The Square

I was meeting up with a few friends and this was the suggested meet up point for breakfast /​lunch.
With only a few seats this could have been a cosy place to go to but the no heating knocked that one in the head, all the guests that where eating in, kept their jackets on.
A good menu on offer from steak sandwiches, daily specials, breakfast’s to filled roll’s.
The food would have been nice if it had been served on hot plates, as they where served on cold plates the food went cold quickly.
The floor looked as if it hadn’t been swept in a day or two,
The coffee is nice not could not fault that.

We love going to the square because the food quality is always great. Love the lentil soup!

What a mentally crazy place. If I hadn’t been warned about the process at The Square, I would have just been confused ie. pick your bread from the side (oh how I think about grubby paws manhandling the bread… euw) and then order. I was a bit confused as there was a huge queue, which I joined like a good and proper Brit, only to watch someone else march straight up to the counter and order. I then realised this was some strange gathering of people who were either waiting for a table, to pay, or to get their order.
Thus enlightened, I walked up to the counter and placed my order. Looking in the deli counter I started to feel less confident, noticing that there was no separation of meat and non meat products, and the same equipment used for both.
I heard another guy complaining after his lunch was lost, and my confidence dorpped further. I then saw, from the side, my lunch (a vegetable melt) which I assume would have been treated like a panini, having the contents removed from the bread, thrown into the panini toaster, then shovelled back into the panini and toasted as one. Hmm. Hungry and not super fastidious, I took it, but I wouldn’t return, The Squares practices just seem a bit too shambolic for me.

I used to work on York Place and so most lunch times I would go to The Square. The staff were super friendly and the sandwiches and hot dishes such as yummy mac’n’cheese.
One thing in particular that I like is that they post their soups daily on Facebook so you can decide before you go, and they always have something different, from Smoked Turkey and yellow split pea to Sweet potato beetroot and feta.
There were always queues out the door at lunch time so they opened up another place 5 mins just down the road.
I haven’t been for a while so I’m definitely due another visit :)

We’d made up our minds to grab a bite in the National Portrait Gallery but decided to pop across the road to the Square for a change of scenery. Have to say the jury’s out on whether we chose wisely.
Inside is pretty standard ‘sandwich shoppy’ though there are some comfy seats to grab. We sat near the door — mistake number one, and ordered a steak baguette (not bad) and a chicken and sweet corn chowder — mistake number two.
For some reason folk coming in and out didn’t quite grasp the concept of a front door that can close as well as open so it was a chilly dining experience. Got up to close it once but hoped the staff might have done something after the double doors were left open for the fifth time. Not good.
I’d opted for the steak, but sweetness and light thought the chowder would be more up her street. Golden rule for chefs — you can’t take salt out, so better to under do it than over do it. I could almost see her mineral levels rising in front of me and said goodbye to my can of San Pellagrino as she tried in vain to combat her saline intake.
That said, I thought the steak baguette was pretty decent but I don’t think we’ll be rushing back.

This is simply a fab place to have breakfast — they even do rib eye steak and eggs. The service is friendly and the food is just delicious. Have been twice now and each time have loved the scrambled eggs — first on toast (loads of it!) and second time on a roll — freshly cooked and hot.
You must try it!
Wifi available if you have a BT account…

I wandered into town still half asleep before hopping onto a bus up to Aberdeen. My Belly was not happy at the thought of having to wait til reaching the granite city before getting something to eat, so a quick breakfast was what I was looking for. I had walked past this place a few times, it is close to the bus station so I headed straight for it.
I arrived and as it was early morning they were quite busy with takeaways and such like, but it wasn’t too busy! I then decided I had enough time to sit and enjoy my breakfast roll rather than walk and eat (that always ends badly for me!!) I grabbed a seat and one of the girls came over to clear the cups and plates off the table. I had decided on what I wanted and sat there for a good ten minutes without anyone coming over to see what I was wanting. Although it does not suggest anywhere that you need to order at the counter, I was a bit peeved that none of the staff thought to come over, or for the girl that was clearing to inform me that it was not table service?! I therefore ended up getting my egg and tattie scone roll to takeaway as I had already wasted 10 minutes sitting in which time the queue and got vastly longer! Not happy. The roll, was well, an egg and tattie scone roll.
The soup board sounded tasty with lots of choices, but I think if I was going to go back for lunch, I would maybe try avoid the ‘lunch rush’ as I would feel the service may not be quite up to scratch.

THE SQUARE, EDINBURGH
There is no reason why lunch, although usually less time-​abundant and void of the kind of ambience only a neatly presented dinner table and a rather nice bottle of red afford, should be treated with disregard and a hurried, soggy ham and egg roll and can of diet coke, gulped down over your laptop…
Especially now, in light of renewed, fashionable health awareness, more of us tend to hunt out the trendy eatery, where the want for desirable food much outweighs the unfortunately hefty price tag.
Not so with The Square on Edinburgh’s South St Andrews Street, where a range of affordable and appealing lunchtime options have been embraced and the warm and welcoming staff of this take-​away-​cum-​sit for a while, trendy food outlet have built up a regular clientele which is growing daily.
Daily offerings, via a giant blackboard, include an array of fine cheeses, hams, fresh breads, pastas and a variety of accompaniments along with the ever-​changing choice of ‘made on the premises’ soups, hot dishes and freshly ground coffees.
All for taking away or sitting on the premises to eat, when you can leave feeling satisfied to have experienced a tasty, healthy, inexpensive and relaxing lunch worthy of your alloted funds for the day!