The luxury of having friends in Edinburgh to stay with during the Fringe can't be overstated. With the cost of accommodation now creeping closer to a grand a night, the least you can do is take your hosts out to lunch in one of the Scottish capital's innumerable dining spots. So, finding ourselves in Bruntsfield, we popped in to Piggs in search of a table for three.
Escaping a very rainy Bruntsfield Place, we stashed our brollies in the dripping stand in a relatively presumptuous fashion, manifesting that - despite having no reservation - they would squeeze us in. It works; there's a table free now, although we'd have to be out in an hour and fifteen minutes. For lunch, this was perfect, although it felt that ordinarily we wouldn't have been so lucky, so I'd highly recommend being more organised and phoning ahead. Despite the narrowness of the space, Piggs comfortably seats ten tables, enveloping a rather decently-joinered bar. The three of us squeeze into a window booth. I suspect that too long spent enjoying the Piggs menu might make it much harder to squeeze back out, but despite being someone prone to complaining about restaurant seating, this is a cushy corner to while away an hour or two.
Our waiter arrives to place an itinerant specials blackboard on the table, and talk through everything on it. We're sold on the Presa Ibérica and a 2025 albariño, and order everything else from the main tapas menu. I should, at this point, declare a disinterest; I don't really like tapas. In fact, I'm not really very keen on any menu divided into 'small plates' and 'large plates'. I come to restaurants to relax; I don't want to take turns in leaving the last morsel on the plate for another, simply out of politeness. Starter, main, dessert, on dishes for me and me alone, please. But our host has chosen the place, and unless I'd like to spend half the average annual salary on staying in Edinburgh, I decide not to share this fact with my husband-to-be or his best friend from uni who's letting us live with her all week.
Credit: Cal Roscow
Having ordered with empty stomachs, we opt for Torres crisps and pan con tomate for speed. Crisps arrive almost immediately, while the waiter, mid-uncorking, talks us through the wine we've chosen. It's pretty difficult to go too wrong with an albariño, but the 2025 Granbazán is strikingly suited to Spanish food. Better still, our waiter has actually tried it himself, been taught everything about it, and was able to suggest dishes on the menu to pair with it. There's a passion for the place here that is so often lacking from even the smallest independent restaurants. Things are off to an excellent start.
The huevos rotos con chorizo soaks up the albariño nicely; a nest of fries forms the bed for a duo of chunky sausages and fried egg. The garlic chicken, served with a whole sprig of rosemary, comes in a jus that you'll want to keep for the chips. The Ibérico pork and steak jerez that follow come seared and perfectly rare in the centre. It wouldn't be tapas without a few croquetas, and Piggs elevate the dish by offering a selection of sauces (we chose all three). All this forms a more-than-hearty lunch, but leaves us wanting to come back again for dinner, having only tried a fraction of the plates on the menu.
To begin
Patatas Torres Jamón
Pan Con Tomate
The main event
Presa Ibérica
Steak Jerez
Croquetas Jamón
Pollo al Ajillo
Huevos Rotos con Chorizo
On the side
Piggs Sauce
Salsa Brava
Alioli
From the wine list
2025 Granbazán Etiqueta Verde Albariño
Food: £70.60
Drinks: £47.75
Service: £11.83
Total for three: £130.18
If you feel that this might be too much meat for one sitting, rest assured there's plenty for vegetarians here too. And although we're too full to consume a third course this early in the day, there's a respectable dessert menu on offer too. On asking for the bill, I sit looking, enviously, at a neighbouring table's churros.
Piggs has achieved something remarkable (and it isn't just winning over this tapas sceptic). The staff are passionate, the interior is modern-yet-cosy, and they've managed to achieve a long menu where each dish feels considered and essential. It's no wonder that this is their second Edinburgh branch. Should the Campos family seek to bring this burgeoning institution to other cities, it would be a welcome game-raising move against the rest of the small plates movement.
★★★★☆ 4/5
Piggs, Bruntsfield
171 Bruntsfield Pl, Edinburgh EH10 4DG piggswinebar.co.uk
Follow @piggswinebar on Instagram.
