Emma 
Read all about it at The Printing Press in Edinburgh
A refurbishment is a good excuse to head off somewhere for food. We had visited The George Hotel years ago and enjoyed it….but would the food get a thumbs up again?
Bar
You enter through the bar area, which is a tempting place to spend the evening. We loved the decor, brassy and retro which is actually very now.
We decided to be good and go straight to dinner with no pre-meal cocktails!
Restaurant
More retro styling with a steampunk twist in here. Comfy chairs and pleasant surroundings with friendly staff helped us relax into the evening.
We settled down for a look at the menu
One thing which did catch our eye was the “Pig’s head scrumpet”, that sounded interested – so in the spirit of “never had that” it was ordered!
Food
The pig’s head scrumpet (£8) was served with pear and spiced brown shrimps. As you can see from the photo below it was a meaty chunk of ham. I’d have liked less leafage and more buttery brown shrimp to soak into the crispy coating. Sliced pear instead of the small cubes would have made this better in our opinion.
Caz was with me today, and she ordered the house-cured salmon with avocado, mango and mustard (£8)
It looked very refreshing and tasty, however the salmon tasted bland and needed the other flavours, which wasn’t what we were both expecting. The mustard grains were too big for the delicate salmon and again squares of fruit – natural slices would have been good here, as with the gloopy avocado – some fresh avocado would have been better.
Caz hoped that the rib (£29) would save the day after her poor starter. Thankfully it did! The Printing Press have a Josper Grill. A Josper Grill is a Spanish grill and oven which operates by charcoal. It should lead to a moister and less dry piece of meat so is ideal for steaks.
As anticipated, the steak was juicy and tender with a beautiful caramelised exterior. Served with a bone marrow gravy which was perfect for chip dipping!
I went for the herb crusted lamb rump with baby gem, peas, mint and bacon (£23). Again, a moist and perfectly cooked piece of meat with chunks of flavoursome bacon. I had a side of sauteed pink fir potatoes (£3) which came as a rather large portion! These looked amazing and soaked up the lamb jus thoroughly.
Dessert
The important part of the meal for me – dessert! All the desserts sounded delish, wild blueberry financier with lime curd, amaretti and mint or rhubarb and star anise crumble? Mmmm, however we picked something else…
Sea buckthorn tart with Katy Rodger’s Creme Fraiche (£6) topped with a sesame brittle and tart creme fraiche. The sea buckthorn tart gave a kind of savory end to the meal. A buttery base with a gooey sea buckthorn curd which is quite tart, as in the sour/sharp meaning of the word!
Bramble Panna Cotta with Earl Grey poached pear and vanilla (£6) We did a wobble and it wobbled well! The combination of bramble and creaminess was ideal and the poached pear added some sweetness to the dish. Like the first dish of the night, less of the additional drizzles and a more simple dish would have been appreciated. The pear and the bramble panna cotta stood out themselves – they didn’t need any assistance, it was a good solid panna cotta!
Thoughts
We had a very enjoyable evening at The Printing Press. The service and ambience was excellent and what you would expect. We had a few comments on the food, less “floof” would work better here to stand out in what is a popular area for eating. Toilets passed the test too!
TL;DR
+ Nicely-styled surroundings
+ Great service
+ Great steak
+ Central location
– Less frivolities on the plate could actually help the food stand out!
Location:
The Printing Press Bar & Kitchen 21–25 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PB
Reservation:
Telephone 0131 240 7177
Online
Email reservations@printingpressedinburgh.co.uk
Opening times
noon – 10.30pm
Social
Website www.printingpressedinburgh.co.uk
Facebook: Printing Press Bar and Kitchen
Twitter: @printbarkitchen
The Printing Press Bar and Kitchen invited Fred’s mummy along for a review. He sez it’s true. Paws up.
