From the exterior The Bad Ass Café & Bistro looks much like the majority of pubs on Rose Street. However, once inside, its cosy atmosphere is offset by walls bursting with mirrors and black and white photographs while the soft sounds of Frank Sinatra provide the prefect background in which to enjoy a hearty meal at lunch or dinnertime.

At first sight the menu appears to be primarily of steak, nachos and burgers variety but looking further throws up an interesting assortment of seafood and vegetarian options. I started with the kick ass wings (£3.95), which arrived with a sticky hickory sauce and salad, while my companion chose bubble prawns (£4.95), juicy Japanese style prawns with sweet chilli sauce.

Enjoying a bottle of Cuvee Jean Paul Rouge (£8.95) we were presented with sirloin steak (£13.95) with a cracked black pepper and brandy sauce (£1) and sizzled sausage (£8.95), a mix on venison and Cumberland sausages with parsley mash and boozy gravy. All of our choices were delicious but we were ultimately defeated by the sheer size of the portions and could only look at the desserts available for around (£3.45).

Edinburgh Food Guide
2002/2003

Before you go onto anything else – isn’t that a great name for a bistro bar? You really expect to find John Shaft in the bar having a cocktail with a bevy of scantily clad beauties, don’t you? Failing that, you can just stop in for a bite to eat, of course.

Having had major cosmetic surgery in the last two years, The Bad Ass has gone from being a pub named after an evil donkey, to a very nice little West End eatery. Describing themselves as serving ‘Fine wine, ales and ketchup’ (presumably all by the glass) they do a decent turn in whisky haggis and chargrill, with separate lunch and evening menus a nice mid-range place for a bite, if that’s what you’re in the mood for.

this rate, they’ll give that donkey a good name…

Edinburgh Food Guide
2002/2003