REVIEW : The Clock on the Shore, Leith

The Clock on the Shore has been around for as long as I can remember (that’s over 10 years). It’s always been called The Clock but has undergone a few interior refreshments along the way. I can remember when this was the place to get a great fried egg sammie or fabulous lunch time rolls or subs.

I went along with TartanSpoonie, Lotte to try out their breakfasts/brunches and we were in for a pleasant surprise.

THE CLOCK ON THE SHORE LEITH EDINBURGH

The place has undergone a wee refurb since I last visited, easy 5 years ago. They now have a smaller counter and booths for seating and high chair communal table area. It could easily sit up to 25.

It’s most definitely not a bistro and I’d say it just sits on the edge of being a cafe but most certainly isn’t a greasy spoon (in a good way). It is small but the interior is lovely and the staff are outrageously welcoming.

The staff really make this place and you can feel the love that they have for food, hospitality and people. They have a wonderful knack of making you feel instantly welcome, a welcome as if you are being welcomed into someones home. You instantly feel at ease and the banter and laughter commences straight away.

We were here to try out breakfast. The Clock prides themselves on the fact that they are one of the very few places that serve up a traditional Scottish breakfast. No Full English here.

They use local produce from Scottish suppliers and you’ll find breakfast dishes like Loch Fyne Smoked Salmon and scrambled eggs; Border Free-range Eggs Benedict; Scottish Breakfast Wrap and Scott’s Porridge Oats. They also offer Morning Rolls and Lighter Breakfasts such as granola.

We went all in and opted for the full Scottish breakfasts.

I chose the Scottish Breakfast which consists of two rashers of bacon, 2 link sausages, lorne sausage, 2 fried eggs, haggis, beans and toast. I dont like lorne sausage so I swopped these out for hash browns. (£8.95)

All the ingredients were good quality, and cooked fresh. The only thing was the link sausages were a wee bit overdone but still quite juicy on the inside. I still ate them though as they went well dooked in the runny egg yolks.

Lotte opted for the Macsween Vegetarian Breakfast with potato waffle with cheese, potato scone, hash brown, 2 veggie sausages, mushrooms, MacSween vegetarian haggis, fried egg, beans and toast (£8.95)

The vegetarian breakfast was just as good as the Full Scottish but the only weird combo was the waffle with cheese. A bit odd as it was literally a potato waffle with some grated cheddar sprinkled over the top. Expectations when reading the menu were set higher than that. Lotte, did say that it tasted fine though and couldn’t really complain about it. The veggie haggis was the triumph on this plate, well seasoned and spiced, quite crumbly but with a lovely flavour. There were also no mushrooms available, but they did offer to replace this with anything else of Lotte’s choice.

To drink we chose a tea and a coffee.

The Clock on the Shore is a super place for breakfast/brunch. Their prices are very reasonable and great value for the amount of food you get on your plate. When we visited the place was busy with tourists no doubt staying in one of the many Air BnB’s around the Shore and a group who were off to catch the 35 bus up the Royal Mile - called out on leaving ‘we’ll be back tomorrow morning for more breakfast!’. That says it all really.

The Clock is open until 5pm not only serving breakfasts but lunches and a selection of Greek pastries and dishes too.

The Clock on the Shore, 25 The Shore, Edinburgh, EH6 6QN. Tel : 0131 4997111 www.theclock.one

My Spoon Award : Silver 8/10