Bistro du Vin – prix fixe autumn menu

French comfort food, a well-priced prix fixe menu and an atmospheric Old Town setting make Bistro du Vin an appealing choice for a pre-theatre supper or relaxed evening in Edinburgh.

It’s a slightly chilly autumn evening as my fiancé Andrew and I wander down Bristo Place. I’ve been in Edinburgh nine years now but this is my first time visiting Bistro du Vin, and so, turning into the fairy-lit entranceway, I’m keen to try the French-inspired restaurant.

Part of Hotel du Vin and located in a former poorhouse and asylum dating back to the 1700s, the restaurant’s wooden ceiling beams, dark leather chairs, vintage art and stonework make it feel like it’s woven into the fabric of the Old Town. Given its name, which translates as “wine bistro”, there’s also a mezzanine level featuring a veritable library of bottles – something I’m keen to explore on another visit (various pairings catch my eye).

This time, the focus is on the prix fixe menu – two courses for £24.95 and three for £29.95. I’ve added on a glass of wine (£3.50 extra) – an Italian pinot grigio – although in hindsight, perhaps I should have chosen a French option to stick with the evening’s theme. A viognier maybe, or a beaujolais.

Andrew beats me to the Champignons Sautés (sautéed wild mushrooms, Madeira sauce and toasted sourdough), but the Saumon Fumé (oak-smoked salmon, treacle soda bread and fromage blanc) gets the nod from me.

Andrew’s main dish is Cod with curried cauliflower purée, while my Chicken Breast, wild mushrooms, burnt leeks and chicken velouté doesn’t last long. Dessert is Crème Brûlée, with its deliciously crisp caramelised sugar crust, which Andrew describes as “simple and always worth it”. I love a dry Vodka Martini and, given this isn’t my usual hipster cocktail bar, it certainly meets expectations.

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The food arrives promptly without ever feeling rushed – a bonus if you’re dining before a show – yet the pace remains leisurely enough after a day exploring the city before heading up to your hotel room. The dishes themselves are reassuring rather than revolutionary: generous, flavoursome and made with quality ingredients, with the emphasis on execution rather than pared-back versions of à la carte favourites. Sitting by the window at our table for two, it’s been a pleasant evening with good food, good wine and, dare I say it, given my obvious bias, good company.

Contact details 11 Bristo Place, Edinburgh EH1 1EZ 0131 247 4900

hotelduvin.com/locations/edinburgh/bistro

Opening hours (prix fixe menu)

Monday to Sunday: 5pm to 7pm