Candles Bistro

This is perhaps a very generous 3 stars. I was really excited when I saw this little place had opened on the edge of the Grassmarket, so I added it to my ‘Places To Unilocal’ list and dragged my flatmate along for dinner one night.
But I have to be honest, it was a bit of an anti-​climax. For most of our meal, we were the only ones in there and so the atmosphere wasn’t great and the staff were clearly bored. Which would have been overlookable if the food had been amazing, but I have to say I just found it quite boring.
The menu isn’t really one type of food or another; by trying to offer everything from fishcakes with sweet chilli sauce to pasta in a creamy mushroom sauce it ends up just being a bit soul-​less and not very authentic. Also, as tasty as my pasta was, I could have made it myself at home for a fraction of the price and probably to a not too dissimilar standard.
The one saving grace is their prices. As Grassmarket eateries go, this one undoubtedly offers great value for money. If you’re going Á La Carte, starters are around £4 and mains around £8, but they also do a pre-​theatre menu offering two courses for £9. Or, and this bit I found a bit odd, £8 if you’ve booked 24 hours in advance. It’s not like they were packed to the rafters when we were there…
If you’re in the area, hungry and skint then you might as well give it a go. Otherwise, go to Tang’s on the other side of the street.