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| Quality of service | 6.3/10  |
|---|---|
| Quality of food | 7/10 |
| Value for Money | 6.3/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 6.3/10 |
| Overall Rating | 6/10  |
By Groovee
on 14th Mar 2004
| Average cost per head | £10 - £25 |
|---|---|
| How often do you eat here? | Once or twice a year |
| Atmosphere | Romantic/Couples |
| Quality of service | 6/10 |
| Quality of food | 10/10 |
| Value for money | 9/10 |
| Overall value | 8/10 |
 Groovee's recommendation | |
Gorgeous food, lovely atmosphere
expensive, can get busy
Mackenzies Restaurant is set in a cottage-style house and is in the heart of Colinton Village near Redford Barracks. You go right into the village and just opposite the traffic lights, there is a row of shops and MacKenzies is right at the top!
MacKenzies is named after Henry Mackenzie who is was the Edinburgh-born writer and lawyer who lived in the cottage next to the restaurant!
The restaurant is a brightly yet dimly lit restaurant! As you go in the door, there is a smallish type Bar from which the drinks are served. You are greeted here by the staff who then show you to your table. There are 2 parts to the restaurant. The front part which has around 7 tables all varying from tables for 2, 3 4, even 8 people. You can go through to the back area too. There are around 8 tables through here. The tables are moved regularly to accommodate large parties who are welcome too. Last night there was a table for 13 through the back. The tables have the usual white table cloths and have little tealights for the candle in the middle. The atmopshere can be a romantic one when it is not too busy. For Christmas there were Crackers and Little Christmas Trees on the tables!
There is an entrance to another area from both sections and this is a staff-only door and the toilet door. The toilets are down a long corridor where the coats are kept, the Gentlemen's is first and then the ladies. Hubs said the men's was clean but that was it! The Ladies has 2 cubicles which are spotless. They have 2 sinks too and posh handwash! I can't remember what kind it was, but it was posher than you normally get. There is a paper towel dispenser typical to an American one. But the bucket was quite full of the towels, so maybe they should invest in a bigger one.
The menu in Mackenzies depends on when you visit. Last night they were doing a Christmas Menu for £25.95 per person. This included a starter, Main Course, Pudding, and coffee and mince pies and little oranges. The choices were a wide variety and there was melon, wild mushroom tartlet, soup and Salmon. The main courses included Fillets of Lemon Sole, Traditional Turkey and trimings, Duckling done in a honey and orange jus, steak and A vegetable option which I can't remember now. All Main courses were served with boiled new potatoes and a selection of vegetables such as baby sweetcorn, carrots, mange Tout, swede and greenbeans. The puddings were Banoffi Pie, Christmas Pudding and a Brandy cup filled with fruit.
Hubs and I chose to Start with melon. It was the Ogen Melon which has been cut into a fan and filled with fresh strawberries and a strawberry sorbet. It was a just right for not filling you starter and was so fresh and lovely! The Sorbet was slightly strong though. My Gran had the Roasted pepper and Basil soup which she said was lovely.
My gran had the Lemon Sole which came served in a white kind of sauce with prawns. She said it was very succlent. The turkey was thickly sliced and plentiful and the stuffing was beautiful, and tasted just right without a strong taste. Hubs had the Duckling and said it was just scrumptious!
The banoffi Pie lived up to the usual expectations with fresh banana and toffee! The brandy cup was filled with a lovely variety of fresh fruit and my gran said she just loved it!
Other menu's which they have available usually, are a light Lunch menu which is available obviously at lunch time. This is a good selection of courses suitable for lunchtime. Not for someone wanting a small lunch though. For 2 courses it is £9.50 and £11.50 for 3 courses. This includes a glass of wine or soft drink!
The supper menu is a bit more exclusive and for 2 courses is £12.95 or £14.95 for 3 courses. After Dinner Mints and Coffee are £1.45 extra!
The dinner menu is a a fabulous choice and for £19.95 a 3 course meal. Coffee and mints are extra as before at £1.45.
The last time we were there they did their A'la Carte menu which had a lovely range of choices and their Melon stuffed with melon balls and prawns was just fabulous! I can't wait to go back sometime and have that again.
The staff seem to be quite young, possibly of school age and last night there were 2 young girls on who kept stopping for chats in the kitchen door and wandering about completely ignoring the fact that we were finished. We waited 40 minutes before managing to catch someone's attention to ask for the bill! Just as well we were not in a hurry! I'm not sure if it was because they were busy last night and there weren't enough staff on to cope with the number of people in the restaurant as the last time we visited the restaurant was fairly quiet and there was plenty of attention to ensure that everything was to our satisfaction. There is also an older man who deals with all the drinks and when it gets busy comes and checks how things are going and clears tables while serving food as well!
The restaurant does have a lovely atmosphere, and we will go back. The problem with December birthdays are you always have to put up with the Christmas spirit which is going on at the same time. The Restaurant doesn't make you feel rushed and does give you time before taking your order as well as having a good rest in between courses. It's definitely worth a visit if you are in Edinburgh, but I do advise you to book beforehand.
Check out www.mackenzies.uk. com, yes that is the correct address, for more information.
Contact details are:
MacKenzies Restaurant
2 - 4 Bridge Rd,
Colinton,
Edinburgh.
EH13 0LF
Tel: 0131 441 2587
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