Battling Scotland’s December weather while trying to fit in Christmas shopping and socialising is never fun.
Edinburgh was in the clutches of Hurricane Desmond and I was effectively blown down the Royal Mile after I got off my bus.
It was fair to say I looked like a drowned rat by the time I arrived at Wedgwood The Restaurant to meet a friend for the first Christmas outing of the season.
But as a waitress took our coats and showed us to a window table, we found a warm sanctuary from the bitter weather outside.
The award-winning restaurant’s extensive wine list offers something for all tastes, but to get in the festive mood we opted for a sparkling wine.
We enjoyed some warm bread with a homemade garlic and thyme dip while we pored over the Christmas lunch menu, which offered a mix of traditional dishes as well as some more adventurous offerings.
If ever there was a day to order soup, this was it - and Dee was very complimentary about her warming bowl of butternut squash soup and pumpkin seeds, with truffle oil.
I went for the hake fishcakes, two plump spheres which had just the right crunch on the outside, with an oozing creamy filling. The hake was a welcome change from the more common seafood used in fishcakes, and it was lifted by little dollops of tangy tomato salsa and salad leaves.
The main course menu presented us with a variety of wintery goodness, including the tempting venison casserole with dumplings, and sea bream served with crab and chive risotto.
But our eyes were drawn to the turkey with all the trimmings.
This couldn’t fail to get us in the Christmas spirit - especially once our waitress handed out some crackers to pull while we waited on our next course.
The mains swiftly arrived on rectangular plates with juicy slices of roast turkey layered on top of each other, alongside a mouthwatering display of buttery mash, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, shredded red cabbage, sweet cranberry sauce, little cubes of parsnip and carrot, and of course gravy.
The obligatory sprouts were also there - but in a betrayal to our mums, they were the only thing we left on the plate.
Unfortunately not even the tastiest Christmas dinner could tempt me into eating sprouts, but the dish as a whole was a delightful way to kick off the season to eat, drink and be merry.
Wedgwood’s dessert menu left me intrigued.
In the end I decided to forgo the more traditional-sounding options and opted for the spicy parsnip creme brulee with thyme ice cream.
I cracked into the ramekin to find a fluffy mousse which, to look at, could pass for white chocolate.
And it almost tasted like it too, giving a satisfying, sweet taste without being sickly and accompanied by a big blob of ice cream decorated with a criss-cross of parsnip crisps.
It made me wonder why the vegetable isn’t used in more desserts.
Dee had opted for the chocolate and star anise mousse and scattered cherries.
She reported that the strong spiced flavour worked well with the chocolate, while the richness was complemented by the vanilla ice cream.
Again it was beautifully presented and was the antithesis of your run-of-the-mill chocolate mousse.
Wedgwood’s minimalist and chic decor, with its red and gold lampshades and sleek bar, let the food and service speak for itself.
I’ll be back.
HOW MUCH?
Wedgwood’s Christmas lunch menu: Two courses are £20; three courses are £25
