Villager in the big smoke
Villager in Edinburgh's old town has just recently been refurbished so whilst on a trip through to Auld Reekie we popped into their re-launch and then returned the next day for a spot of lunch.
Decor
Lemurs! If there's a reason to visit a bar just to see the wallpaper, then make the journey for this hah! I'm a bit biased as I do love cheeky ring tailed lemurs.
Sit and admire the wallpaper from the comfy couches where you can relax with a cocktail or simply a tea. There's traditional tables and chairs for dining as well.
Food Menu
We picked a mixture of items for sharing: Halloumi sticks, hot buffalo chicken wings and an off-menu vegan buffalo broccoli - these were served on the launch night and were offered as a lunchtime special for us and while we enjoyed them cauliflower definitely works better in this regard.
Halloumi is a favourite of ours and here were good big chunks of squeaky cheese coated in a light and crispy crumb. Served with an creamy and smooth, moreish tahini dip.
Being the gannet, and soup lover that he is, Mr Foodie also ordered the soup of the day.
A chunky lentil, pea and rosemary soup served with toast rather than bread.
Thick and chunky, the lentils and peas were not blended and there was a strong aroma of rosemary and a hearty big taste of pea and rosemary.
Sandwiches are served with salad or chips. Here's That's what cheese said (that's the name of the sandwich!), filled with smoked cheddar, gruyere and Parmesan, onion jam and tomatoes. 😍 Gooey, cheesy and substantial!
The Great balls of meat panini included
venison meatballs with a marinara sauce and smoked cheddar. More 😍 from the table. Lots of sauce here, so prepare for sticky fingers and maybe get the chips for dipping onto the sauce.
Drinks-wise there's about a dozen house cocktails, over a dozen soft drinks and roughly 20 gins including Sweetdram Escubac (technically not a gin but a botanical spirit infused with raisins, vanilla and saffron instead of juniper!). There's also around 30 bottled / canned beers (many craft), half a dozen bottled ciders, some alcoholic and non-alcoholic ginger beer. 9 drinks are on draught including Tennents, Guinness and Magners. There's also 7 white wines (3 by the glass), 3 roses (all by the glass), 7 reds (3 by the glass) and 3 sparkling (Prosecco by the glass). Phew!
Overall, big filling sandwiches with lots of cheese and tasty shareable plates with plenty of drinks to choose from. A great place to spend time in the touristy part of the city.
DJ-friendly music choices. Toilets were clean and freshly painted but located downstairs should you have any mobility issues.
Find out more on the Villager Facebook page.
TL;DR+ Halloumi sticks are ace
+ Tasty sandwiches with lots of cheese
+ Lemur wallpaper!
+ Good drinks selection
- Toilets downstairs
Where
Villager
49 George IV Bridge
Edinburgh
EH1 1EJ
Opening Hours
Open from 11am to 1am every day