By Diana Spencer
"Would beef carpaccio and rib-eye steak be bovine overload do you think?” My dining partner asked as we perused the tempting menu at La P’tite Folie on a Saturday evening.
Possibly, but I was too distracted by trying to decide if mussels followed by king scallops would be overdoing the shellfish. In the end we resisted our initial impulses and varied our choices, mussels and venison for me, cheese soufflé and steak for him.
One of the joys of Edinburgh is being able to discover a new favourite eatery every week (cash flow allowing). I had obviously seen the beautiful ‘Tudor House’ building, but despite the inviting exterior and excellent customer reviews, had never been to La P’tite Folie. I’m so glad I have now rectified this error as it was a culinary delight that I will certainly be repeating! The mussels were plump and fresh, served in a delicious shallot, cider and camembert cream sauce; I was informed that the ‘twice baked Roquefort cheese soufflé with walnuts’ was also excellent and predictably "very cheesy”.
The loin of red deer venison was beautifully presented and served with red cabbage, greens and new potatoes in a gin and blackberry jus. It was rich, sweet and balanced, with a slight tartness from the blackberries cutting through the other strong flavours – the essence of autumn on a plate.
The ‘35 days dry-aged ribeye steak’ was served with gratin dauphinoise, wild mushrooms and tarragon jus, and although perhaps not the best steak (there are so many excellent steak restaurants in Edinburgh after all), my companion said it was one of the most perfectly flavoured meals he’d ever eaten.
The portions were generous and we were pretty stuffed, but had to sample the crème brulee, as this seems to be the standard by which all French restaurants shall be judged. We were not disappointed, the desert had the ideal proportions of creamy vanilla to slightly bitter, sweet crackly topping.
The building also houses wine bar Le Di-Vin, another new discovery for me, and the ideal place to relax and digest with a glass or two of something.
La P'tite Folie 9 Randolph Place, Edinburgh, EH2 1LH 0131 225 8678 12pm - 3pm / 6pm - 10pm (11pm Fri & Sat) / Closed Sun www.laptitefolie.co.uk
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