Tucked down the bottom of Circus Place, CATA is a Spanish tapas restaurant on the edge of Stockbridge, a stone’s throw from the Water of Leith. With its candlelit tables and rustic design, this tiny restaurant oozes charm and a cosy atmosphere, making it the perfect place for an upcoming date night if you haven’t got Valentine’s Day sorted yet.
Waiting to be sat at our table, I spotted the “Albóndigas Del Abuelo“, the beef and pork meatballs, making their way to another group and instantly informed my party that we would be ordering our own plate. I clearly have a good eye, because they, along with every other dish we ordered, were divine. There are also plenty of vegetarian and vegan options to share; the “Pan Con Tomate” was delightful in its simplicity and in its taste – I could live on the stuff.
There were no complaints about the “Chorizo a la Sidra” or the “Fabada de la Casa” either, both of which served a welcoming warmth as stew-like dishes on a cold January night. The delight with tapas restaurants is the ability to try a little bit of everything, and CATA was no different.
And of course, what is dinner without a sweet treat to finish on? The “Tarta de Queso” was the perfect way to finish – not overly sweet or heavy, it was a perfect dessert to share to end the night.
This is also an excellent place if, like me, you are a complete wine nerd. With a huge array of Spanish wine to choose from, this is definitely somewhere you treat yourself to the bottle. It was no easy choice as the wine list was almost as long as the actual menu. The “Paco Lola y Lolo” we eventually settled on was a smooth accompaniment to our tapas as a fresh, fruity wine, but there are cheaper options available if, like everyone I know, you have also overspent in January.
Whilst not the cheapest place in Edinburgh (but let’s face it, what is cheap here?!), it is the perfect place for a date or to drag your parents to when you want a little more luxury than a messy flat kitchen can provide. The quality of the food is worth the price, and whilst we trundle through the endless winter, the authenticity of the place will certainly get you yearning for the summer days and a trip to sunny Spain.
Images provided by Mattie Thomas