On a recent visit to Edinburgh, I took the opportunity of meeting up with friends I have known since we counted our age in single figures. That is far longer than any of us need admit to. We needed somewhere central so that everybody could get there easily. As I was getting a train out of the city about 5pm, we chose The Booking Office which is a Wetherspoons bar and bistro near the Waverley Station, the main railway station in Edinburgh, Scotland.
We met in the mid afternoon, and I thought the place would be relatively quiet. How wrong I was! As The Booking Office is so very near the station, it was extrememly busy. We did manage to get a table, but only because we grabbed it when other people left. However, the bar was well staffed. People ordered hot and cold drinks as well as food at the bar and an army of staff were kept busy serving the drinks at the bar and delivering the food to the tables.
The Booking Office had a lively atmosphere and, as it was so busy, tables would have benefitted from being cleaned more frequently and more thoroughly. This was true of the restrooms too. However, there is good disabled access and service was quick. I was not particularly impressed by The Booking Office, however, as it is so inexpensive and conveniently situated, I may well use it again.
Valerie Penny
Our nephew recommended the haggis tower starter to my husband. It was a good shout as he enjoyed it very much. I chose from the vegetarian menu. The vegetables tempura were delicious. Throughout the meal red and white wine, beer and cider all flowed freely. John and Lesley were very generous hosts. Also, the service at Scott’s was excellent. We had a dedicated server taking our orders and ensuring all was well. It was lovely to feel so valued. We had the long table, by the window, at the top of this photo.
I cannot blame him for wanting to share my maincourse, though. I had chosen the vegetables fajitas which arrived sizzling to the table. They were served with sour crea, cheese and a chilli sauce. It was very tasty, but there was no way that I would manage to finish the four pancakes offered. My husband chose the ribeye steak. It was large and cooked exactly as he had asked. His steak was served with onion rings, mushrooms and grilled tomatoes. This was a big success. (Our nehew had no chance!)
It is amazing to admit that we made it to desserts and coffee, but we did. My husband chose a selections of icecreams. The quality of the icecream was excellent and left him a little space to “help” me with my chocolate brownie. The bownie was tasty, but, to my taste, slightly dryer than I would have liked. The selection of coffees was wide and included decaffinated choices.
My husband and I had arranged to meet friends for dinner at Oscar’s Cafe, Bar and Restaurant at The Esplanade, Saltcoats, Scotland but they were unable to make the date. However, as we had been looking forward to the evening, we decided to go anyway. What a fun evening!
Val Penny's Hotel and Restaurant Reviews 