Fringe Binge 2015 - “Fantastic Festival Lunch at VDeep” on 11-Aug-15 at 1330

(This review was posted to Tripadvisor)

FULL DISCLOSURE - Hardeep Singh Kohli is a friend of mine so I was pre-disposed to like his new joint venue anyway. But I was very pleased to find that the food was just as wonderful as most reviews seem to suggest.

I had lunch there on 11-Aug-15 at the start of my holiday at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and a splendid way to start it was too. The place itself is a wee hike down Leith Walk (about a mile and a half) from Waverley - note that it's downhill on the way there from the centre of Edinburgh but if you're walking back to Princes Street the slope is more considerable than you might think (Top tip - take a bus).

The dining experience is very communal and, while it was quiet when I arrived at 1330, it's very busy at nights so booking is recommended. The staff I met were hugely pleasant, especially one chap who was more than happy to chat through all the craft beers they had on tap. VDeep has a phenomenal and constantly-changing rota of ales - I sampled five of them and while I can't claim they were all to my taste it was so pleasant to try a number of different flavours. Try one of the house ales - Vindabrew.

The food was brilliant. Unreservedly brilliant. I had the mutton achari, the house curry (which that day was a chicken, chick pea and coconut concoction), a chilli nan bread and white rice. The tastes were sublime - I don't recall ever having an Indian quite like that before. Not hot, but incredibly spiced and flavoured with the mutton in particular being so tender and juicy. Certainly not your average Tikka Masala ...

The dessert menu looked fascinating too but I was full so declined, choosing instead to end the meal with a suggested chocolate-flavoured IPA which was, yet again, an outstanding recommendation from the staff.

My only regret about my visit was I was on my own and had no-one to share it with.

Thoroughly recommended, and very reasonably priced too. Go there.

A fabulous Ale Sampler of three very interesting ales (the one at the far end is Vindabrew, the one nearest is a wheat beer, can't remember the middle one). Each glass is a third of a pint. Excellent idea ... 

The menu.

Far lest if a chilli nan, left is a mutton achari and right is the house curry which that day was a chicken, chick pea and coconut concoction, far right is a half-pint of another fine ale recommended by the staff (who were all very friendly and pleasant).