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posted on Monday 2 July 2012 @ 18:18 by Unknown

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Posh scran @ Michael Neave's Kitchen & Whisky Bar
Newly opened in May of this year, Michael Neave's is tucked away down Old Fishmarket Close. Hidden from the madness of the Mile, it has an exclusive, but not snobbish feel to it. Michael himself is just 21, but has several years of experience under his belt, working at The Bonham and most recently, Amber Restaurant (Part of the Scotch Whisky Experience), which explains the fondness for whisky, which features as an ingredient in a fair few dishes.

I visited Michael's with my family to celebrate my graduation, which was on a Wednesday, so it was pretty quiet, but did not detract from the experience in any way. We were welcomed in by Brian, our impeccably-dressed (and Irish, yum) Maître D', who sat us in the bright and fresh whisky bar, where he and the barman, Kostas, swooped around us taking coats and a drinks order. Our table was ready for us, but they didn't rush us to sit down, allowing us to relax and peruse the menu in the comfort of the bar. After champagne bottle number 1 was empty, we descended the stairs to the restaurant. At first, I was worried we were headed down to a dingy basement, but upon rounding the corner we were greeted with a moderately sized restaurant with large, high windows, decorated with crisp, light-teal walls and simply set tables. After ordering another bottle of wine (special occasion and all that), Brian took our order, playfully mocking or approving our choices.

The main event...the food. My God. The food was incredible. Although everything was amazing, I don't want to bore you with descriptions with who had what, so will just take you on a journey of my particular highlights. To start with, the quail's breast – a perfectly sized portion for a starter, cooked medium-rare and served with poached pears. For main course, the stand out meal was the duck - slow roasted, tender and rich, with a potato rosti (mmmmmmmmm) and orange sauce. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so usually go nuts over a starter and main, and am very upset when I can't fit in dessert, but at Michael's the portions are so perfect that I was (just) able to manage a chocolate and orange mousse, and I am so glad that I did. Melty, chocolatey but light enough to not be sickly, this mousse was, for me, the best part of the meal. Once we'd finished, Michael arrived at the and introduced himself to us, asking if we'd enjoyed the meal, and giving us the banter.

All in all, a wonderful meal. If you're looking for some upmarket, but not stuffy and pretentious, scran, you should definitely check it out. Since I visited, they've added a fixed price lunch menu, which looks like excellent value considering the quality of food, otherwise, their dinner/a-la-carte menu can be pricey (considering I'm a student), although no more than you'd pay on George Street or a big name high street restaurant, so you should all head there as soon as you have an occasion or excuse to go! 

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