide a better experience.

Quality Food                      7.20    
Quality Drinks                   7.40
Value                                  6.80
Service                               4.20
Ambience                           5.40
Overall                               6.00

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Bill - Bento box, miso soup, sapporo and small tip:  £14

Comments:
- Had a tasty Katsu curry, prices were good, but service a bit disorganised.
- My hot beef noodle soup was tasty. However - place was a little cold, and waiter forgot to serve one of us.
- They forgot one of the dishes. Food a bit bland
- Good food - Bento Box D was very tasty with perfect rice, pork tonkatsu, king prawn and veg tempura and a salad with interesting pickles. Service wasn't as great with one of our party waiting 20 mins for their food.

Bar Soba

Bar Soba presents itself as a stylish bar that focuses on Pan Asian food and drink. After its success with two venues in Glasgow, it decided to extend its growing empire to Hanover Street, Edinburgh. We sat on some high stools and started perusing the menus.

Keeping within the Pan Asian theme, the beer menu was a selection of mainly lagers from Asia and USA. Kirin, Cobra and Blue Moon all making an appearance here. The beers were not cheap - all priced close to the £5 mark for a pint, however this is no surprise considering that they are all imported. There was also a large selection of cocktails on offer, however, we felt that this might be a bit much on a work lunch!

The food which was a mixture of Pan Asian street style food. The competitively priced lunch offer is two courses for £8.95, a starter and main included. Many countries made an appearance on the menu, there was Thai green curry,  Japanese tempura and Vietnamese chicken wings. I am often a bit skeptical how a restaurant can specialise in so many cuisines, so I decided to keep on the side of caution and ordered the spring rolls and green curry.

We went for the option to get both courses delivered at the same time - good to see that consideration is provided for the lunch time office worker! The food was well presented and arrived in good time. The spring rolls were the standout of my two courses, large, crisp with a nice accompanying chilli sauce. The green curry was middle of the road, the flavour of the sauce was decent enough however the chicken seemed a bit sparse in the sauce. The courses were definitely sizeable, especially considering the fact it was a part of a deal - the Pad thai ordered next to me looked particularly filling!

Bar Soba provides a good value option if you are in the area and fancy some Far Eastern food. If however you are looking for something more authentic, I would recommend that you visit a more personalised establishment.

Quality Food                     7.75
Quality Drinks                   7.75
Value                                 7.88
Service                               7.13
Ambience                           6.88
Overall                               7.50

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Bill - Vegetarian spring rolls, green chicken curry, pint Cobra, small tip:   £15

Comments:
- Very nice food and beer. Good value.
- I do like the food in this place and the service was quicker than last time we went.
- Excellent value for money. Food was very tasty. Bringing both courses together is a good idea for a work lunch.
- Nice that ribs, good pad thai, and good selection of beer. The lunch menu meant that orders were take quickly and it was all delivered to our table of 8 in good time. I liked the music
- The lunch deal menu has been narrowed to a smaller selection. I ordered pork belly and was served straight up pork, although the curry was tasty it was not what I ordered. Dreadful Ska music was pumped through out the bar. Its OK lunch venue but gone down hill since my last lunch trip.
- Good lunch deal with decent quantities.

The Dogs

Walking up some stairs from Hanover Street, The Dogs presents itself as a stylish bar and restaurant specialising in British cuisine. In line with the name there are several references to dogs in this venue, no surprise there is the dog in the logo, there are dog statues at the entrance and  there is a huge image of a dog behind the bar, its eyes piercing through you as you sit down.

Perusing the drinks menu, there is a well selected range of wines and beers. There is no beer on draught, however, this is made up for with its excellent selection of bottled beers. Williams - a reliable brewery has several entries on the list, including Joker IPA, Birds and Bees and a slow brewed larger called Ceilidh 90. Local brewery Barney's also had a couple of options on show, their IPA being a popular selection amongst the clientele today!

The Dogs has a very down to earth British inspired food menu. What is great about the food here, is that it is freshly prepared to a level that most pubs don't bother with these days. We are talking hand cut chips, cooked the old fashioned way in dripping. The burger is hand made down to the bread - there is no factory bun to be seen here! This is really the way that food should be. Most of the dishes are also keenly priced at the £7-8 mark. I had the chicken and tarragon pie, with big chunks of potato and mushrooms and a moistness that is not often seen in chicken breast. The only small warning I would make is there can be a bit of discrepancy in size between some of the dishes.  The burger and fish and chips are easily self sufficient, however the chicken pie and sausage hash dishes could benefit from having a side if you are hungry.

Everything about the dogs has had a high level of thought put into it. I have visited it on several occasions and I can say that it has always been able to deliver a reliable and efficient option for a great lunch.

Quality Food                    7.83

Quality Drinks                  8.33

Value                                7.83

Service                             8.17

Ambience                         7.67

Overall                              8.00

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Bill - Chicken Tarragon Pie, Barney's IPA, small tip: £12

Comments:

- Great pulled pork sandwich, washed down with local brew Barney's pale ale. Only grumble is I'm still hungry - should have gone for a pudding also.

