As readers will know the happy crew spent last weekend in Edinburgh and what a discovery we made.
Just over the road from the Cabinet of Dr Caligari Travelodge in St Marys was this place
A wonderful Turkish restaurant called Empires where you could get a mixed meze plate like this
with goodies like grilled Halloumi, hibesh (tahini with lemon and cumin), feta stuffed peppers, sucuk (Turkish spicy sausage) and patlican (aubergine cooked with tomato a peppers) for £12.95 evening or £8.95 lunchtimes. The food was excellent while the decor reminded me of a traditional Turkish house we had been shown around in Mostar in Bosnia. Should you be planning a visit take your own booze (a modest corkage will be charged) and cash as they don't take cards.
I was also pleased to discover that as members of English Heritage we could get into Historic Scotland properties for free. That meant a free look around Edinburgh castle on Saturday afternoon. I was much taken by this building
Which is the Scottish National War Memorial. What I liked about it was the way that architect Sir Robert Lorimer had created a kind of medieval Art Deco so that while remaining in keeping with the environs of the castle it was also very much a product of the 1920s, just look at how those sentry boxes taper.
Anyhow that evening we had a drink at the Waverley before heading off to the Ghandhi for Moff's birthday tea. As usual we were made to feel very welcome and had a lovely meal before heading off to the Auld Hoose for a nightcap or three.
We had a much better return journey on the Sunday so only had time for a traditional Scottish breakfast
at the Rabbi Burns in the Royal Mile, not bad for £6.95.
Artisam
Yum. Not had turkish food like that before but it looks great.