Restaurant review: Peter’s Yard, Quartermile

Sparsely decorated with yards of timber for tables and chairs it has a homely, slightly holiday feel.

We tucked into our latte (£2.90) and flat white (£2.90) and scanned the blackboard and specials board. With fresh produce and different sandwiches and foccacia there were several tempting offerings. Ordering at the counter, my sister chose the aubergine foccacia (£4.20) and I went for a pizza with rocket and roast Mediterranean vegetables (£9.95).

Although it looked a touch packed full of carbs, the foccaccia was surprisingly light and almost fluffy. Chocked full of artichoke, aubergine and spinach it was one delicious mouthful after another. The pizza arrived simply in a basket. It looked like the healthiest pizza with vegetables and rocket covering the light cheese covering. Of course, I was kidding myself but it too was light and very moreish. The cheese was good quality and the veg was perfectly cooked with a sprinkling of herbs.

Having cleaned our plates, we had to take a bit of a break but we weren’t rushed out of our seats, during a busy lunchtime. We eventually chose a chocolate ball (£2.10) to share from a cabinet of remarkably tempting homebaked goods. Coconut, being a shared weakness, was mixed through the large chocolate truffle – for wont of a better description. Hard on the outside and in, and a touch crumbly it was hard to decipher any ingredients other than chocolate and coconut. It was, however, delicious.

Beware the large coffee queue throughout most of the day – it has been known to stretch out of the door. A new restaurant has opened in Stockbridge and I hear it is continuing the high standards of the original store.

• Peter’s Yard, Quartermile, 27 Simpson Loan, 0131-228 5876, www.petersyard.co.uk