Malmaison Brasserie

5 Reviews on “Malmaison Brasserie”

• TartanSpoon

  At Malmaison the colour of Spring is shocking pink and they are serving up 2 courses for 19.95 in one of my favourite spots in Edinburgh The Shore, Leith.As it was nearly weekend and no doubt a Friday and 5 oclock somewhere, we decided to start the night off right with cocktails. First up was a classic, Pina Colada. Cheers!Chez Mal Bar also has a spring menu for cocktails and we got to try the Rhubard and Basil Gimlet Brockmans gin, Chase rhubard liqueur, lime, sugar, cranberry bitters and basil. Quite tart with a lovely sweetness at the end but with a savoury note through it from the basil. Smelt incredible. There are other Spring cocktails to try to such as the Classic Gimlet and Malchemy which is a grapefruit and lychee collins with elderflower tonic. Perhaps next time.We headed through to the brasserie for dinner. I ordered the Spring Lamb Benedict. This was slow braised Dorset lamb shoulder served on a brioche slice with mint Bearnaise.As you know, I love a runny egg and this did not disappoint. This was my favourite dish of the night. The brioche added a subtle sweetness to the whole dish. The lamb was tender and melt in your mouth and the egg.Other starter dishes on the menu include the Grilled Masala Spiced Mackerel with sweet potato lime pickle and cumin raita. Cauliflower veloute with pickled cauliflower and spiced onion frita. There is also a fresh Burrata which is creamy style Mozzarella, herb puree and Heritage tomato salad. The starters all looked incredible. Crisp, clean plates of beautifully plated food.Moving onto the mains I opted for the Gloucester Old Spot Pork Belly with braised gem lettuce, fresh peas, Ramsays black pudding, and Bramley apple puree. I really loved the braised gem lettuce. It was light and fresh and lifted this dish; and together with some pork and the super creamy mash, it made for a perfect bite.Chicken Milanese, a breaded chicken breast, Burford Brown fried egg, truffled mayonnaise, and rainbow chard.The Pan-fried river trout with pea and broad bean puree, Anya potatoes and truffle vinaigrette wins the award for the prettiest dish of the night. The vivid green against the brown earthiness of this plate was visually outstanding.There is also a fresh spring vegetable and wild garlic risotto with pea shoots and extra virgin olive oil to choose from too.A lovely seasonal choice of sides include mixed spring greens, Anya potatoes with chive vinaigrette, and pan roasted Jerusalem artichokes.Lastly was desserts. I wanted to continue with savoury so chose the Seasonal Fromage Slate with Fruit Chutney, Quince and Crackers. A nice selection of soft and hard cheeses. The quince jelly square was gooood.As we were all fairly full by the time the desserts arrived we all decided to have a bite so I got to taste a few. Above is the Warm Valrhona Caramel Chocolate Brownie with brown butter pecan ice cream. The ice cream flavour is wonderful and if you are a chocoholic then this is for you. The brownie slice is thick and dens and packs a chocolate punch!Above is the Rhubard Trifle with Yorkshire Rhubard, Vanilla Custard and Ginger Crumble topping. So bright and Spring in a glass. Im not a fan of rhubard, but this dessert didnt last long and was wolfed down.And lastly we have the Iced Coffee and Praline Parfait with Chocolate Sauce. Quite unsuspecting this dessert which was light and creamy.The new Spring menu at Malmaison is great value for money and certainly encapsulates the best of UK seasonal produce. tartanspoon.co.uk

