EVENING NEWS

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2001

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THE ROOM WITH A
VIEW TO ROMANCE

Out to feed her soul this Valentine's Day, Susan Dalgety tries a Cupid-laced dinner at A Room in the Town

Thirteen days to St Valentine's Day and the pressure is on for hot-blooded young males to find the perfect setting for that romantic dinner for two. Edinburgh has lots to offer Lotharios keen to make an impression on their fair lady.The gothic Witchery reeks romance, but prices may deter. The same goes for the Tower restaurant at the Museum for Scotland, although the views are stunning.

But with Christmas credit card bills still demanding attention and the deposit on the summer holiday looming, most Romeos are looking for romance on a budget.

At least The Husband was when her arranged an early Valentine dinner at the romantically-named A Room in the Town.

"It's got candles on very table and you can take your own wine," he said gleefully as her perused the wines in our local Oddbins.

"This will do nicely," he said, pulling down a bottle of Oz Red with the rather silly name of Cricket Pitch. "I'll have champagne," I muttered petulantly. "This blends Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, all your favourite grapes," he said. "You'll love it."

He was right. It was a glorious rich wine, with more than a hint of liquorice toffee. Just the stuff to put a girl in the mood . . . for more. And he was right about the candles. A Room in the Town has a cosy, intimate atmosphere, helped along by the stout candles on every table and the dark wood furniture. Even the garish mural along one wall - a rather striking portrait of Oor Wullie and Pc Murdoch - could not detract from the romance which hung in the air. Boy, was that wine good.

The menu, which changes every six weeks, has a strong Scottish flavour, but an Eastern influence has seeped into the kitchen. The Husband chose oyster mushrooms with a herb crust and asparagus tips for his starter. "First class", he decided. "Want a taste?"

I tried to return the favour by passing him a spoonful of my spicy corncake with parsley and red onion yoghurt, but it slipped off the spoon and on to the table. "I can't take you anywhere," he muttered. He didn't miss much. The corncake, a sort of veggie fishcake, was too stodgy - not unpleasant, simply pointless.

Unlike my main course, cod, which was delicious. In parts. The creamy white fillet flaked apart easily, proving its freshness, and I savoured every bite. It came with coriander and babycorn mash and a spicy peanut sauce. A brave combination, and while the nutty emulsion was tasty enough, it was too overpowering for the fish.

The Husband was in the first stages of ecstasy, not a reaction, sadly, to my feminine wiles.

"This salmon is the best I've tasted for a long time," he whispered. "But what are stovies?" He is English, hence his ignorance. "Stovies are just tatties, onions and left-over sausages, preferably served with brown sauce and a cup of tea," I explained patiently. But his seafood stovies were a cut above the working class fare I had grown up on. "This is the new polenta," I declared pretentiously. "Hmmm," he said. The Husband is not a big fan of the River Caf�.

The pudding menu offered up some difficult choices. Fat free, low calorie cranberry and orange sorbet, or the calorific raspberry and almond torte? No contest, though I could have done without the lake of cream.

The Husband had the only chocolate sweet on offer, an upside down pear sponge pudding. He described it as "adequate" - not a word I would ever apply to puddings. They are gorgeous, or extra gorgeous. But he's a man.

The Room serves sublime cappuccinos, proper espresso, with just the right amount of creamy froth on top. Perfection. It would be worth going back just for the coffee, and the McCowans penny chews in lieu of dinner mints.

The Room is perfect for a romantic dinner at any time of the year. As for St Valentine's Day, a night with a bottle of Cricket Pitch and a takeway is all I can expect.

The bill	�
1 Corncake	�3.45
1 Mushroom	�3.85
1 Cod	�12.55
1 Salmon	�11.95
1 Torte	�3.65
1 Chocolate Sponge	�3.85
Corkage	�1.00
�
TOTAL	�40.30

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