The Magnum Bar & Restaurant (New Town)

• We came back later for dinner when it was cold outside but warm and cosy inside
• Especially as all the cute window lights were switched on
• My starter was a lovely Asian beef
• Fennel and coriander salad with thinly sliced
• Seared beef on a crispy salad with a sweet plum glaze
• The aniseed flavour of fennel works well with the deep flavour of beef and the veg was fresh and crunchy
• Had the crab gazpacho with avocado cream
• I was tempted by the aubergine and pine nut involtini (roullades) with passata and mozarella
• As well as the pan fried sea bass but went for the chargrilled beef fillet with potato dauphinoise and horse radish and garlic butter
• The dauphinoise was presented as a tidy stack of thin slices of creamy potato with a crispy top
• Everything on my plate was lovely but the steak shone
• My glam comp enjoyed guinea fowl supreme with smokey bacon risotto and green beans
• Eating with someone who wholeheartedly enjoys food is a pleasure
• Caramel and chocolate just goes and the velvety texture of the mousse was fab with the smooth caramel
• Then there was the cheese board
• I disappoint myself whenever I leave food but there was just too much on the board for us to finish
• The cheese was served with oat cakes
• People of all ages were meeting up for food and drinks
• The guy who was serving us was lovely and was attentive throughout the whole evening
• The bar was very busy but the eating area is a little away from the bar so we didn't feel we were sat in an overcrowded bar
• The Magnum is more than just your average 'pub'
• Dessert hot chocolate pudding was just amazing
• Especially as everything I ordered was my 'comfort food' needed in a Scottish winter
• In the case of The Magnum our decision to go was based on an invitation from their PR people
• What I will say is that I enjoyed this visit to The Magnum more than the last one
• D previously caught them at the height of a serious fad for using microherbs with everything which unbalanced their dishes
• The duck wellington I sampled on this occasion was an outstanding dish that will live long in the memory
• Their wine list was impressively good with an excellent selection of wines by the glass
• S reviews for a good while now so it was with great pleasure that I accepted his invitation to dinner at The Magnum
• Perused the menu with a good five options for starters
• The beetroot gravadlax was delicately flavoured and went extremely well with the horseradish crè
• The pumpernickel bread was quite strong and tended to dominate
• This was lovely and juicy and worked well with the French cabernet sauvignon
• A good strong espresso finished off the meal and we were ready to head out into the wintry Edinburgh evening
• The wines selected by The Magnum throughout the evening were a definite highlight of this most enjoyable midweek visit
• We've only ever been to the Magnum for a drink so when we were invited along to try some of their food
• Beef and game served up in traditional ways but with a modern twist
• We now rarely eat in the same place more than once (excluding home) and are on a mission to find the best Edinburgh has to offer
• My knowledge of The Magnum was fairly limited
• I knew roughly where it was and was certain I could locate it without referring to my phone (I was wrong
• She was filled with glee when she saw the menu and realised this was no ordinary pub grub
• Within moments of holding the menu my eyes were drawn to cheesecake
• My dining partner felt things were moving too quickly
• EdinBloggette was going to start with Smoked Salmon and I was intrigued by the Goats Cheese Mousse
• The Salmon was sliced to perfection and sublimely smoked
• I visited briefly and could see exactly why she was enjoying it so much
• The parsnip crisps offered up a little crunch and the horseradish cream provided a subtle warmth to ensure every mouthful was a whole new adventure
• Also there was goats cheese in the mix so this was bound to end well
• The goats cheese was scattered around the garden on my plate
• It was a visual feast and one that I was incredibly excited about
• I've always wanted to eat a cloud of cheese and was finally getting around to doing it
• When accompanied with the balsamic drizzle it became even more exciting
• I'm a beetroot beginner and I assumed it was always purple
• Starters were a success and we were eagerly anticipating our main courses
• The Venison was served alongside a square of dauphinoise potatoes
• EdinBloggette was over the moon with it
• Announcing that it was superbly cooked
• EdinBloggette was certain she made the right choice and I'm sure I saw a look of relief when I didn't want to try more of the venison
• The dauphinoise potatoes were a great accompaniment
• Especially good with a little of the juice from the venison
• It arrived a touch under medium and was all the better for it
• The hand cut chips were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside
• The tomatoes bursted with flavour and were a lovely contrast to the slightly charred steak
• The cranachan cheesecake was so light and fluffy
• The combination of hot pudding and cold ice cream was a real treat
• The smaller half of EdinBlogger was now at full capacity so the larger half* had to step in to and finish every last bite (what a delight)
• We'd eaten an awful lot and mathematics was no longer appropriate
• The Magnum prepared six dishes which were loaded with flavour
