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Are you looking for a quiet sleep on very good mattresses? For sunny rooms with a lovely garden view? For a mainly organic breakfast? And for hosts who really make you feel at home? The Victorian villa in Edinburgh's Southside at
17 Tantallon Place, not far but away from the hustle and bustle of the city, in the
Grange conservation area and near Newington, is run by Ann and Mike Walsh. They promise all of this. And they keep their promises. "I had a temporary wobble when I spotted jars of shop-bought jam on the table but, over the next hour, a pinnied Mike brought out a feast of freshly squeezed orange juice, fruit salad, homemade rhubarb compote, steaming porridge, homemade marmalade and, of course, the famous toast. That day's offerings included Caroline's rye and sourdough, Lucy's soda bread and a surprise wild card spelt loaf from nearby Falko", writes Rhiannon Batten in
The Guardian. The author is not the only guest, who has been convinced, as excellent reviews on
tripadvisor.com show and as this blogger could experience himself.
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Picture by Tantallon Place
Mike Walsh and the back garden
Picture by Tantallon Place
The front room
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Look from the room towards Tantallon Place, a very quiet sidestreet
Tantallon Place is an excellent starting point for discovering Edinburgh. You walk in no more than 10-15 minutes across the Meadows, a public park, to the touristic hot spots of the old Town with the Royal Mile and the castle. Or you take the bus on Grange Road (
Bus 5: Timetable) or on Causewayside (
Bus 42: Timetable) to get to Princes Street and the new town. Bus No 5 is a direct connection to North Bridge, that spans over Waverley station. Bus No 5 also leads to Morningside, where you can change to
Bus 23, that leads to The Mound.
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The Meadows
You don't want to queue up with all other tourists? Then you walk just five minutes from Tantallon Place and discover, what Newington offers to you.
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The former Salisbury Church, where Grange Road joins Causewayside. The church now houses a shop for lighting. Across Grange road you find The Grange No 1. Everybody who visits this pub is surprised by the quality of their food. We tried their dahl and their braised beef and their cranachan as dessert - all exzellent. And the same impressions you get, when you read the reviews on
tripadvisor.com. Also the new blue colour outside signs: this restaurant has ambitions and delivers what it promises. On
Facebook they announce their daily specials.
The Grange No 1
At Causewayside you arrive at the Italian restaurant "
Sambuca".
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Resaurant Sambuca
Five minutes more lead you to "
Hellers Kitchen" (Menu announcements on
Facebook), "
Yak and Yeti" with a fine Nepalese and Indian cuisine or to
Earthy Foods and Goods, a shop and café full of delicacies for lovers of organic and vegetarian food.
Picture by Jim Barton
Earthy Foods and Goods
Picture by Earthy Foods and Goods
Carrot salad served at Earthy Foods and Goods
On the ways to these restaurants you pass a building of the National Library of Scotland at Causewayside, where you can visit the
Maps Reading Room (with around two millions maps). if you follow Causewayside to the north, you can see the building of the former
Southern Motors Garage, which is today a wine warehouse. Between stone-built tenement blocks from the 18th and 19th centuries you find a construction in white concrete in Art Deco style. It is a work of
Basil Spence, a Scottish architect known for Coventry Cathedral.
If you appreciate the bread served for breakfast at Tantallon Place - and you will appreciate it -, you will note, that Mike and Ann get it from her daughter Caroline. And if you are curious enough, you will hop on the bus and visit her
Archipelago Artisan Bakery at 39 Dundas street with a small café. If you don't go early enough, the organic bread may be sold out, but there are mouthwatering sweets as well, a day soup and salads (see daily announcements on
Facebook). And you will feel yourself at a place, where food is created with passion (from Tantallon Place with Bus 5 to Morningside, there change to Bus 23).
Picture by marhas
Picture by Archipelago Bakery
Cake counter at Archipelago Bakery
If every seat is occupied at the bakery of Caroline Walsh you hop back on the Bus (23) and try the legendary
Hendersons Salad Table (94 Hanover Street), the UK’s second oldest vegetarian restaurant, established in 1962. You will find a plenty of organic soups, salads and cakes. Every table occupied here too? Then visit upstairs the deli/sandwich bar, he bakery or, just round the corner, Hendersons vegan bistro. In the evening you can listen to music at Hendersons Salad Table. Read:
Henderson's Salad Table - as revolutionary as Mini Skirts
From Archipelago Artisan Bakeryrthward bus No 23 brings you to
Earthy Canonmills, organic shop and restaurant, and the the famous
Royal Botanical Gardens.
Picture by marhas
Picture by marhas
Picture by marhas
Picture by marhas
