I expected a hearty dose of good food when we spent some time recently in Scotland.  And nothing could’ve been more satisfying than our first night’s dinner at the highly recommended Makar’s Gourmet Mash Bar Company.  Sitting atop The Mound between Old Town and New Town, this cozy spot gives you beautiful views of the city, especially at sunset.  The GMB fulfills all of my checklist items in a new eatery:  craft beer/cocktails, locally sourced ingredients, regional cuisine, great service and an un-fussy atmosphere.

Seating no more than 50 people, this shotgun-style eatery was busy on a Tuesday evening.  Our attentive server shared a few recommendations and quickly took orders for our local beer and wine selections.  We perused the menu of inventive combinations of rosti’s (a potato fritter stacked with meat and vegetables) and mains with varying selections of mash.  The aromas wafting in the dining room had our heads turning every time a new dish was brought out!  Given the wide selection of delicious mashes, we all settled on one combination.

The confit duck with orange marmalade glaze on traditional butter/cream mash was crispy, tender and just sweet enough.  The wild boar sausages were some of the finest I’ve ever had.  Robust with herbs and spices, I still could appreciate the perkiness of the boar.  These guys are experts at braising!  The ox cheek and lamb shank were rich, tender and decadent like a holiday dinner at your grandmother’s house.  All of these we ordered with the Scottish cheddar/chive mash which was over-the-top indulgent.

We honestly couldn’t have chosen a better place or felt more welcomed on our first night in Edinburgh.  I highly recommend making this a stop on your next trip to the area – and make a reservation for their busy dining room!  Take a look at their menu, suppliers and story at gourmet-mash-bar.com.  Dig in!