Travel Journals: Welcome to Edinburgh

A reunion 5+ years in the making….

I have the French doors open wide to the tiny balcony of my sweet flat in the bucolic Dean Park Mews in Edinburgh. Coffee in hand, I wander in and out of the doorway, looking out over the cobblestoned street, dappled in faint sunlight on this late May morning. I find a Radiohead Essentials playlist on Apple Music, connect it to my travel speaker (one of my must-haves for this travel life) and press play. As ‘Creep’ begins to play, I sip my coffee and look around the room, bright from the excellent skylights, my gaze lingering on three wrapped items on the low coffee table - welcome to Scotland and belated birthday gifts for my dear friend, Justin (J), who will arrive momentarily.

Dean Park Mews

I go back out to the balcony, looking up and down the street which is still and quiet on this Friday morning, wondering which way the cab will come. Keeping an eye on the time since J texted he was in his car, he should arrive any minute. I can hardly believe that after 5 (plus) years of dozens of phone calls, hundreds of text messages, and many shared instagram posts, we will finally be reunited in person!

After meeting ,and becoming fast friends, in early 2019, and sharing many travel adventures, that would span several months, from Southeast Asia, to London, to Portland, Willamette Valley, and the Oregon Coast, Covid would put the brakes on our in-person gatherings in early 2020. However, our friendship continued to grow and expand through many calls, face-times, texts and emails: sharing films, laughs, shows, books, podcasts, music, food, wine and finally, our individual travels, as the world opened back up. I think about how special it is to make a true friend in this world during anytime of life, but most particularly as I have gotten older: this is a gift.

As I lean on the balcony, I hear the low hum of an engine to my right and see the tip of a car hood and instinctively I know, J is here. The black mini-van turns onto my street and stops just to the left of the balcony. The driver sees me leaning over the balcony, and I can see him gesturing towards me, mirroring my big smile. The side door to the van slides open and Justin steps out, looks up and says “Hello, my friend.”

“I’ll be right down!”

I step back inside, put my coffee mug on the table and head down the short staircase to the door. Stepping out onto the street and into a warm hug, I say “Welcome to Scotland!”

So begins a full week of adventure, delicious food and wine, long walks and conversations, an epic road trip, much laughter and just the joy of sharing a place I dearly love, with someone I dearly love.

Is there anything better than exploring and experiencing a glorious place, such as my beloved Scotland, with a good friend?

DAY 1

Rolling 6’s

After getting inside with bags, hydration and a relaxing catch up of the travel day/night, with J just off the red-eye from New York, I think coffee and food are a good place to start the trip. J can’t get into his flat until the afternoon so we will leave his stuff at my place while we kick off the trip in style with a visit to our mothership, Dishoom.

Dishoom - our shared history

Talk of Dishoom has never waned much in the subsequent years since we first went together in June of 2019. In June 2019, J and I took an impromptu side-trip to London after completing our 4-months of travel in SE Asia, where we met. As we were wrapping up our last month, living in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia, soon we would be going our separate ways. I was going to be going to Europe for the summer and J was headed back to the US. One day, during our first week in KL, while J was on a quick trip to Vietnam, I was spending the morning looking for flights to Portugal, where I would live for the month of July. I was not finding anything appealing in price or duration of flight so, I decided to look at London as a destination and found a direct flight from KL for $500. A smoking deal. I started to concoct an idea for a brief stop in London and quickly found an EPIC 2-bedroom Airbnb in Soho, which is an excellent neighborhood, for an unreal [low] price for the last week of June (high season). I texted J, giving him the details and asking if he was interested in taking this adventure with me. I knew he had never been to London and I would love to show him my ‘greatest hits’ over 5 days. He responded almost immediately with a ‘YES’.

As I put together a plan/itinerary, multiple Dishoom stops were a MUST and J was excited as I had talked about Dishoom as one of my favorite restaurants in the world quite often during our travels.

About Dishoom: from Bombay with love. Dishoom is an independently opened British chain of Indian restaurants, founded in 2010 by co-founders Shamil and Kavi Thakrar. It was designed to match the Irani cafès popular in Mumbai in the 1960s. Each Dishoom is wonderful and unique in design and the menus are consistent in each. I highly recommend reading about Dishoom’s cafè development, know as cafè founding myths, here.

While on our London trip, we made it to two out of three Dishoom locations. Unfortunately, we got knocked flat with jet lag on the second afternoon and both of us slept through our alarms and dinner reservation…so we only made it for breakfast and snacks. Both a delight and a disappointment (that we made it to two locations but not for a proper dinner).

