Café Marlayne

Yet another great meal on this tiny street. So glad we didn't skip it. Would love to go bs l

Quaint and tucked away, this restaurant is easy to miss. Probably visited about half a dozen times as a student as their lunch menu was lovingly put together and very fairly priced. Main courses across visits were consistently delicious and plated with care, but what I must really highlight was a cheesecake that was once on the menu because gosh was that delicious. Wonderfully pillowy in texture, and a tart flavor profile with a delicate honeyed sweetness. I'd visit again just for that cheesecake.

Very quaint restaurant. Service was excellent. Food very good. I had the ribeye medium rare. It was seasoned perfectly. I also had the roasted tomato and pepper soup with pesto. So delicious. I pair the ribeye with a gamay. Went very well together.
Finally I had the vanilla cheesecake. It did not disappoint.

Divine, exquisite cauliflower cream soup and wonderful salmon schnitzel. Good wine choices, with lovely and cozy. I recommend this highly to anyone wanting a taste of France for the first time or for nostalgia. Service is excellent, but not intrusive.

Sunday Bloody Sunday......so says the song.....finding a restaurant for a Sunday is a challenge I come up against way more than I would like but finally I have found a superb Sunday offering that inst a Sunday roast.

Cafe Marlayne is a wonderfully quaint and cosy restaurant adding some French flare to the international gastronomy that can be found of Thistle Street.

On entering you immediately feel relaxed and as if you could be at home, the ambiance is great. The menu comes as a printed page reflecting the seasonal approach to produce they have and the ever changing options to be enjoyed.

For starter I opted for the boudin noir (black sausage), with apple puree, and sauteed potatoes. Lovely dish that I have to say could have been taken to another level with a little scallop.

My scallop cravings still in mine my main soon rectified this, pork belly with queen scallops and herb salad, Was delightful. The fat on the pork was very well cooked down to just leave tender succulent meat. Presentation was lovely and the tastes delightful.

Add a bottle of wine, 3 coffees, one desert and 2 drambuies and to have a bill come in under £100 for 3 people was a pleasant surprise.

A great place for a great meal, highly JD Recommended.-

There are two Cafe Marlayne's in Edinburgh. I'd been to the other one on Antigua St for brunch and was impressed by the big, sunny back room and comprehensive menu - a great cafe to relax with friends. So I was keen to check out this Cafe Marlayne on Thistle St and see if it was similar.

I'd agreed to meet a friend for lunch and with thoughts of the other Cafe Marlayne, I was expecting a big, airy cafe that served the usual cafe menu options like soups, salads and sandwiches. How wrong was I! This Cafe Marlayne isn't really a cafe at all - it's a French bistro. And it's much smaller but in a cosy, cute sort of way. There are about 7 or 8 tables all laid out with cutlery and glassware for a proper sit down lunch. You're shown to your table, so it's more formal than a cafe. And the tables are a little close together so get ready to rub shoulders with your fellow diners! But it's a nice atmosphere and, as Ben L. says below, the service is casual but attentive.

As for the menu, it's handwritten on a piece of paper giving the feel that it was unique for today and there are starters and main courses as options. I went for the rump steak burger and my friend chose the chicken kiev. Sounds a bit basic but what a delight when the food arrived! Full marks to the chef - this was top quality!

Once we'd devoured our lunches, the bill was a pleasant surprise at £20 for two. Very reasonable for restaurant quality food.

So don't be fooled by the Cafe in the name. This is a French bistro that's a great place for sit down, bistro style lunch and I imagine it makes an intimate, possibly romantic spot for dinner in the evening when the candles and French wine come out!

This place had been on my radar for a while but for some reason the name put me off. I associate cafés with coffee and cake rather than a hearty lunch on a rainy Sunday. But when I looked in the window and saw the sophisticated interior, I suspected they had more to offer. A quick check on Yelp revealed a 5-star rating so we knew we were in safe hands.