• The service was spot on and food exceeded both of our expectations
• This is clearly a restaurant with a passion for food
• Just because it is a local bar and restaurant to go to
• 10/10 times it is not my choice
• Whether it is just for evening drinks with a group
• Once I was recommended haggis so I ordered it with their mash
• There was considerable jealousy when I was invited to visit Magnum and enjoy a complimentary dinner with my besty
• The rest of the team thought it was rather unfair and I was depriving them of a great opportunity
• It turns out was very silly of me
• As we turned the corner we realised that the restaurant was much bigger than it first looks and as we went in the door we found ourselves in a nice comfortable bar
• So it was good to see how friendly and relaxed the staff were with all the customers
• The bar is child friendly and judging by the regular who appeared with his spaniel
• It was a nice laid back environment that was very welcoming and much nicer than some of the pretentious wine bars you get a little closer to Princes Street
• Considering The Magnum is five minutes from the shops
• We got up and said we were booked in and were shown to our table
• Again the friendly staff were lovely and rather efficient
• The smoked salmon starter was a generous size and the dill pancakes were perfectly soft
• The horseradish cream was a perfect accompaniment
• The parsnip crisps on their own are worth a mention and were a delicious garnish to the dish
• The carpaccio of duck starter was again generous
• With slices of perfectly pink duck breast all with a slightly spicy crust
• The orange dressing was initially concerning
• I worried that we were delving into a retro eighties
• No instead it was again very well balanced to the spice and succulence of the duck
• I am starting to think at this point that the chef has a pretty good idea what they are doing with all these flavours
• We were asked if we enjoyed our starter as the very empty plates were cleared away
• Whilst we sat waiting for our main course we looked enviously at the battered haddock that a neighbouring table were tucking into
• It was nice to see the flexibility that the bar menu was served through in the restaurant
• The venison was cooked exactly to our order and because my fussy friend doesn't like mushrooms
• The potatoes had a rich creaminess and again a good balance of flavour with the garlic so as to not be overpowering
• The rib eye was a generous size
• During the meal the ever attentive staff checked we were happy (which we very much were) and I noticed that they did so with all the other customers
• The dessert menu was just too tempting
• Peer pressure and the option of a sticky toffee pudding was just too much for my brains feeble protestations
• Served warm it was a beautiful contrast of salted caramel
• The Cranachan cheesecake was a gorgeous twist on the Scottish classic
• The smooth creaminess of the cheesecake was slightly flavoured with honey and served as the perfect backdrop to the Raspberry compote on top
• The kitchen brigade are clearly a talented bunch and make good use of blending flavours beautifully
• As well as being friendly are very efficient with service smooth and well timed
• When it comes to counting out the pennies the restaurant menu is well priced for what I would expect for a decent meal in Edinburgh at between £
• 35 for three courses and the meal we had was easily worth that price
• The sweetness of the gazpacho was enhanced by the crunch and warmth from the green peppers
• The delicate meat was delicious alongside the chilled soup
• The Magnum is quite honestly a loving little place for a meal
• The service was very friendly from the moment we walked through the doors
• The food itself was pretty wonderful
• I ended up switching my starer with my partner
• So I started off with the haggis
• Yes the starters and main course were lovely but The Magnum are winner when it comes to desserts
• Even though this was a few months back
• The few tables available on the street outside are an amazing sun trap
• The Magnum is a great little New Town pub and the menu is slightly fancier than you might expect from a such a relaxed venue
• S also great value for money with 3 courses coming in at £
• The Magnum is a nice venue and seemed bigger on the inside than it appeared on outside and is serenely decorated
• One of my colleagues had dithered on whether to get the burger as she was worried it would be big so asked the waitress for advice
• She tried to describe it as best as possible to help her make a decision
• That intrigue was now completely focused on the food
• My opening act was a rather enticing carpaccio of spiced duck with pickled fennel
• The sweetness of the lightly smoked meat was offset by the delicate acidity from the fennel with the presence of the cauliflower contributing an earthy note
• The shards of crispy skin were inspired and added a degree of seasoning while the dots of balsamic reduction contributed another well tuned layer of flavour
• Only a touch of good sea salt was needed to turn this dish into a real stunner
• I tryed cheesecake and another dessert and they were stupendous
• The atmosphere is great and the staff is very kind
• The warm and cozy atmosphere was a welcome respite from the cold and wet
• Oyster and clams to start in the best way together with two glass of prosecco rose'

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