Le Sept, 5 Hunter Square, Edinburgh, 0131 225 5428
Google Map here
Previous Reviews
French flair with food in Edinburgh
September 6th, 2010 by Philip Dundas
Traditionally food and Scotland have been somewhat characterised in the spirit of Doctor Johnson’s assessment of the North British diet of oats. And indeed we do like our stodge. For ballast and to keep out the cold. And of course grains grow well in the climate and serve us well in the making of malt whisky. But it’s been many years since Scotland took it’s deserved place as a player in the international culinary world. With restaurants like Monachyle Mhor, Roman Camp, Kinloch Lodge, and chefs like Brian Maule, Martin Wishart and Tom Kitchin, to name but a few, there’s no shortage of fine dining around.
Until this time every year Edinburgh is packed with people, feasting on the cultural collective banquet of festivals taking place. So it’s not always easy to find a table in a really good restaurant at a moment’s notice. Le Sept on Blair St, just off the Royal Mile is a stalwart of the Old Town, that has been dishing up French classics for years with flair and at reasonable prices.
Originally sited in Fishmarket Close, Le Sept was opened by the delightful and pensive Malcolm Cole and his charming but passionné Gallic counterpart Henri Oriol. Their first years were dedicated to crêpes, frites, omelettes and that oh, so delicious mustardy salad dressing. Rapidly a loyal local following grew and even more quickly Le Sept became the restaurant a la mode for the annual Fringe Festival. Soon they had opened a fine dining restaurant downstairs which became one of the original romantic dining retreats in town.
Le Sept was always so much better than anywhere else and this was compounded by their delightful terrace, tended by Cole’s green fingers, where a queue gathered anytime a Scottish summer day was predicted and long boozy lunches resulted. Added to this the decor and furnishings were always distinctly provincial bourgeois bistro but with Cole’s fine eye for original prints of the great photographers like Robert Doisneau and Willy Ronis and posters advertising bizarre aperitifs.
It’s unusual for restaurants to last for years. But the French have a way of finding a formula and sticking to it. Oriol’s understanding of classic cuisine has proved to be the secret behind this long-standing favourite. Today Le Sept still retains some of the old cavernous quality with tables nestled downstairs looking on to a delightful otherworldly but inaccessible terrace. But upstairs it is bright and airy, high walls stacked with many of those same favourite pictures. And though the old favourites remain, the menu has expanded into higher realms with a robust menu of French and Scottish Classics, oven-baked Camembert, escargots, Queenie Scallops, Boeuf en Daube, Rabbit, Scotch meat and seafood and puddings to die for all expertly created. And all of this enriching an atmosphere where great service, house wine and coffee (before those existed anywhere else) have always brought an unrivalled sense of urbane bonhomie.
Lunch or dinner at Le Sept will feel like being as near France in Scotland, as worth a damn (especially if M.Oriol is serving). Don’t hesitate. And make sure you tell them that I sent you.
List Eating & Drinking Guide
Dark wooden furniture and flocks of framed photographs, posters and prints lend Gallic charm. Navigating your way between the A la Carte and Table d'Hôte menu, it's apparent that hearty home cooking is the chosen tack. Whether your coordinates should take you between traditional soup a l'ognion, chicken liver paté with pickles, plump rump of lamb with berry and port sauce or perhaps one of the several wickedly calorific crepès - stuffed with combinations including smoked haddock, chives and crayfish tails and smothered in bubbling béchamel sauce and Jarlsberg - there's never a shortage on the flavour front. There's certainly no skimping on the size either, but it pays to be restrained, as there are some seriously good puds to be had. Dark and dense chocolate and Cointreau terrine is divine, home made créme brûlée so moreish you'll be consumed trying to capture flecks of real vanilla from the bottom of the bowl. Each and every one.Guardian
Le Sept is deservedly popular among those in search of good value, no-nonsense French cuisine. Popular dishes include steaks, monkfish tails and sweet and savoury crepes... a wonderful wee French restaurant.
Ratings out of 10:
Choice: (range of menu) 8
Taste: 9
Service: 9.
Atmosphere: 9
Value for money: 9
Evening News
The tastefully plain surroundings complemented by some classic black and white photographs, well-chosen prints and other bits and pieces, give this delightful bistro a relaxed continental feel. The friendly and efficient staff add to this atmosphere. The food is very good - especially the house speciality, stuffed crepes - and good value for money. The house plonk is well worth a visit and you can even get a decent cup of coffee. What more can I say. Definitely worth a try.
Time Out
Le Sept is an Edinburgh favourite thanks to its pleasing bistro-style decor and consistently satisfying cooking.
Le Guide du Routard 2001
Ouvert tous les jours. Service continu du vendredi au dimanche a partir 12.00 (dimanche 12.30) cadre de bistrot agreable, un peu a la francaise. Staff jeune et accueillant, et fond musical, jazz apaisant
Metro (Aug 2002) *****
Modernist posters for Gallic aperitifs... couldn't be better placed for the busy Festival-goer. In La Belle France, waiting tables is an honourable profession and the authentically Francophone proprietor seems to have imported that attitude. Le Sept is rightly famous for its crepes and omlettes and an incredible lunch deal (£10.00 for two courses) of authentic gastronomie. Obviously the evening A la Carte is more expensive, but its still not a wallet frightener. Good house wine by the glass, also. The surroundings are delightful, the food really fine, the staff attentive but never intrusive. Whether you want to impress a date with your suave sophistication or treat an elderly relative, Le Sept is the place.
Thank heavens for the Auld Alliance. Vive Le Sept.