- Good range of food with some original ideas. Nice choice of beer too.

- Haggis and Cumberland sausage hash with whisky sauce. V. tasty. Good value although you really need two courses to fill yourself up.

- Great quality food and nice vibe

Miros Cantina Mexicana

Miros Cantina Mexicana, tucked away at the Charlotte Square end of Rose Street, offers an authentic and intimate Mexican experience in the heart of Edinburgh. You step inside to a fresh and colourful interior, which even on the dreariest days, uplifts your mood and puts a smile on your face!

To start with, Miros has an excellent range of Mexican beers that goes well beyond the ubiquitous Corona. They have on their regular menu other options including Negra Modelo and Pacifico, all upgradable to either chelada, which adds salt and lemon to the glass or for the more adventurous michelada, which also adds chilli to the mix! On top of that they also have a beer specials board which has beers you probably never heard of including 'Ferry Porter' and 'Death rides a pale horse' IPA! Lastly, there is also a good looking cocktails which has a range of margaritas and other fun sounding cocktails.

Michela

The huge plate of nachos arrived for our starter to share. Now, I am normally don't get that excited about nachos, however, I do have to say that the nachos at Miros really impress me! They are definitely one of the star features. The plate was full of tortilla crisps, cheese, tomato salsa, guacamole, fresh herbs and we also got the upgrade of the beef chilli.  It was big and filling and is definitely the way nachos should be!

Miros also has a well priced selection of lunch time mains mostly around the £7-8 mark. You could select off the taco specials menu or the main menu containing a good mix of the familar including enchiladas and fajitas or the more unusual 'borrego con miel', which contained shredded lamb with honey and smoked chilli. The tacos proved popular, which had a wide selection of fillings and could come with either a flour or corn shell. The food tasted fresh, was a good size for lunch, used good quality ingredients and had a good amount of spice to it. This is definitely some of the better Mexican food to be had in town!

Miros Cantinia Mexicana delivers on all fronts and does not drop in its scores in any category. The place has been visited several times, by several members of multiple teams on my floor at work and consistently everyone raves about it! Would highly recommend a visit if you are in the area or if not you should consider making a special trip to be in the area!

Quality Food                     9.20
Quality Drinks                   9.00
Value                                 8.60
Service                              8.60
Ambience                          9.00
Overall                               9.20

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Bill - Large nacho plate with beef chilli (shared amongst 5), chicken enchiladas, Pacifico michelada and tip:        £14

Comments:
- This place is just fab and has best nachos in town!
- Best Nachos in town, and very good steak tacos. Enjoyed the Pay the Ferryman porter and Negra Modelo beer.
- One of the best Mexicans in Edinburgh.
- I love this place, it’s just like being in Mexico. The Nachos are to die for, the Steak in the fajita was perfect, the "Death rides a pale horse" IPA beautiful. The Music was also bangin. Best restaurant in Edinburgh.

Jeremiah's

Jeremiah's Taproom is a recently renovated pub in Elm Row, crossing the barrier of where the New Town starts to transform into Leith. Previously occupying the premises of the Elm Bar, Jeremiah's is now portraying a new image of craft beer and burgers, so we decided to head there for our Friday lunch!

Jeremiah's has a solid selection of beers on draught. Local tastes were well catered for with the ubiquitous Deuchers and Belhaven and the very local Leith Pilot- with a interesting cloudy looking beer described as a Vienna Pale. The rest of the selection includes a Scottish favourite Williams Caesar Augustus and the, further afield,  Brooklyn Lager from the USA.

The food menu provides a variety of non fussy food including fish and chips and some salad options. What dominates the menu, however, is the large selection of burgers. There is a large variety of toppings on offer including the, not for the calorie conscious, wolf pack, which includes haggis, egg and hash brown included with the patty. Most toppings include the option of either beef, chicken or veggie patties, with pulled pork, lamb burger and halloumi being custom options as well.

The food arrived promptly and was interestingly presented in a large wooden box. The size of the portions were decent and not pushing into the realms of gluttony. Chips were freshly cooked and crisp but did not have that hand cut edge to them. Burger was wholesome and definitely satisfying.

Jeremiah's delivers on all fronts to provide a good all round experience. The service was friendly and prompt, the surroundings clean and crisp, a decent selection of food and the strongest point was the excellent range of beers. Would recommend giving a go if you are in the area!

Quality Food                      7.50

Quality Drinks                   8.33

Value                                    7.00

Service                                 7.67

Ambience                           7.17

Overall                                 7.50

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Bill - Pulled pork burger, pint Pilot Vienna Pale, small tip:    £15

Comments:

- Great burger with fries and great pint.

- Can recommend the pulled pork burger. Nice presentation too.

- Good tasty burgers and great range of beers.

- Good pub offering good pub food with a broad selection of beers. Looking for a nice pub lunch at the top of Leith then this is to be recommended.

- Great selection of beer, excellent burger and fries, and service was pretty fast.