Stuart McCluskey, who many will know from his time co-owning the Bon Vivant and subsequently leading the Bon Vivant Group, has opened a new venture on Thistle Street: Paz Tacos.
Tacos are nothing new for McCluskey - Edinburgh’s popular El Cartel restaurants formed an integral part of the Bon Vivant Group - and his experience is on full show at Paz Tacos where an assured menu boasts ingredients including ox tongue, confit octopus and battered cod.
La Cîme Deli opened its doors for the first time on Sunday, 3 December. The café come provision shop is located on Newhaven Road and serves dishes that are both simple and comforting; think pâte filled baguettes and harissa fried eggs.
In terms of provisions, La Cîme Deli sells everything from local honey to French natural wines. Usually closing by 17:00, La Cîme Deli occasionally serves dinner. Announcements of these events are made via Instagram: @lacimedeli.
Finally, Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza has closed just 14 months after opening on Henderson Row. As reported by The Herald, Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza claims the closure is temporary although no date has been given for the pizzeria’s reopening.
Now, a recommendation: Pizzeria 1926
This month’s recommendation is a gentle reminder that overpriced, sub-standard pizzas are not Edinburgh’s only offering. In fact, there remain several exceptional pizzerias dotted around the city, Pizzeria 1926 being one of them.
A Dalry institution, Pizzeria 1926 recently emerged from an ownership change relatively unscathed; the pizzas are still classically Neapolitan in style and an array of SSC Napoli memorabilia continues to line the walls. (Although the restaurant is not celebrity-endorsed, Pizzeria 1926 does revere the football club’s hero Diego Maradona.)
That being said, the restaurant’s best work is not the meat-laden pizza named for the mercurial goal scorer but an aubergine and provola topped pie that goes by the title Zielinski 20.