It turns out that the simple name conceals a classy French bistro serving a short menu of elegant dishes. The menu is hand-written and simple, with about five starters and the same number of mains to choose from. The wine list is reasonable and bread and water at the table on arrival just add to the experience.

We shared some grilled goats cheese with apple, salad and hazelnuts to start - simple and delicious, classic French grub. Gillian's sea bream main course was excellent but I really lucked out with my choice: lamb rump with polenta, cherry tomatoes and salsa verde. See the photo to drool over this delicious dish, its stylish presentation suggesting a much more expensive restaurant. Two large pieces of lamb, grilled to perfection, crunchy yet creamy polenta, and they bring steamed vegetables on the side at no extra cost.

With a glass of wine each and tea/coffee, the total bill was only £32. The interior is stylish but comfortable, the food is simple, classic, unfussy French food done well. It's difficult to think of anything they could do better.

I have to say that I was quite smitten by this place... after a failed attempt one weekend to "pop in" it was clear a reservation is a must on most busy evenings... armed with this knowledge I came back a few weekends later with a friend to see what all of the fuss was about.

I believe the menu changes over time, but we didn't even make it to the mains on this occasion... what we did do is order every single starter, and I mean every single one... that is not an exaggerated statement, and I think we actually ordered two of one. The mains looked great as they went by to others, and I remember a whole cooked fish of some sort that looked fantastic, but we couldn't decide on starters as they all sounded too good... luckily the waitress was quite nice and happy to oblige us with our mini on request buffet... to be honest I was a bit worried about it because the place seems "fancy" to a commoner like me, but the worry was unfounded.

The standout starter for me was the "Hand Dived Scallop with Garlic & Pernod Butter, Toasted Almonds"... come to think of it, I have no idea what a "pernod" is... but the dang thing was delicious! I made a note to order a scallop anytime it's on the menu here. I also really like the "Parma Ham with Salami served with Homemade Russian Salad"... think parma ham and salami on top of potato salad and you'll get the idea, odd sounding, but tasty. Their "Gazpacho topped with Parma Ham & Olive Oil" was a treat as well, a bit different than I have had elsewhere, but that seems to be the norm with restaurant made gazpacho... I certainly wouldn't hesitate to order it again.

The only starter I didn't really love was the "Salmon Carpaccio with Soya & Sesame Dressing, Chilli, Spring Onions, & Coriander"... but, to be fair, I'm not a huge fan of most types of salmon, gravlax being the exception. It's not that I wouldn't recommend it to someone that liked the sound of it, don't get me wrong, it was just such a good showing for the other starters on this particular night.

The hidden joy about having a bunch of starters between two people is that there's room for dessert! Well, at most places... I guess that highlights that the starter portions weren't huge here, but definitely starter appropriate. For desert we split a "Frangipane Tart", and as someone new to such a dessert was pleasantly surprised... it had a great texture and just the right level of sweetness.

Unfortunately I can't remember the cost of our little adventure, but I know it wasn't bad despite all of the dishes ordered.

All in all this is one of the places that I would like to take friends visiting Edinburgh, assuming they have had enough time to try some local stuff of course, and I'm personally hoping to get back soon... I might even try I main if I'm daring enough, but I certainly wouldn't be mad at myself if I went all starters again. ;-)

Perfect, quaint and romantic little french restaurant - friendly staff, delicious (limited) menu. We went with our 10 and 12 year olds, staff was gracious, friendly and accommodating. We loved the Steak, Grilled Cod, Moules Frites, and cheeseboard and homemade coffee creme brulee for dessert. Ambiance, food quality and flavour and wine rivals any french bistro in New York City or Paris! Highly recommend it!

A new find for me - and what a find it is. Great French cuisine - at surprisingly affordable prices. Just had a very tasty meal: a piece of smoked haddock, topped with a poached egg & wilted spinach, served with a side of beans, broccoli and potato dauphinoise. It was superb.

They've also got a selection of more café type desserts (key lime pie, coffee creme brûlée, cheese cake, croissant) and a little coffee corner - which I've yet to explore