Restaurant review: Malmaison

Published on Friday 6 February 2009 12:36

WITH the possible exception of the twee little Berkshire village of Bray, where Heston Blumenthal and Raymond Blanc jostle for elbow-room next to the Thames, nowhere outside of London has as great a concentration of restaurants as Leith. But it's not just the area's three Michelin-starred restaurants that define it: there is also a wide range of great places offering good food at decent prices.

Whether it's the regional French gastronomy of Daniel's, the timeless elegance and excellence of the Vintner's Rooms, the Italian home-cooking of Domenico's, the traditional fishy qualities of Skippers, the rejuvenated Scottish cuisine of the Shore Bar, or countless other options, Leith has a choice that sometimes bewilders those of us who remember it as a down-at-heel district best avoided after lights-out. Nor were those days very long ago.

Among the 'other' options sometimes forgotten is Malmaison, right on the dock. It's easy to overlook Malmaison because the boutique hotel's studied yet sumptuous velveteen bohemianism contrasts so starkly with the down-to-earth quirkiness of many of the other restaurants in the vicinity. After all, who wants to eat at a chain when there are tortured culinary geniuses plying their trade nearby?

Yet to pigeonhole Malmaison as merely a link in a corporate chain does it a disservice. After all, the company has a track record for taking over strange and curious buildings: there's the largely unaltered former prison in Oxford, the conversion of an Episcopal church in Glasgow and the former bus and tram depot in Leeds. The Leith version may not boast such interesting antecedents, yet the surroundings remain as opulent and comfortable as in any of the firm's dozen venues.

It is in the kitchen, however, where there has been a concerted effort to surprise and challenge. Over the years, Malmaison's food has gradually evolved, and under head chef Colin Manson the menu now encompasses a wide range of styles. How about mackerel teriyaki or scallops vichyssoise followed by winter root vegetable and gorgonzola lasagne or cauliflower risotto?

Over the set and la carte menus, there were ten starters in all, and nine took my fancy (sorry, but the memory of granny's corned beef hash means the corn beef terrine with warm piccalilli will have to wait for another time). I went for the Braehead pan-fried pigeon breast with black pudding salad (note to chef: using the word 'Braehead' may evoke bucolic images of plump doves for east-coasters, but for those from the west it brings to mind mangy birds raking the bins outside a shopping centre) while Lucy-Rose showed a bit more imagination and opted for the truffled Scotch woodcock.

In the event, neither of us was entirely satisfied. My pigeon was still nicely red and there was plenty of it, even if it was a little tough. The black pudding was excellent, though: moist and gravelly, it added some much-needed texture to the dish. Lucy-Rose's woodcock was a bit of a surprise: there seemed to be no woodcock (Scotch or otherwise) and no hint of truffles, just a heavily seasoned egg concoction that was tasty enough but which bore no resemblance to our order (or anything else on the menu).

If our starters were disappointing, our main courses were better. Lucy-Rose again showed a greater spirit of adventure by opting for the braised venison faggots with Stornoway black pudding and mashed turnips, and was rewarded with a gem of a dish in which the rich venison and excellent black pudding were fused beautifully by a heavily reduced sauce that was nicely offset by the neeps. A great winter warmer and the undoubted highlight of the meal.

My smoked haddock with spinach, poached egg and beurre blanc was close to great, but let down by a stingy dribble of beurre blanc that seemed to have been included as a dressing rather than an integral – and important – part of the dish. Even so, the haddock wasn't too heavily smoked and had been perfectly cooked.

We rounded off with a pot au chocolate and a honey and ginger cheesecake. Once again, they were almost very good, but just missed the mark. Lucy-Rose's cheesecake was light and airy with a nice crunchy base, but a lack of flavour made it so tasteless that it was difficult to get excited. My pot au chocolate simply needed more chocolate.

This was a frustrating end to a meal that was characterised by decent value and attentive service in comfy surroundings, but which was ultimately defined by a menu that promised more than it delivered. Anywhere else, the shortfall may not have seemed so glaring, but this is Leith and only the best will do. #vital statistics

Malmaison

1 Tower Place, Leith, Edinburgh (0131 468 5000, www.malmaison-edinburgh.com)

Out of pocket

Starters 4.50-7.95 Main courses 10.50-18.50 Puddings 4.95 Cheese 8.50 Set menu 13.50-15.50

Rating 6.5