REVIEW : EAT - Cafe St Honore At Home, Edinburgh
There are only 3 eateries in Scotland that have been awarded the Soil Association Organic seal of approval for their commitment to sourcing quality sustainable, organic ingredients for their menus and there is a robust framework and criteria you have to adhere to, to obtain the Food Made Good, Sustainable Restaurant Association award. Cafe St Honore has both!
I recently sampled the Cafe St Honore At Home menu and it’s clear to see why Chef Neil Forbes and Cafe St Honore have a beloved fanbase and a dedicated following.
REVIEW OF CAFE ST HONORE AT HOME, EDINBURGH
This is no fine dining, in fact its bordering rustic but the food is good and honest; organic, locally sourced, and Chef lets the ingredients sing for their supper. There are no faffy cooking or difficult instructions to follow, there is no plating up images or QR codes to scan; most of the work is done for you and it’s a matter of placing the main course in the oven, plating up the starters, cheese course and desserts, however the hell you feel like. An absolute revelation after following intricate cooking instructions for several course meals many times during lockdown.
Sourdough and Unsalted Butter
Warmed through in the oven, this was my idea of heaven, I just needed a small tub of that butter though. Chef’s famous sourdough bread with a gorgeous crust and a nice nutty chew. Can’t go wrong with this.
Cafe St Honore Duck Rillette with red onion jam, crouton and cornichons
A wholesome starter. The textures ranged from creamy to crunchy and crisp whilst the flavours were salty savoury, tangy, sweet and buttery.
Belhaven Smoked Haddock and Leek Fishcake, with organic leaves and tartare sauce.
The fishcake was dense with potato, leek and haddock. Well seasoned with a distinct homemade warming feel about it. I loved the chunky tartare with the smooth creaminess of the fishcake filling.
Cheese, oatcakes and chutney
Life is always better with cheese and this was no exception.
Salted Caramel Tart with candies nuts and creme fraiche
Absolutely freaking yum!
‘Mmmm’ was the only sound coming from me whilst eating this. All the components really complimented each other and made for the ultimate dessert bite. Superb!
Artisan Roast Coffee and Raspberry Frangipane Tart
No pics of these as we enjoyed them much later that evening but it finished the night off perfectly.
If you are looking for a no frills dinner at home OR want some good, hearty home cooked food because you just cant be bothered cooking OR you are simply a fan of Cafe St Honore, then this is the At Home menu for you. The menu changes weekly and you order in advance for a Friday or Saturday collection.
Here is a list of some of the suppliers that Chef Neil uses, just to show you is commitment to local producers and suppliers.
Skye Sea Salt
Knockraich Farm for creme fraiche
IJ Mellis Cheese
Errington Cheese
Griers Organic
Burnside Farm Foods
McSween Haggis
Belhaven Smokehouse
Ethical Shellfish
Carrolls Heritage Potatoes
Cafe St Honore At Home will continue to be available at weekends; the restaurant is now back open and you can book for lunch or dinner OR you can find Chef Neil Forbes at the Edinburgh Farmers Market on a Saturday.
Cafe St Honore At Home - £32.50pp and can be ordered here
Cafe St Honore, 34 North West Thistle Street Lane, Edinburgh, EH2 1EA. Tel : 0131 2262211 www.cafesthonore.com
My Spoon Award : Silver 8/10
I was invited by Cafe St Honore to sample their At Home menu. Food was complimentary but the views are very much my own.