  July 6, 2017, 6:45 pm

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• Edinburgh Feasts

  I had bought a voucher deal for Malmaisons Sunday lunch, which consisted of a soup and/or buffet starter, a brunch or lunch dish and a dessert. We were shown to our table and given the menu, which listed the contents of the buffet along with the mains and desserts. There were a selection of brunch options, including a cooked breakfast, and for the lunch options there were a couple of roasts and some other mains such as burgers. I decided to risk full scale over eating and ordered the roast chicken. My friend went for eggs benedict. We had to wait a little while for someone to take our order but we assumed this was to make sure the buffet table was never too busy. This seemed to work well as we were the only two selecting our buffet items at that time.We decided to skip the soup and picked some bits and pieces from the buffet. There was a nice selection of Italian and Spanish meats, terrines, bread, cheeses, crackers, salmon, pate and a couple of salads (including a bean salad). There were also a number of dips and sauces but were not labelled so it was a bit of a guess as to what they might be. The buffet table is also relatively small, which means nothing is sat out too long and is replenished regularly. My dining companion particularly liked the terrine and I thought the pate was delicious. The meats were of a good standard and the salads were fresh. The only real complaint was that the bread was a little hard. My chicken came with a pork and lemon stuffing, vegetables and gravy. Sadly, the first mouthful of the chicken I had was from a piece that had been sat directly under the stuffing and a piece of what looked like pickled lemon. It was so overpoweringly lemony that I thought I had eaten washing up liquid. However, the stuffing itself was actually quite nice and when I moved to eating other parts of the chicken that had not been touched by the lemon, it was moist and tasty. The carrots and parsnips had been honey roasted and were absolutely wonderful. The green beans were nice but were quite crunchy and could have probably done with a minute or two more cooking. The potatoes were disappointing. They were really too large and the outsides were chewy rather than crispy. On the other side of the table, the eggs benedict was proving to be a nice dish. My friend commented that there seemed to be just the right amount of everything on the plate, so each mouthful had a balance of ingredients. The only complaint was the fat on the bacon wasnt rendered enough and should have been a little more crispy.There was a nice choice of classic desserts including crme brulee and sticky toffee pudding. Once our order was finally taken, I opted for a hot chocolate dessert and my dining partner went for the dessert du jour, which was a berry and coconut slice. The hot chocolate arrived in a cup and a gravy boat arrived with the hot chocolate sauce inside it. Within the cup there was ice cream and a swirl of vanilla cream topped with a couple of marshmallows. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I was particularly surprised at how good the cream was as often cream doesnt stand up well to ice cream. The chocolate sauce was a touch too bitter for my taste but not so much as to spoil the dish. . On the other side of the table, the berry slice was enjoyed but it was a little difficult to tell what was in each layer.So, overall Malmaisons brasserie offers some solid food, when they get it right. edinburghfeasts.com

