Bistro Provence - Edinburgh

I was here about 2 Saturday's ago alone as I was looking around for a restaurant to eat. The only French restaurant I have ever eaten in Edinburgh is La Garrigue. The chef, waitress manager were all French which I thought was a good sign. I was expecting the same quality but unfortunately I was wrong. The managers and waitress were all very polite and well mannered. It is unfortunate that the food quality was just mediocre and average. I mistakenly chose a 3 course set meal for dinner as opposed to lunch but the manager was very kind and talked to the kitchen staff and they were willing to prepare the dinner set for me. I am unsure if the limited time to get ready the dinner food before dinner actually affected the quality of the food. If that was the case then they should have said no to me ordering the dinner during lunch. I had Baked scallops served à la Provençale as the starter. The scallops were fresh and delicately prepared but the roasted peppers that came with it tasted like they were from the jars. I had Duck legs with ratatouille, roast garlic and tapenade sauce as the main. The duck was a bit tough for a leg dark meat and seems like they were deep fried from as opposed to properly prepared French style. The worst was actually the desert. The Creme Brulee tasted like a thick custard and not a proper Creme Brulee. I judge French food by their Creme Brulee but this not Creme Brulee so it felt like I actually have nothing French to judge in this restaurant. I have been to France for food and yes, the chef is French but quality is really not up to French scratch. A bit of a let down. The only pro is that the waitress manager were very nice to me. But I eat in a restaurant for the food, not really the service. Once is enough I think.

The restaurant is located on Commercial Street and it's easily accessible by bus (22,35) or car. Parking is at the rear. It was a Thursday evening during July and we had the place for ourselves. The service was very accommodating and friendly. The restaurant looked very clean, however, my fork and other cutlery were glued to the table The room itself was very bright and airy. Every 3 months, the paintings on the walls from various artists are being exchanged for a new assortment of art pieces. We got some canapes at arrival, drinks, bread and butter. The orange juice that I got had too much ice in it and after emptying the glass of ice I got 1/3 of orange juice left. As a starter I ordered pea panna cotta and as a main duck with vegetables. The presentation, taste and quality of the food was excellent, without fault. I would have had liked more bread with the started. Coffee and biscuits were delicious too. For a 2 course dinner you pay £21 and there are also some lunch deals available . Check it out!

The Voucher Royals went out for dinner. This time a little more local : Leith. The Bistro Provence was the lucky restaurant of today 's voucher. Located on the Commercial Quay, which houses Mithas, International Starters, The Kitchen, Bond No9, Fatma and the likes. You 'd be forgiven to think this was another one in a long line of restaurants the Quay is known for : Specialist and individual and a little pricey and you 'd be correct. They specialise in hearty French Cuisine, so that means acceptable portion sizes, but still enough to be filling without getting stuffed. Their welcome was all 'Bonjour! ' and Comment ça va? which I liked and we bought into the whole Frenchy Frenchy thing they have going on. I found the place a little to brightly lit, it was cosy.. but more fit for a library than an 'intimate dinner '. Tables are place regimented throughout the restaurant. We were seated close to the conservatory windows overlooking the Scottish Government. Possibly because this was a voucher deal, we received a special set menu. Which provided ample choices. Starters and Main courses included some supplements) and desserts for an extra £5. Anita had Parmesan salsify rolls served with almond salad aioli to start and a Duck breast with ratatouille, roast garlic and a tapanade sauce £2.50 supp) I decided on the Chicken and a Duck foie gras parfait, toasted brioche and Muscat jelly and for main a Confit pork belly with Potato galette, apples and red wine sauce. We also received a complimentary cottage cheese profit and bread and butter. So far so very 'masterchef '. The foie gras parfait starter for me was light, airy and very delicate. I liked it. My main of rolled pork belly was delicious, the meat was succulent and the fatty bits ever so softly crunchy. Yum. The potato galette, though thinly sliced, felt a bit undercooked, but was also seared on the edges. OK ish. It worked well with the kale vegetable dish. I wasn 't too impressed with their presentation a little brown. No real colour variations and not very inviting. We also ordered a dessert to share. A Crème brûlée. This is a staple dessert and we both expected a good French execution of this. It came out wobbly.. there wasn 't enough 'crack ' and the inside was a little too runny. It did taste very nice, like a vanilla custard. The service was attentive, but we got the impression they were all a bit nervous. As they have just recently opened they may feel the pressure. We did get to speak to the owner/manager and he was genuinely pleased to have us in his restaurant. We decided that this place will need a revisit, as the food is delicious and the little niggly things can be addressed.

An outstandingly good new bistro on Commercial Quay, Bistro Provence is well worthy of your attention, next time you 're looking for some classic French fare. I visited at that odd time between lunch and dinner service, but found their all-day menu very accommodating. Service is as friendly as you 'll find, too. Overall, we said: Bistro Provence is a very impressive new addition to Leith 's parade of restaurant excellence. The menu radiates local freshness, and dishes are executed to a very high standard. I look forward to visiting at a more conventional hour, to sample more of the Gallic delights from their menu.

Came out here for a big family meal. I honestly can't fault a thing they accommodated all 10 of us, service was friendly and efficient. The food... Oh man. Every course was absolutely delicious. I had a pigeon breast to start, pork belly for the main and finished off with creme brûlée. All well portioned, good size, well presented and tasted fantastic. Highly recommended!