Cacio Pepe

Ok, ok, ok. Hang on a sec. Say WHAT? Three courses for £7.50? Did you say that right? Right, ok, so we’re talking morsels and crumbs… plates the size of teaspoons… right?
No, indeed not, my aporetic amici! We’re talking good-​quality food, good-​sized portions, and a warm atmosphere — the faux-​Mediterranean décor might not be to everyone’s taste but if you’ve come for the food then you won’t leave disappointed. By «good-​sized portions», I don’t mean the plate is so loaded down that you’ll leave dragging your tum between your legs, but enough to fill you and put a big smile on your face (try the polenta and try to stop that smile from coming).
It’s friendly and cosy, but probably because it’s located next to several larger establishments, it seems to get overlooked a lot; each time I come here, I never have to wait for a table. That’s not to say that it isn’t well-​populated with happy diners, but there usually seems to be space for a few more. If you find yourself seeking lunch in the area, I strongly suggest you make use of that space.

I was in here for lunch and it was A-​OK. They have an incredibly reasonable lunch set menu at £6.50 for 2 courses.
The place feels a little cramped but I actually quite liked this as it felt quite authentic and cosy.
The food like Catriona C said, matches the price you pay. It’s a place I’m sure I’ll head back to as it is incredibly reasonable, the food tasty and surroundings cosy.
I had a salad with pancetta and avocado to begin with and whilst I’m a big lover of calories it was dressed a little too heavy in a lovely mustard dressing. The Spaghetti Carbonara was good. The pasta had a lovely bite, the pancetta was very nice and plenty of it whilst the sauce wasn’t underwhelming it wasn’t over either.
It’s definitely on my list of good places to go when you’re with visitors to the city on a budget. It’s also nice to know that they don’t put up their prices during the manic festival season! I really like that.

My boyfriend and I came here after we were unable to get a table at nearby Jamie’s Italian (which I’m still dying to try!) and had a lovely time! It was a really busy Friday night but after waiting for only a few minutes, we were seated. The service was attentive, our waiter asked us if we’d like to have our mains right away after our (rather large) starters or if we’d like a little break, which I thought was a nice touch.
We went for the full three courses. For starter we shared an antipasto and the rosemary foccacia — the antipasto was good but I’ve had better in other restaurants (and at home, my parents are Italian and in the restaurant trade!). There was salami, mortadella, proscuitto, pickled veg, smoked cheese, salad, olives and 2 big slabs of polenta dressed with balsamic vinegar. I would have liked it if the salad had been dressed, and I thought the smoked cheese, whilst nice, didn’t really go with the rest of it. I didn’t particularly enjoy the polenta but that’s just my taste, I’m just not keen on it. The foccacia was delicious though.
For main, I had sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce and my boyfriend had the chicken with asparagus and mushroom. Both came with sides of veg and potatoes but as I always like chips with steak, I asked if I could swap my potatoes for chips, and this was no problem. The chips were nice enough and although I didn’t taste them, I was assured the potatoes were really good. The veg was a bit bland, just green beans and carrots, boiled or steamed. The steak and sauce were delicious, and the sauce on the chicken was also really good.
Although we were pretty stuffed, we went for desserts anyway! I had the meringue with strawberry ice cream and strawberries which was pretty nice, but could have been better — if the strawberries had been fresh instead of in a sauce type thing (like on a strawberry tart if that makes sense?) and the ice cream of better quality. My boyfriend had chocolate cake which was rich and delicious but proved too much for him in the end!
All of this plus a bottle of wine and two glasses of prosecco for £73 which I thought was pretty decent. I’d go back, definitely.

I was in Edinburgh for a couple of days and happened upon this lovely restaurant. We ordered a half lobster with spaghetti, scallop risotto, cheesecake, and crème brûlée, with San Pellegrino and orange juice. It was all MARVELOUS. I would definitely seek this place out if and when I’m back in this beautiful city again.