  September 21, 2015, 4:39 pm

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• Scottish Food Review

  There is nothing wrong with doing something a bit different every now and then. For example you could write a food review and maybe put in some film references or throw some song lyrics in the mix, see if anyone notices. But sometimes you want something traditional. Like a Sunday lunch. This should be a nice relaxed affair with friends and family gathered round a big table . You enjoy your starter and main course and overindulge with dessert and then fall asleep on the sofa in front of the telly.So one Sunday lunchtime after a pleasant stroll round Stockbridge market, the family and I decided on the Biggest Sunday Lunch in town, (their words) at the Malmaison Hotel in Leith. Just to keep things exciting and zany, without any lyrics, I will start my review with dessert. Bet you weren’t expecting that now where are you? Unpredictable…!The desserts were fantastic. The children’s ice cream was served with hot dark chocolate sauce which had to be poured over the top of two scoops of ice cream which provided much amusement for our little one. The sticky toffee pudding was soft and moist, the Pecan Caramel Sauce which marvellously complimented the toffee sponge. The chunks of Pecan providing a bit of crunch and a contrasting texture to the soft deliciousness of the pudding. The highlight of, and luckily my, dessert was the Mal Hot Chocolate. Not as you would expect a drink, but it is served in a large cappuccino mug filled with vanilla ice cream topped with soft handmade marshmallows and served with a jug of delicious hot melted chocolate. This was poured all over the top to make a beautiful, delightfully messy and great fun dessert.The Main Courses were also excellent. The Sunday roast offers a choice of Turkey, or as we enjoyed Beef. It was a beautiful pink in colour and the beef had been carved with a generous hand, no wafer thin slices here. The photograph unfortunately does little to demonstrate how amazing the plate looked and, of course, smelt. It certainly doesn’t do justice to the Yorkshire pudding which was large, crispy on the outside yet soft inside. The saucepan of gravy was rich very meaty and perfect for having beef, Yorkshire pudding and vegetables dipped in. The side dish of vegetables was a very good size for one person, with a number of roast potatoes, cauliflower and parsnips and carrots which ended up being shared and was actually enough for two.The pan-fried calf’s liver is easily missed on the menu, it seems to sneak in at the end of the choices and I’m glad I saw it. The liver was lovely and soft and gave under the fork, the bacon on top perhaps could have been a bit crispier but still had a nice flavour. The mash was creamy and buttery but I definitely think had probably at some point fairly recently been a potato rather than the re-hydrated starch that you sometimes get. It was also very good at absorbing the Diablo sauce. The name conjures up visions of fire and spice and tongue searing, taste-bud immolating heat, which there wasn’t. In fact I couldn’t really work out what it was meant to be, sure it had the butter, onion and garlic, but needed a bit more pepper and mustard to give it some zing. Personal taste I guess, either way it did a great job keeping everything moist and was great with the mash all mixed together.The highlight of brunch has to be the Chefs table. Just like writing a review, there is no need for fancy gimmicks or doing something a little crazy. The key for a Sunday Lunch is just do the basics well. A traditional brunch buffet table overflowing with good quality food at a reasonable price, it is all you need to draw people in and keep them happy and that’s all they’ve done.But boy have they done it well.As you go up to the table you are greeted by the chef stood behind it, who will quite happily cook you an omelette, or pancakes, or waffles or just cook eggs to your liking. Baskets of pastries and croissants and a basketful of bread which was freshly baked in that morning, at least I would like to think so. There was a large pot of soup stood next to the bread to tempt you with the smell, whilst the leg of Serrano ham standing surrounded by selection of continental meats tempted your sense of sight. Then there was the selection of salads, smoked fish, salmon and ham terrines. Basically almost everything you’d ever want for a starter, but with the bonus that if you’re feeling peckish you could head back up to the table as many times as you want. So when they say the biggest Sunday lunch in town, because it’s unlimited, they really do mean it!That said all of this would count for nothing if they were charging you 30 a head. In fact the biggest Sunday lunch in town (or city) is only 19.95 per person for your unlimited buffet, main course and dessert and only 7.95 for children. Now I didn’t quite get why we were offered a separate Cheeky Monkeys Children’s menu with three courses for 9.95. Given the choice on the buffet why would anyone pay 2 more for the poor selection on this menu. I think perhaps it best be kept filed away on a Sunday lunch as there is more than enough choice on the buffet to keep any child happy, provided they are used to eating good quality fresh food.Then is it the service that is the Achilles heel of the Malmaison? Is it the standard of hospitality that launched a thousand ships and burned the topless towers of Ilium? I am sure there are plenty of other expressions I can use for where a really good meal can go horribly horribly wrong due to terrible service. But no. Malmaison was one of the most child friendly places I’ve ever experienced. In the restaurant all of the staff were very polite, very friendly but efficient and professional. They were very quick to arrange drinks food was served without delay, checks were made with every course to see if we were happy. Now it could well be because there was nobody else in the restaurant that we were so attentively waited on, perhaps during a busier time service would have suffered a touch, but I don’t think the cheerfulness and professionalism of the staff would be diminished.Our introduction to Malmaison was when we were sat in the bar and we ordered some drinks before going through for lunch. We needed something to warm ourselves up after walking around the markets all morning. Whilst the two hot drinks were being ordered at the bar, as well as Cranberry juice for our daughter, she happened to say that she would be sharing some of my tea. So much to her delight when the drinks were delivered to the table there was an extra espresso cup just for her to have her own little cup of tea. A simple, almost insignificant gesture completely unprompted from the member of staff behind the bar who just wanted to go the extra mile and offer exceptional customer service and make a wee girl happy.That pretty much sums up our experience of Malmaison, it doesn’t need flash gimmicks, it doesn’t need to do anything revolutionary, it does simple, comfortable Sunday lunch, the way you would want to do in your own house if you had family around. Best of all it is done at a reasonable price with great service. If you find yourself in Leith or Edinburgh on a Sunday I recommend you give it a go, it is well worth a visit. scottishfoodreview.com

