GREAT FOOD POOR SERVICE AT TAXIDI
Having parked the car nearby my partner Molly and I were warmly welcomed into the cosy ambience of the Taxidi Greek bistro at Tollcross. With 28 covers the place is small but not crowded and the host was happy to chat and introduce and explain the menu to us. As we spoke, the tantalising smells of Greek cooking that were the opening notes of the culinary crescendo that was to follow began to tickle my taste buds. As a lover of Greek food my expectations were high and I was not to be disappointed. For starters I had the delicious bourgoudi which was a mix of feta cheese, chillie flakes, tomatoes and oregano melted in to a golden emulsion which combined well with the fresh pitta bread to give the taste buds a little warming up
My partner, herself a long term Grecophile and lover of Greek food had no complaints about her feta and leek spring rolls served with salad. All was going well until suddenly my partner’s plate was whisked away from her before she had finished her starter and replaced by her main course before you could say 'hang on a minute' which left her feeling taken aback and rushed. This was not good service. My angst however was soon quelled by the main courses which I though we’re truly delicious. I had slow cooked lamb shank which was as delicious as anything I have ever experienced however I would say that the mashed potatoes that were served with it undermined the piquancy of the dish somewhat.
Molly a reluctant meat eater succumbed to the prospect of one of the daily specials and had the lamb chops with aubergines, onions and mushrooms cooked in oregano and served with tzatziki and a few hand cooked oregano topped Greek chips. Molly ate with greater gusto than I had ever seen her eat meat although she felt the chips were a bit oily and softer than she would have liked. Portions were big so Molly skipped dessert to save her waif like figure from ballooning and I was 'forced' to eat dessert alone and this was indeed the crescendo to the symphony when the Obabasos arrived. This delight was a light pudding soaked in metaxa brandy and cardamom syrup topped with orange infused vanilla ice cream which was superb.
Molly enjoyed her crisp house white wine as she watched me absorb this delicacy. Quite simply the meal was superb and was finished by two shots of ouzo courtesy of the house.
Paying the bill did throw a bit of a spanner into the evenings bliss when we were told that the card machine was broken and we had to pay in cash. Being the Gentleman that I am I would never be seen allowing a lady to pay the bill but since I had no cash on me I either had to leave Molly hostage while I went and found a cash machine or accept her gracious offer to loan me the £64.80 cost so I reluctantly accepted her loan.
Overall the ambience, the engagement of staff and above all the quality of the food was such that I do rate this restaurant highly . However not unequivocally; prices are reasonable for central Edinburgh however removing people’s plates before they have fully finished is a cardinal sin. Moreover their failure to forewarn us that we would need cash to pay the bill, were it not for the generosity of my good lady, could have seen me washing the dishes for days to come.