This article appears as part of the Food Matters newsletter.

Our expectations for this city centre restaurant were never going to be anything other than exceptionally high.

Why’s that now?

Well, for anyone who missed news of Under the Table’s opening in the Spring let me fill you in on an Edinburgh tale with a Hollywood twist.

The story goes that while filming in the capital city, Marvel producer and director Joe Russo was so taken with Sean Clarkin’s cooking that he decided to invest in a new venture, run by the chef and business partner Paul O’Donoghue.

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Cut to April this year and the basement bistro space welcomed its first diners, including Russo himself, to sample a menu inspired by Scotland’s larder and the “casual yet bustling” restaurants of Europe.

And if it’s good enough for silver screen royalty…


Shortly after being shown to our table, we’re greeted by O’Donoghue, a former wine merchant who shares equal measures of enthusiasm for both the evening's drinks list and a la carte menu.

It’s looking good so far, with just enough choice to leave us swithering between the likes of roast pork loin with confit onion puree and roasted salsify with honey and white miso until the very last moment before the final orders are taken.

None of the three starters which make the cut leave us regretting our choice.

The pork and duck terrine is a front runner, a rich, gamey slice that’s topped with juicy cherries and a bitter salad to add a little bite.

Then there’s salmon carpaccio, buttery soft with flavours of citrus and soy that’s topped with thin ribbons of daikon served alongside a final small plate of Parma ham mango and chilli salsa with Sardinian bread.

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True to their vision for Under the Table, this is the kind of food you’d want to be eating in a sun-soaked European palazzo. But it’s so good that a particularly rainy evening in Scotland feels like no less of a treat.

Perhaps more suited to the climate are our mains. Braised beef cheek that falls apart with a mere whisper of contact from our greedy forks sits on a bed of whipped coffee polenta which I’d happily devour a bowl of by itself.

There’s spicy broccolini too. Well done, however, in all honesty, ordered simply to quash any concerns about a lack of greenery.

But it’s the tagliatelle with a powerful hit of black summer truffle and creamy parmesan that I’ll be thinking about long after we’ve finished the meal.


I may not have Marvel money in the bank, but after that dish alone I fully understand exactly why Mr Russo was so willing to part with a chunk of his.

As if we haven’t just tackled two of the carb-heaviest (hey, at least we ordered that broccolini) the evening is rounded off with yoghurt and white chocolate panna cotta with strawberries and Tiramisu.

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Both easily keep up the same standard we’ve come to expect from the kitchen at Under the Table while a whisky-based Rob Roy cocktail seals the deal.

This is extraordinary food executed in a setting that, although compact, offers a tranquil escape from the street-level footfall that’s bound to triple as the Fringe kicks off.

Be sure not to make the mistake of passing it by.

Under the Table is located at 3A Dundas Street in Edinburgh.

For more information, visit underthetable.uk.