Reviewed
10/03

Walking into Meltz is not wholly dissimilar to walking into the home of your grandparents. Kitsch interior, over-zealous use of central heating, outmoded hat-stand expending valuable space - it's all there, simmering away in a melting pot of questionable taste, ready to inflict a crude assault on the aesthetic sensibilities of those with a predilection for Scandinavian minimalism. But somehow this curious retreat, tucked just off Cornmarket Street, surpasses all expectations, treating its guests to a charming meal and a deliciously intimate atmosphere in which to savour it.

There was an initial wait for a table, inevitable with a restaurant this small, but once seated the service was both efficient and friendly. My partner ordered the hot chicken salad while I opted for the spicy chorizo pasta, both reasonably priced at £6.50, and we decided on a £13.95 bottle of Pinot Grigio, which we were able to taste prior to ordering. (A bottle of house white costs just £6.95, and all wine is available by the glass.) Our appetites whetted by the sight of assorted cakes on the counter behind us, we polished off our main-courses with gusto: the chicken salad looked impressive and was acclaimed by my partner as 'spot-on'; and though 'spicy' chorizo was a slight misnomer, my pasta - topped with a delicate frosting of fresh parmesan - was excellent. The portions were generous, but we were careful to leave room for the desserts that had been tantalising us all evening. After much agonising, I plumped for the 'Lumpy Bumpy cake', surreptitiously helping myself to my companion's chocolate fudge cake whenever possible; both were exquisite, decadently rich without being cloying, and we were sorely tempted to order more - perhaps the key-lime pie with its proud boast of not one but two fruits in the appellation alone, surely indicative of supreme healthiness…? In the end, however, our rapidly tightening waistbands won out, and the remainder of the evening was spent in hearty self-congratulation for our valiant demonstration of temperance.

This was not my first trip to Meltz; over the last couple of years, it has consistently impressed at every juncture, firmly establishing itself amongst my circle as the routine choice for a relaxed, no-frills meal when the cupboards are bare or the desire to cook somewhat lacking. After a short time, the stylistic excesses no longer feel obtrusive - the gaudy orange paintjob mellows to a warm peachy hue, the temperature loses its searing edge, and the hat-stand, well that remains outmoded, expending valuable space- because some things aren't remedied by the Midas touch of good food and drink. What Meltz genuinely has changed for me though, is the assumption that 'cheerful' need always be prefixed with 'cheap and…' - the Randolph it clearly isn't, but nor does it in any way aspire to be.

For an appetizing meal minus any pretension or a paroxysm-inducing bill, Meltz is certainly worth a visit. (Diet aficionados may wish to request a table away from the dessert counter.)

Kirstie MacDonald