OK let’s begin with a signature dish; devilled ox liver, onions, bacon, mushrooms, toast. Now that, for £4.50, is why The Dogs has been my default go-to restaurant in Edinburgh since it was opened by Dave Ramsden about 7 years ago.
The decor is sort of shabby chic and the atmosphere extremely chilled with good music and a light, airy atmosphere.
Next up: roast market fish in langoustine shell broth, squid, mussels, confit potatoes for a mere £14.95 washed down with a bottle of House Wine for £17.40.
The menu specialises in slow-cooked, cheaper meat cuts like beef shin or cheek. By the time Ramsden is done with them, these cheaper cuts are better than the far more expensive sirloins and fillets they compete with elsewhere. Unctuously juicy and paired with local produce these dishes are to die for.
A roast belly of pork on black pudding and butter beans has become a staple in our home having first tried it at The Dogs.
Ramsden takes Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as an inspiration. That’s a good reference point in my book.
And the name? Well, I assume it’s a contraction of a description of the food as the dog’s Boll***s, but if not it’s because throughout the restaurant are dog-inspired artworks like the gorgeous photo behind the main bar.
Feast for less. You’ll thank me.
