I've been to 49 new Edinburgh restaurants in 2025, but returning to this old favourite was bliss
I revisited a place that I love
Journalists are always hunting for the next new thing.
This year, I have, as always, visited dozens of fresh-faced places. If you placed every Scandi-style or Italian-ish small plate I’d eaten side-by-side, the line would stretch all the way to alpha centauri.
However, as you get older and especially at this time of year, it’s hard to resist the comforting call of familiarity.
It’s like the Cheers jingle; “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name”.
Well, the staff certainly don’t know mine at Cafe St Honore, as I haven’t been there quite enough to get familiar, but they’re warm and friendly enough that you might imagine that you’d met them a million times.
This Parisian-style place, named after the Rue St Honore and with chef Neil Forbes at the helm, has been situated down the cobbled Thistle Street North West Lane since 2008.
That’s incredible, as, 17, in Edinburgh restaurant years, is akin to about 148.
Also, as much as I like the Capital’s Scandi-aesthetic trend, this place has my favourite interior. It reminds me of the inside of an ancient music box, lined with antique mirrors that have a well-aged patina - a bit like the cafe in Degas’ L’Absinthe.
If you enjoy people-watching, it also attracts an interesting demographic, though sadly no absinthe drinkers.
On my visit, there was a table of young US tourists, as well as a mother and daughter who were feeding each other dessert, an elderly couple who ate lunch without a single word, and some very wealthy-looking cashmered-up folk whose wrists, heavy with jewellery and watches, kept clunking off the table.
My husband had to fight for my attention, as my eyes were doing the flight of the bumblebee.
It’s worth noting that the menu is rather pricey, but Forbes doesn’t cut corners and is a big supporter of local producers, so I suppose you get what you pay for.
The lunch and dinner a la carte main courses are mostly around the £35 mark, but, they also do a Cafe Classics set list at £30 for two courses, £38 for three.
For starters, I tried the ham hough terrine (£16), which was a tender Barbie pink block of protein, dotted with green flecks of parsley and carrot nibs. It came with a pile of creamy celeriac remoulade, a log pile of cornichons, and a Phantassie Organics salad - with chard, radishes and various bouncy leaves - that was simply and beautifully seasoned.
The Belhaven smoked trout (£16) was also poetically simple and lovely, and, like my terrine, consisted of a huge portion that was almost main-course-sized. No small plates here. There were five - FIVE! - large strips of coral pink and gummy fish, along with slices of pickled cucumber, two toasted pieces of soda bread, a large quenelle of horseradish cream and more of that lovely salad.
The mains were equally hearty.
My other half was in raptures over the slow-cooked beef cheek, which featured a mushroomy jus that was sticky, heady and richer than Elon Musk. This dark mixture was threaded with greens, including spinach, and came on a pale yellow pile of uber buttery mash. The ensemble was perfectly wintery, like finding yourself in the Narnia wardrobe, all wrapped in fur coats and gunning hot chocolate.
I had the equally decadent fishy dish of East Coast cod (£35), with its coppery crisped-up skin and pale flesh. It came in a magnolia-hued pool of leek and potato chowder, with around ten butterball Shetland mussels in their inky shells.
Well, it doesn’t get much lovelier than this.
However, I did feel that pudding might be a challenge, after two bodybuilder portions. Still, I have a thing about Forbes’ desserts. I once tried his queen of puddings, about 15 years ago, and the memory of its sugary nostalgic deliciousness has never left me.
So, I thought I’d challenge my restaurant reviewing chops.
I’m glad I did, as the Montezuma’s Organic Dark Chocolate fondant (£15) was dreamy, with its oozy middle that exhaled a cocoa-scented cloud. It came with a lush hazelnut ice-cream, and a handful of sandy-coloured praline crumbs.
We also tried the treacle tart (£13) - something I wish was on menus more. This icing-sugar dusted triangle was a beauty, with a crispy base and a lemony sticky filling.
I mean, I love going to new places, but it is really very hard for them to beat Edinburgh’s OG.
Although I’d better get back to the small plates, my mind will be on Cafe St Honore.
34 Thistle Street North West Lane, Edinburgh (0131-226 2211, www.cafesthonore.com)
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