Tickets are on sale for MILK Cafe’s Autumn Dining Event, which will include cosy cocktails round their fire pit

We don’t like to think about the nights drawing in.

However, at least MILK cafe’s Autumn Three Course Dinner, on Friday October 8, from 7pm, is giving us something to look forward to when summer ends. Although MILK have various venues in Edinburgh, including the original 11-year-old branch on Morrison Street and a kiosk in Inverleith Park, this event will be taking place at their Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop Cafe. It has windows that look out onto their courtyard, where there will be a fire pit for those who want to sit outside.

“The space is very bright and airy in the daytime. In the evening it is very atmospheric, as we have lamps and lots of candles and blankets to make it cosy”, says Sam Stevens, director, founder and chef at MILK Cafes.

The meal, which has a Middle Eastern/fusion influence, costs £30pp.

“This time of the year is really good for food as everything is ripe and ready. The menu is quite vegetable-focused and there will also be a vegan option available,” says Stevens. “We source our meat from Campbells and our vegetables from Mark Murphy. We’re also using a few foraged ingredients, including the elderberry and garden salad which are home grown in my own garden.”

It will kick off with a cocktail - the autumn berry tequila shrub.

For starters, there’s the vegan option of roasted cauliflower, buckwheat, thyme and truffle oil, or smoked duck with rosemary and anise pickled grapes. For the main course, go for cider roasted chicken with pickled grapes; slow roast pork belly with plum and a rather unusual sounding sumac kimchi, or a vegetarian course of halloumi, zaalouk (an aubergine and tomato salad) and spelt. These come with a choice of two sides - garden salad or rosemary and fennel roast potatoes. Pudding is the extremely autumnal sounding spiced ginger cake with salted caramel poached pear or the boozy gin and elderberry bakewell tart. Dietary requirements can be catered for and there will also be a curated wine list from local wine merchants, L’Art du Vin.

21 Hawthornvale, www.cafemilk.co.uk