Restaurant Review: Mithas, Dock Place, Leith, Edinburgh

MITHAS has a modern and welcoming atmosphere with booths and tables in an oval, ensuring privacy for some and a view directly into the kitchen for others.

With a “bring your own wine” – though not beer or spirits – and no corkage fee, you can match your wines or just bring your favourite. Also, with a menu in the upper echelon of the price bracket, this option is a welcome trade-off for a treat.

There are taster menus – seafood, vegetables and the chef’s special are at the back. Certainly pricey (£45.95 per person), but we decided to treat ourselves and trust the chef. First came an espresso cup of spicy pumpkin soup with just the right amount of spice and a wonderfully smooth texture.

This was closely followed by the unappetising sounding chicken salad. Shredded chicken wrapped in cabbage leaves and topped with shredded apple. Grilled scallops in a coconut and curry sauce were next. We could have eaten only these and been happy. Tender and not overpowered by the smooth flavours. The sweet potato chunks with a spicy, almost bitter, sauce and yoghurt drizzled on top that followed were passable. Skewers of tikka monkfish and spinach and fig patties brought the standard back up. Juicy, meaty and showing monkfish off as it should be cooked, the skewers were a step above. Chicken skewers and a lamb shank completed the starters. The chicken was juicy and cooked to perfection. Similarly, the lamb shank adhered to the classic “meat crumbling off the bone”. In our happy sated state, it was with some horror that we heard our waiter ask if we were ready for our main as he brought the mint and lime palette-cleansing sorbet. Rice, garlic and normal naan, raita and peshwari lamb were presented. Although delicious, it was a shame to end our meal being quite so full.