The Lost Sock Diner
The Lost Sock Diner
The Lost Sock Diner
11 East London Street,
Edinburgh,
EH7 4BN,
Tel: (0131) 557 6097
Fax: (0131) 478 7254
If ever an institution deserved a hallowed place in the heart of the community who use it most, it’s Edinburgh’s legendary Sunday morning hangover hangout, the Lost Sock Diner.
Arguably, the only eaterie in the country with its own launderette (the Sundial) on site, the Lost Sock has, over the course of many a blow-out, become more than just a place to wash the weekend’s excesses out of your latest party clothes.
It’s a friend, a brother, a sister, a mother, and a place of worship for those who like to watch the world go by and their smalls go round while tucking into a breakfast fit for a king.
Conveniently located on the corner of East London Street, directly across from hip and happenin’ venue Cafe Graffiti, the Lost Sock is certainly still the place for lost souls.
But, more recently, it has developed a reputation for being a great evening venue in its own right, offering excellent food and wine for those starting the night rather than ending it.
And, in a commendable move, it makes no attempt to go upmarket and cash in on its trendy locale (around the corner from Saturday night’s "place to be", Broughton Street), by holing up its portal to that other dimension of tumble dryers, polystyrene cups and soap powder.
In fact, if anything, the luxury of being able to eat, drink and get merry before walking out the door with your freshly cleaned togs is a positive boon and a major feature of the Lost Sock’s appeal.
And, of course, the great food.
The evening menu includes pan-fried chicken, asparagus and broccoli filos and sirloin in saut�ed mushroom sauce with a selection of rice and vegetables (all around �7). There is an extensive wine list and some great bottled beers including the recently arrived Belgian classic Hoegaarden.
The all-day menu includes some good combo versions of the familiar burger, sandwich and baked potato options and there’s also a range of tasty New York-style bread wraps (around �3) with a wide choice of fillings.
But, of course, it hasn’t lost its place as "king of the caffs", with its "Full Monty" breakfast (a very reasonable �4) featuring all the usual egg, bacon, sausage and tomato suspects with the marvellous veggie version, as you’d expect in this part of town, a big hit a �3.50.
Four wide-screen TVs arranged in one big windowed square ensure you won’t miss a thing going on in the outside world (or on MTV and Sky Sports at least) while you ponder over whether to put another pound in the dryer and have another drink.
You might, sure enough, lose a sock but you’ll certainly find more than you bargained for.
- Peter Murphy