  January 19, 2015, 3:02 am

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• EdinburghFoody

  Malmaison sits a little apart from the other bars and restaurants on the Shore in Edinburgh. The first time I went there for a drink was in the late 90s when a friend of mine was touring Scotland taking pictures for a French travel magazine. She was staying there and was most impressed with the rooms. That night we went back to visit old haunts and ate at Blue, which is now gone. My friend is still a photographer but shes now based in Bangkok, on the other side of the world. Things change. Malmaison, thankfully, still stands. Last week, I went there and took the door to the brasserie instead of the door to the bar. It was the start of a delightful evening.As well as a hotel and a bar, Malmaison has a brasserie that serves a range of international dishes. The restaurant is large but the room manages to be cosy and intimate. The dark walls and some very clever lighting makes each table into its own calm island. The rather good photos C. took for me is a testament not just to the superiority of his camera over mine, but to the lighting. It was a Friday night and the restaurant was busy with couples and groups having a good time. We sat in the window nook just inside the door. There are two tables in that area, and as our meal progresses we watched the other table empty and then fill again. The other couples looked just as comfortable and happy as we were.I started with the salt cod brandade balls, balls of creamy salt cod in a crispy, fried coating. The saltiness of the cod was offset by the sweet over-cooked peppers that accompanied the brandade. C. had goats cheese and beetroot jelly. It looked spectacular: the clean white cheese on top of a jewel-like red (vegetarian) jelly. It was served with puffy goats cheese balls that were absolutely amazing. I could eat them all night. Its unfair on all the good food we had that night that the cheese balls is what stuck, but as I write I wish I had a small bowl of them and a glass of mellow red wine. Instant bliss.The menu has a good mix of vegetarian, fishy and meat-lovers options, from classics like chicken liver parfair and prawn cocktail to more glamorous dishes like smoked salmon blinis. Salads and mains present a mixture of international favourites such as grilled Normandy chicken, Thai green curry, and swordfish. The grill section offers a number of different steaks and sauces as well as the Malburger, Malmaisons own take on the burger. The specials board offers variety and colour.For main, I had the rump of lamb, served with leeks and summer girolles. My favourite mushroom were a beautiful orangey-yellow and twinkled in the rich truffle dressing. The lamb was perfectly pink and tender, and the mushrooms and leeks were savoury and rich. With it I had buttered potatoes that were delightfully sweet against the lambs dressing. C. had the special vegetarian, which was a risotto primavera. On the menu, thats served with a Parmesan crumble which sounds nice but C. asked to have it without because of the Parmesan.Im going to digress just a little here with a note on cheese production. Its a surprisingly little-known fact that cheese is made with rennet. Theres veggie rennet and traditional rennet. The latter is made from cows stomach so cheese made with traditional rennet is not considered vegetarian. Parmesan, the real, true deal, is made with traditional rennet. And yet, Parmesan is common in vegetarian dishes because we forget that not all cheese is veggie. In the UK, veggie rennet became common during the mad cow outbreak, so British cheeses are, usually, fine. Or at least, thats what cheese-selling friends have told us. Saying no to Parmesan and having the cheese board isnt the contradiction it might seem.Our server very kindly checked why we didnt want the Parmesan crust and spoke to the kitchen about the risotto since it was likely that there would also be Parmesan in it. Kudos to the kitchen. C. received a perfectly cooked, very soothing dish of risotto, entirely Parmesan free. It wasnt the cheesy, crunchy dish the chef had planned, but it was a flavoursome risotto, silky rice serving as a background for the last of the summer vegetables, that C. could eat. We really appreciated their willingness to adjust the recipe for us.Desert was an easy choice, for once. C. and I were torn between the same two deserts so asked for double cutlery. Its been a long time since I last had crme brle and Ive missed it. That first crack when you break the hard, golden sugar is delicious, but not as delicious as the vanilla-infused cream underneath. The cheeseboard was just the right size, had several interesting cheeses and came with home-made biscuits, one oat and one cheese and seeds. I got all of the cheesy ones (there was a risk for Parmesan) and they were lovely.The food was great, but what really made our evening was the warm welcome we received. Everyone we spoke to were friendly and made us feel very much at home. edinburghfoody.com

  December 13, 2014, 12:37 pm

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• The Edinburgers

  Now, not one to miss out on a good offer, I spotted a fantastic deal on Itison for Malmaison Edinburgh it was purchased and set aside for a rainy day. That rainy day appeared last Sunday, we had had a fantastic Saturday at Foodies and wanted to continue the fantastic food into Sunday. A table for 2 was booked and off we went.Weve eaten in the Malmaison before, their Big Sunday Lunch is something not to be missed. The dark wood and cosy lighting makes it no better place to be when the rain is bouncing of the ground. The offer was 2 Classic Malmaison Burgers, fries and relish plus a glass of wine or a schooner of beer each. We arrived, looking a little disheveled thanks to the wind and rain and were quickly shown to our table by a friendly face. Jackets hung up, drinks ordered and it was time to make our choice. The main was chosen for us but the hard bit was starters or dessert. We opted for olives to nibble on whilst waiting, the burger and then dessert. edinburgers.co.uk

  November 15, 2014, 9:22 pm

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