I had dinner in the best restaurant on Edinburgh's most atmospheric and enchanting street
There is no better place to visit this Halloween
We are entering the twilight zone.
At this time of year, I’ll often see something scuttling across the floor, then realise it was just a retinal floater. The shadows get shadowier. The floorboards get creakier.
I suddenly feel a bit freaked out by the thought of getting up to go to the loo in the middle of the night. I’m irrationally scared of what might grab my ankles.
And I say all this as a firm non-believer, though I’ve definitely become a bit more seasonally susceptible to ghost stories.
If you enjoy the Gothic season, then I’d recommend the gorgeous Cannonball Restaurant & Bar, which is owned by Carina and Victor Contini, of The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant and Contini George Street.
This magical place, with a cannonball embedded in its western wall and a prime historic location on Castlehill, has tons of atmosphere, though it’s less contrived on the spooky front than the more obvious places nearby that might be coining it, when it comes to witching season tourism.
And, Cannonball, does have a resident ghost. Her name is Alice, and she’s a Victorian sprog.
Apparently, the 17th-century building, as well as being a duke’s residence, tenement and home to the Scottish Parliament, was also once a school.
Although I don’t believe in the supernatural, there has been more than one sighting - a handful, I’d say - of this spirit. The first was from a builder, who was working late and saw her, standing at the end of the corridor and watching him.
They did initially try to call her Katy, but she told them - via a clairvoyant who a staff member had visited while on holiday - that she was definitely Alice.
In tribute, they have a retro desk in the stairwell, so she can get on with an eternity of arithmetic homework, and they leave sweets on it. I imagine she’s probably more into retro tablet than modern day Haribo.
Anyway, I don’t sense a presence when I visit Cannonball for dinner. I just feel happy to be back, as I had my wedding breakfast here, ten years ago, when it’d just opened. I raise a glass to my other half, who wasn’t invited tonight. Don’t worry about him, he’s fine at home with his ready meal in front of the telly.
We’re kicking off with a couple of this place’s signature haggis cannonballs (£10), which were, I vaguely recall, once called bon-bons. I doubt you could use these bollards as actual cannonballs, but they could certainly break an A-listed window or two. They’re dense and burly numbers, with a peppery haggis and a slick of whisky cream and pickled turnip on the side.
These are always on the menu, but I also try a newer starter - the pumpkin veloute (£10), which is topped with chilli and coriander oil, toasted pumpkin seeds and a blob of Katy Rodger’s creme fraiche, and made with their Lasswade Kitchen Garden wares.
Apparently, they’ve had quite a glut of this fruit. Thus, you’ll also find pumpkin risotto on the menu.
When I visit, there’s a huge one on display in the restaurant, and it’s as heavy as a sand bag. What an orange beast. This is the Trump of pumpkins, and I enjoy eating the comfortingly sweet liquidised version.
It’s not just this that makes me think that Cannonball is the perfect winter restaurant. After all, there are so many timely main courses, from the marinated red deer, served with pomme Anna, their own cavolo nero, and roasted celeriac (£36) to the pan-seared plaice, spiced cauliflower, brandade and caper butter (£25). Yes please.
However, I think the brown crab crusted cod (£29) is hard to beat, with a sandy grill-burnished topping, chard, a scoop of Phantassie’s crushed, herby and waxy potatoes, and a tangy gherkin and parsley butter.
When it comes to my pudding, I can smell the chocolate cannonball (£11) before it even hits the table.
Cinnamon! There’s a moussey sphere, and a gorgeous tuile that’s knotted, as if it was a piece of black velvet ribbon. There are also crunchy candied almonds on the plate, softly spiced pear slices, and two dollops of a pear gel, plus a big blob of clotted cream.
It’s gorgeous, and the whole meal makes me feel a bit bad for Alice.
If she does exist, then she must have to watch diners eating all this delicious food, when she’s in limbo and can’t try any of it herself.
Well, I suppose at least she has her sweeties.
456 Castlehill, Edinburgh (0330 164 078, www.contini.com)
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