Since 2019, I have been to Dishoom many, many times, at different locations in London and the UK. I ate at the Kings Cross location (my favorite) three times in two days in 2023, which was the visit that changed things…where I was gifted my first Dishoom keychain.

I can’t talk too much about the keychain. You cannot purchase the Dishoom keychain. A keychain is bestowed upon you by a staff member. I did not know anything about the keychain until I was gifted one at Kings Cross but here is what I know now…if you present your keychain while you are dining, you offered a game of chance: a roll of the dice in golden cup, on a large, almost mystical game board.

I’ve rolled the dice MANY TIMES since receiving my keychain (I actually have two different keychains, as I was also gifted one in Edinburgh). To roll the dice is an occasion. The servers are delighted when you present your keychain and they bring the game board and the cup with the dice to your table. The dice make a loud ringing noise as you shake the cup, holding your breath, and dump the dice. If you roll a six, your entire bill is free.

I have never rolled a six.

Back to Edinburgh and day one with J - we head out the door of my flat and the walk from Stockbridge to Dishoom is one of many delights. The city is in full bloom, with gorgeous colors of deep and bright greens in the trees and bushes, potted flowers blooming on every doorstep and patio, offset by the deep gray of the stone townhomes and cobblestones making up the streets. Charm is everywhere you look. We pass by several of my favorite spots in Stockbridge: crossing over the Water of Leith; St Stephens St church; Circus Lane…and as we wind our way up Dundas Street, we reach the top and stop to take in the view of the majestic Edinburgh Castle. Turning on George Street, I point out Calton Hill in the distance and as we reach St. Andrews Square, we can see one of my most photographed and favorite monuments, the Scott Monument, patina’d a black gunmetal gray. A satisfying mini-tour on the way to breakfast is a bonus.

As we enter Dishoom, our senses take over. Everything at Dishoom is intentional - from the music; to the huge open kitchen on the first floor entry; to the incense that is so unique and intoxicating and that mixes perfectly with the smell of the food cooking. We are ravenous.

J lets me lead and I order my favorites: the Bun Maska (fluffy grilled buttery buns) and “endless” Chai is always a must. The Dishoom Chai is magic. I never was interested in chai until I had the Dishoom chai. After experiencing the Dishoom chai for the first time in 2017, I thought to myself “Oh, I love chai!” And went on to order chai at one or two other places out in the world. But I do not love chai. I only love Dishoom Chai. And when I go for breakfast I typically drink 3-4 glasses, at least. Chai is served until 4 pm and you can have as much as you like and is wonderful. J has talked about the chai since 2019 and is a huge fan. Will it be as good as he remembers? Yes, indeed it is.

We also get an egg naan - another favorite. These items are my standard breakfast order and do not disappoint.

We spend time talking about a million things, while relaxing in the Permit Room, the best kinds of conversations that you have with good friends, about everything and nothing. One thing we DO specifically talk about is our plan for a long, late lunch/early dinner here at Dishoom later in the trip, starting to plot our menu orders. We take our eating, drinking and snacking very seriously.

Time passes and after we have had our third (or fourth?) glass of chai after finishing our delicious breakfast, we decide to move from our very comfortable booth and head out into town for some other stops. As the bill arrives I realize I almost forgot to present my key chain. J has heard a LOT about the keychain but has never seen it or experienced it so I want him to enjoy the game of chance. A manager brings the board to the table and says “Ok, who is feeling lucky?” I tell her that J just arrived and he is the guest and needs to roll. She hands him the golden cup and he rolls….

Throwing 6’s at Dishoom, Edinburgh

A SIX!!!!!!

I will tell you, I shouted and almost turned our table, I was so excited!!! The manager claps for us and says your bill is taken care of.

Wow.

An auspicious beginning to a most excellent week indeed.

Lannan Bakery

Since we are past noon, my plan is for us to swing by Lannan Bakery. Lannan had just opened their doors in the late summer of 2023 and I had my first experience at the bakery on my second extended visit to Edinburgh in autumn of 2023. I had read a lot about Lannan, on Instagram mostly, through friends I had made on my first visit to Edinburgh, singing the praises of the owner/baker, Darcie, and for the delicious pastries she makes. Lannan exploded in popularity and now can have queues up to 2 hours. However, this year, they have had an expansion and can produce a bit more volume. I feel like I personally cracked the code of when to go to have little (or no) wait time and still get my favorite items: after 1 pm.

