ZINC Restaurant
ZINC Restaurant
ZINC
Ocean Terminal
Victoria Dock
Leith
Edinburgh
0870 333 4333
The brand new �120 million leisure resort, at Leith Docks, designed like an ocean liner and aptly named Ocean Terminal, opened in October, 2001. Apart from leading high street stores, such as Debenhams and Bhs and numerous retail units, selling designer clothes, jewellery, perfume and shoes, there is a 12 screen cinema and the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Sir Terence Conran and his team of architects, CD partnership designed the entire project and following restaurant successes in London, Paris and New York with Bibendum, Mezzo, Quaglino's, here he has opened the Zinc Bar & Grill, the first Conran restaurant in Scotland.
Zinc is up the escalator on the first floor of Ocean Terminal, rather hidden within this vast shopping mall. Immediately inside is a gleaming, long chrome bar, where we sat on stools surveying the scene for a pre-lunch aperitif and to wait for a table at the window.
On a Tuesday lunchtime, the restaurant was very busy. Two women were enjoying a gin and tonic as they could not find their car in the car park but they seemed happy enough to have come back to the Zinc bar.
There is also colourful cube-like seating for a leisurely drink on the other side of the bar. The tables are carefully positioned beside the vast picture window, with an outdoor terrace for warm days, offering an open view of the docks, the Forth and of the Royal Yacht Britannia, moored alongside the pier.
The name Grill reflects its aim to serve freshly prepared food to order. The menu is extremely sensible with a list of steaks, burgers, lamb, chicken, sole, salmon and tuna which can be grilled the way you wish, with or without oils and with your choice of sauce, from peppercorn to yoghurt, mustard to chilli.
Beforehand there is a small selection of starters - soup, Turkish bread and dips and salads. I chose the smoked haddock and spinach fishcake, which sounded intriguing and tasty which it was. My partner took the crispy duck which he thought was OK but not seasoned enough.
I moved on to linguine with wild mushroom. Not a good choice. The chef obviously is not a pasta fan for this was just a mound of dry pasta with some mushrooms thrown on top and quite inedible. I swapped this for grilled vegetables with feta and cous-cous. A colourful mix of aubergines, peppers, garlic, red onion it was a delicious combination.
My partner chose a veal cutlet, grilled to order, served with chips and a rocket salad. A feast in itself. While admiring the "ocean" view we sipped a very crisp dry Chablis which was perfect.
A deep breath and then pudding. A perfect lemon tart just as the Parisians make it and a creme brulee. A double espresso each and we were ready to face a spot of retail therapy around Ocean Terminal.
The bill: starters �5, mains � 8-�15, pudding � 3.50, coffee �1.50
Wines from � 10.50 a bottle.
~ Vivien Devlin
(8/11/01)