A really pleasant surprise!
I’ve often walked past CacioPepe and opted instead for the more bustling Bar Napoli or more seemingly elegant Nargile that are nearby — but this week my family were seduced in by their fantastic (and year round) lunch deal.
The offer is from 12 – 2.30pm and is 3 courses for a mere 7.50.
I entered having quite low expectations, simply wanting quick, cheap and easy between shows — but oh how I was wrong. The décor was stylish but comforting, with the space delving into a lovely alcoved area at the back, the service friendly and effiicient, and the lunch menu? Well… we were amazed.
For starters there were no less than TEN options, almost all coming in large, hearty portions. Options included unexpected (but welcome) dishes such as Caramalised Mushroom with Polenta bites, a very authentic Hot Chorizo and Chickpea Cassoulet with lemon and rosemary, as well as more traditional set menu fodder such as Soup of the Day, Arancini, Bruschetta and Pâté Della Casa. The choices we made were all delicious — all with a nice, traditional, homecooked Italian feel.
For mains there was a similarily large array of choices (13 this time), suitable for satisfying any whim or fancy. You could have the simplest (but very nice) Pizza Margherita, a hot, steaming bowl of mussels, salad, past, roast, melt in the mouth Spinach and Parmesan chicken, and much much more! Everyone in our group was happy by the time we finished, and very very full.
Dessert was sweet and simple — dessert of the day, ice cream, fruit salad or tea/​coffee. We all opted fo fruit salad as we were full to the brim!
Overall, you get an astounding amount, and at a good level of quality and variety, for your 7.50, and in more sophisicated surroundings than you would expect for a menu with that price tag. Very enjoyable.

I was quite pleasantly surprised. Went here on a lark with two very hungry and impatient kids. My wife and I were very happy with the service. The pizza was absolutely spectacular. The vegetarian antipasti was also brilliant. I have never been a grilled eggplant fan, but now I am a Phan. My wifes butternut squash ravioli was very sophisticated in its seasoning a presentation. Would come here again, the food was good, the service earnest and the décor very cute. All in all a great experience.

Had a rather pleasant meal at Cacio Pepe last night. On the way to visit a favourite of ours, we decided to try this place instead. It does a number of anti-​pasti, which I liked the idea of, but my attention was distracted by an caponata calzone — stuffed with aubergine, peppers, ricotta and raisins. So we shared a vegetarian anti-​pasti mix of roasted vegetables, smoked mozzarella and olives and made way for pizza.
While we dined on our starter, the waiter gave us samples of polenta bites (a little under seasoned for me) and some bread, after over hearing me ask the boy if he wanted any. No charge for either — just a nice little touch.
My calzone arrived — I have to admit, I wasn’t wowed, but the boy liked his pizza. Mine was underseasoned again and missing the raisins listed on the menu, and the pizza base was extremely tough and drenched with oil. It wasn’t bad food, but it didn’t blow my socks off either.
Finally, because i had had a bad day, I went for a slice of tiramisu, to make everything a little better again. I definitely enjoyed the tiramisu, and it disappeared in seconds.
At the end, when we paid our bill, we were given one meal free (as part of some offer we didn’t know about), and a loyalty card. I have to hand it to Cacio Pepe, they have their service down — pretty discreet, and everything was delivered as necessary. Prices are pretty reasonable, even without the deal. I would say Cacio Pepe is a rather nice place to spend a meal without it burning a hole in your pocket, but the price does match the quality — which is definitely reasonable, just not amazing.

Caciopepe is the latest incarnation of the old Patio Restaurant and definately the best!
I have eaten here 3 times (twice at night and one at lunchtime) in the last fortnight and each time has been outstanding. The pasta is excellent (especially the butternut squash tortellini), and the people I have been dining with have all had rave reviews of the pizzas, lasagne and scallop risotto. They also do a lovely Prosecco by the glass.
This is somewhere I plan to use frequently and I hope that the standard doesn’t slip once they have been open a while.