J and I take a different route to Lannan, which is down in Stockbridge, so I can show him a bit more of my favorite city. We walk through neighborhoods of private gardens, dense with folliage and stately grey stone townhomes with large picture windows affording us glimpses of the lives inside. I often fantasize about a ‘New Town’ (which this part of Edinburgh is known as) homes tour, as I wish I could see inside these gorgeous places. So far, this has not manifested for me, but I continue to dream.

A rare day with no queue - autumn 2024 - Lannan Bakery

As we turn towards Hamilton Place, I can see the line at Lannan is quite short and I am well-pleased. J is a big pastries fan and has heard a lot (and received many photos from me) about Lannan and is happy to queue. The time passes quickly and we wait maybe 10-15 minutes, and then are inside the small but charming space and greedily taking in the deliciousness in the case. The staff is lovely and calm - it is a testament to Darcie, the owner, that they are friendly and chill and don’t feel the need to rush because of the queue. It feels very fresh and non-transactional. We have a nice chat with the staff as I order my favorites: a baguette (the best I’ve had outside of Paris); two cardamom buns; two pan au chocolat (also the best I’ve had outside Paris); and the Jamon and cornishons sandwich (3 of these for the weekend). Quite. The. Haul.

Around the corner from Lannan is my favorite neighborhood. A small conclave with a lovely private park in the middle. Last autumn I loved walking here at dusk when the windows were aglow and I was afforded lovely views of the living rooms or kitchens - yes I am a bit of a peeping tom but respectfully and from a distance. J and I walk through this neighborhood, me pointing out the two (or three?) homes that I wouldn’t mind owning for myself. Taking this way leads down to the Water of Leith path and the day has turned to bright sun and the rays are sparkling off the water as we look into the expansive backyards of the townhomes that sit above the burn. I love Scotland in all weather but Edinburgh is showing off it’s sunny side today and I am delighted in the timing of J’s arrival.

Water of Leith, Stockbridge

During our glorious walk, J and I have developed a game plan for the evening: tonight we are going to hang in at my apartment so that we can be fresh for our big day we have planned tomorrow (stay tuned for Day 2!). Impressively fighting jet lag and staying up until at least 9 pm is part of J’s plan, and I make the suggestion of the following at-home menu: lots of snacks, a Lannan sandwich, salad and some wine, of course. J gives a thumbs up and we head to our next stop:

Communique Wines

Communique Wines was a lovely addition to Stockbridge when I returned to the neighborhood for another extended stay in September of 2024. Opening in July 2024, at an excellent location on West Circus Place, I was drawn in to Communique by the elegant green storefront, and by my love of wine, of course. I immediately knew that this shop was a stand-out and something special by seeing the selection of Alessandro Viola wines on the shelf - an Italian producer I am obsessed with that can also be very hard to find.

Since my first visit to Communique, the owner, Ali Graham, has become a good friend and I often swing by just to say hi, chat and see what’s new or what he is jazzed about (which 9 times out of 10 leads to a purchase). Ali’s 25 years in the wine business, and his most excellent palate for exciting wines, has made Communique my favorite wine shop in the city.

Excited to introduce Ali and J, who I had told about each other of course, they fall into a discussion of the cool whiskies that Communique also stocks along with the wines, craft beers and a selection of vermouth and sherry. It is an incredible shop, full of delightful tempting libations and a warm vibe that encourages exploration and questions. Ali is also a huge “foodie” and he highly recommended a couple of the spots we are going for dinner (that I would not have know about without our fun weekly conversations) and am very excited to visit. More on that coming soon.

We buy some yummy wines (Alessandro Viola, yes) and now have come almost full circle, as my flat is only a 7-minute walk from Communique (dangerous!), and we wind our way back to Dean Park Mews.

J collects his luggage and I see him off to get the keys to his apartment, get settled and have a bit of a rest. I spend the next couple of hours running to George Mewes Cheeses (only a 4 minute walk from my flat - also dangerous) to grab the Blackmount Cheese which is an aged goat from Scotland that is so SO good. I buy more snacks, including crisps and crackers and sparkling water to set us up for a relaxed and easy evening of food, wine and conversation.

Later that evening, which feels like afternoon with the sun shining until at least 10 pm this time of year, J returns. We have the doors and windows open and I am sure my neighbors can hear the low murmurs of non-stop conversation, shouts of laughter and the distinct clink of glasses as we cheers to being reunited and a week of fun ahead of us.

Rolling 6’s

the essence of this adventure

And as the sun sets on day one, I am filled with joy and gratitude for such a marvelous beginning.

Thanks so much for being here and for reading my travel journal on a most anticipated and lovely reunion.

Stay tuned for days 2-6 coming soon.

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