Food
Service
Ambiance
Value for money
Average
Despite the somewhat miserable weather a recent visit to sample some of the dishes on the new menu at the Printing Press revealed a lively atmosphere in the bar, where we were soon seated in a cosy alcove with a “Cocktail Tree” with a Pornstar Martini, The Devil Wears Principal, Skulls In The Stars to choose from. My dining partner chose the sweet and fruity Skulls in The Stars and I opted for light and refreshingly lemony The Devil Wears Principal before moving through to the dining room for our meal.
As an amuse bouche we were served a crab and leek thermidor tart accompanied by Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne, with light fruity notes to complement the crab flavour. The delicate sweet tart filling was encased in beautifully crisp pasty with not a hint of the dreaded soggy bottom and the sweetness of the softened leeks made a delightful accompaniment, despite having the tiniest smidge too much salt.
For our second course we were served Burrata (which I tend to think of as Mozzarella’s sophisticated cousin) with red chicory, blood orange, pine nuts and chilli dressing and a glass of Conde Villar Vinho Verde Branco, with hints of tropical fruit. The Burrata was silkily smooth and rich, with pine nuts adding a firm texture, whilst the mild bitterness of chicory provided a layer of freshness. It would seem I’m the odd one out in thinking that such a mild and creamy cheese doesn’t work with the flavour of orange as everybody else thoroughly enjoyed the combination, so I’m happy to put this one down to personal taste.
The fish course, roast Scrabster cod, broccoli and caviar butter sauce served with Doningo Martin Albarino was, in my opinion, the dish of the evening. Large chunky flakes of perfectly cooked cod sat beautifully alongside the freshness of the vegetables and the whole dish was brought together with a light butter sauce using the saltiness of the caviar to add depth.
Our meat course was pan-seared venison, caramelised celeriac, spinach, brioche herb crumb served with Tilia Malbec, the red fruit flavours of which were a wonderful accompaniment to the richness of the venison. The venison itself was pink and the rich umami flavours from the gravy were an absolute triumph. The vegetables, however, were a little disappointing, and although I found the herb crumb somewhat overpowering my fellow diners definitely enjoyed it.
Dark and delicately bitter cocoa flavours from the chocolate sorbet were given freshness by serving them with blood orange, whilst a sprinkling of nuts added texture with the whole being enhanced by the delicate spiciness of Les Nuage Pinot Noir. I was unfortunate enough to find a tiny sprinkling of ice crystals in my sorbet, but these were so scarce it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the dish.
Crème brulee is one of my favourite desserts and the Printing Press didn’t disappoint. The texture of the dish was as smooth as satin and rich with a heady warmth of vanilla. The accompanying sable biscuit reminded me more of a biscotti, but I’m certainly not complaining about that!
The atmosphere in the Printing Press is relaxed and friendly. The staff are attentive without being intrusive and we thoroughly enjoyed our food and the atmosphere of both the bar and the restaurant. We would consider the meal good value for money and will certainly be back.
Contact Details
The Printing Press
Principal Hotel
19-21 George Street
Edinburgh
EH2 2PB
Tel: 0131 225 1251
Website: The Printing Press
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