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Edinburgh: Mussel Inn Seafood Restaurant

61-65 Rose St, , Phone: 0131 225 5979
www.mussel-inn.com/edinburgh.asp
Closing day: none

Reviewed by: Tourmama from USA, review #3300

When: 2009

Fresh seafood in an informal bistro setting at a moderate price.

Directions: On Rose St. near Frederick St., a block above Princes St.

We ate both at the Edinburgh locations of Mussel Inn and at the sister restaurant in Glasgow. Its specialty, as the name implies, is fresh, sustainably raised mussels, offered in kilo and half kilo servings with a variety of flavorings. But other seafood dishes are offered as well.

On our first visit to Mussel Inn (at 157 Hope St. in Glasgow), I ordered pan fried king scallops with a tomato Parmesan risotto, with creme fraiche and basil. The serving was very generous, the scallops were perfectly cooked, sweet and flavorful, and the accompanying risotto was perfection. Bill ordered skewered king scallops wrapped in pancetta, served on a bed of sauteed new potatoes, red peppers and spinach, with a yellow bell pepper sauce - again, the scallops were succulent, the vegetables perfectly cooked, and the presentation had a great visual appeal as well. We shared a small mixed green salad and a light and flavorful dessert of rose flavoured summer fruit jelly with elderflower parfait and a coulis of red fruits. With cider for me and a wonderful heather ale for Bill, our bill came to about GBP40.

At the Edinburgh restaurant, Bill started with a small bowl of cream of celery soup, followed by a 1/2 kilo of mussels cooked with leeks, Dijon mustard and cream; I chose the shellfish pasta, a generous serving of fettucini with a rich seafood cream sauce, served with mussels, queen scallops, shrimp and crayfish. Bill had white wine, I had hard cider again, and we were too full for dessert; our meal came to GPB28.

The Edinburgh location is on a charming pedestrian street; it has seating both inside and out, and was very busy the night we were there (of course, we were there during the popular Edinburgh Festival, when there are huge crowds everywhere). It was almost full when we arrived on a Monday night around 6 pm, and when we left close to 8 pm there was a crowd waiting outside to be seated. It is justifiably popular - good food, reasonable prices, good service. But not the place to go if you are hoping for a quiet tete-a-tete!

The Glasgow location is larger, tables are spaced further apart, and it seemed much more subdued than its Edinburgh counterpart. But the food is every bit as good, as is the service, and the ambiance is perhaps a little more relaxed and relaxing. At both, you can be assured of a good meal.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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Edinburgh: Mussel Inn Seafood Restaurant

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