8th March 2016 6pm

http://dineedinburgh.co.uk/

Dine

Dine opened relatively recently above the Traverse Theatre. This is a beautifully formed restaurant, circular in design and reoccurring in theme with a tree as a central focus. There was also an additional bar area off to the side.

Dine

Melon Colada – Dine

The menus had lots on offer and we could both pretty much eat everything on offer as it all sounded delicious. I decided to order from the a la carte menu and went for ceviche of rock bass followed by venison. My dining partner for the evening decided to go with the incredibly good value market menu (£17.50 for three courses!) and opted for the ham hock terrine followed by seabream. She opted for a large glass of wine and I asked to see the cocktail menu, which offered great variety and went for a melon colada which I thought might compliment the flavours of my starter. It was delicious and would quite happily drink more!

Ceviche of Rock Bass – Dine

Ham hock terrine – Dine

Firstly, as expected, the starters which both looked impressive and even more so that the market menu starter my friend was having was just as big a size as mine – no scrimping here just because you are going from the cheaper menu. Onto my ceviche. The reason why my melon colada went well with this was because it came with a lime puree, apple, gingerbread melba and coconut. The coconut was shaved pieces, no desiccated stuff in sight. The fish was light and worked with all the other flavours, but it needed perhaps some extra seasoning when on its own. On the other side of the table, the terrine was being devoured. It was well flavoured and the toasted sourdough was a good touch.

Venison – Dine

Seabream – Dine

The mains followed and were beautifully presented. My venison was pink and cut like butter. No steak knives needed here. The mash was smooth and hints of rosemary wafted through it. The braised haunch was plentiful and succulent. The mushrooms and red cabbage complimented nicely. I almost licked the plate clean. My friend’s seabream was sublime. She wasn’t sure what was done with the broccoli or the puree but she was seriously wowed by it.

Chocolate Brownie – Dine

Fruit Crumble – Dine

We thought we could squeeze in dessert, so I went for the chocolate brownie and my friend went for the seasonal fruit crumble. The chocolate brown was accompanied by a chocolate ganache, chocolate crumble, chocolate sauce and toasted hazelnuts. If you love chocolate, this is for you. I eat it all heartily but at the same time missed a splash of cream or ice cream to avoid a cocoa overload. However, this is really a minor quibble. The fruit crumble was again a generous portion. The crumble was perfect and the fruit still identifiable rather than a bland mush you can sometimes get.

We really enjoyed our meal at Dine and thought the environment was lovely too. We were talking about a return visit before we’d even left.

Food 9/10
Service 9/10
Atmosphere 8/10
Value 8.5/10

Overall 34.5/40

Would I eat here again? Yes, it’s lovely.

Cost £67 for three courses from a la carte, three courses from the market menu, a large glass of wine and a cocktail.