Orrery review by Felicity
I went to the Orrery restaurant with some trepidation. Although I had started to become a regular, I had now shunned the coffee shop below for eighteen months after one of the gaggle of always offhand French serveuses was staggeringly rude over a mistake she had made with a coffee. I had also been profoundly disappointed each time I had visited the Conran Zinc restaurant in Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal.
The Orrery restaurant was entirely different. When I arrived at about half past one the room with the beautiful windows was filled with forty or so, relaxed and well-heeled diners. There are no cutlery clutchers here; everyone knows how to hold their knife and fork. The Conran style is at its best in this understated, quiet and modern elegance. Regrettably, a mobile phone went off - but only once. Service is impeccable, headed by one of the best maitre d’ I have encountered. Nothing escaped his notice and I wondered for a while if he was indeed in charge as there was nothing he would not do himself. I saw him greet guests, sweep crumbs and direct staff with none of the brash or overly suave superiority too often associated with this position. A good restaurant must click silently like a perfect machine; one of its identifying features being how the staff work together, as much is done in public, there is little margin for error and many opportunities for things to go wrong. The staff here worked efficiently, courteously and professionally together. I saw one small fracas directly in front of me when a waitress - in fact the only female member of staff - obviously harangued the poor young man whose job it was to bring out the trays. The maitre d’ was there in a moment. He murmured something and the spectacle melted away. Otherwise, all the staff were attentive and charming; suggestions were made, my happiness periodically checked, nothing was forgotten. As the main course was served to the couple next to me, the man had to leave for a moment. In the blink of an eye, silver domes had appeared from nowhere to keep the food warm. In this restaurant it is an absolute pleasure to be served.
I ordered from the set menu at £25, where there are three choices for each course. A carrot veloute amuse bouche appeared although it was not especially exciting. The bocconcini starter turned out to be an arrangement of mozzarella balls, rocket and pickled beetroot. It was, if anything, less inspiring than the veloute and my memory is of the overpowering taste of roasted pine nuts. Food at this standard just isn’t worth a Michelin star. For my main course, things started to look up a bit. I had asked for the salmon and new potatoes. They had run out but I was instantly offered the halibut from the a la carte menu instead. I have always thought halibut an insipid, overrated fish but this was beautifully cooked, framed by an unusual sauce vierge and crowned with an interesting aubergine caviar. Sadly, none of the enticing new potatoes at other tables came my way and I was glad I had accepted the bread earlier. To finish, I had a selection of four hard cheeses accompanied by wine-infused jellies. The trolley positively groaned with cheese of which my choices represented a mere fraction. If I was going to be difficult I would say though that my selection was not worth the three of four pound supplement.
It would be hard to do lunch in less than an hour and a quarter, and as this is a place to savour and enjoy, you really wouldn't want to. I look forward in the future to making slightly more engaging choices in my food. There is a large sun-terrace, entirely empty when I saw it, which is open for drinks at lunchtime and in the evening. I did not see any sun umbrellas and there is no shade but there is also a cosy bar if the lunchtime heat becomes too much. The restaurant also offers a 30.00 set Sunday lunch which includes a glass of champagne.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Overall rating 
Food 7 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
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