Disclaimer: Those nice people at Groupon gave me £40 to buy myself a Groupon and review the goods or service.
Now, I do like a Groupon. I've had good Groupon experiences and bad Groupon experiences. In America, I discovered my nearest restaurant with a Groupon, which I'd never have thought of going to otherwise, and which became a favourite. I also discovered a sad, empty restaurant which served not very nice food, an over-priced and inflexible hairdressing salon, and a bit of a mediocre massage therapist. What I like about Groupon, is that it makes you try new things. It's the nearest thing to adventure that I get - or want (I'm quite boring, really). I enjoy the randomness of it. You pick one, you buy it, and sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not. I guess that's the essence of a bargain. Sometimes that sweater that was a steal in the shop becomes your favourite go-to wardrobe item. Sometimes it spends its life accusingly sitting on the shelf, saying "you bought me, now you must darn well wear me, even though I'm really not very nice to look at after all".
When you've moved to a new city, Groupon seems a great way of exploring. Especially if it's a freebie. Thus it was that I purchased "Tapas for Two" at the Blue Goose Country Pub. The description sounded as if the experience contained all I would need for a cosy night out with Husband. It was by the Water of Leith, and the words "Country Pub" always warm the cockles of the heart, especially the heart that has been living in America, thousands of miles away from the nearest country pub. We'd been told that Leith is full of nice eateries and drinkeries, and it's not far from where we are, so I thought it would be an easy night out.
Thing is, no-one told me that the Water of Leith is the name of the river that flows through the city of Edinburgh. So just because an establishment is "by the Water of Leith", it doesn't mean that it's anywhere near Leith. Stop laughing at me. It was an easy mistake. It did mean that the evening didn't get off to a flying start. First, I must have asked Husband about half a dozen times if it really was ok to leave the children with the new puppy on their own, even though the puppy would be asleep all evening (oh... and there's a blog post I haven't written yet... the puppy...). Second, I had the traditional argument with Emily, our GPS voice. She does insist on taking us through the city centre, even though half the roads are closed where they are laying tramlines. Third, we realised pretty soon that we weren't headed for Leith, five minutes away, but for three-quarters of the way down the Lanark Road, about twenty minutes away (or more, if you're relying on Emily).
The Blue Goose is, indeed, right by the Water of Leith, and there is a small outdoor area where you could sit and have a pint (though not on a rainy, cold, dark September evening). But even with as many provisos as I could muster, the words "country pub" seemed... well, perhaps I just have an over-romanticised mental image of a country pub. Call me picky, but the words don't somehow conjure up a building on a major arterial road. The atmosphere as we walked into The Blue Goose wasn't so much open fire, horse brasses and low beams, as brightly lit restaurant area, and bar area with
Nutbush City Limits blaring loudly from speakers. We've all had those "this is not what I had in mind" moments, and this was one of mine.
But all's well that ends well. I dropped my pre-conceptions, and decided we were going to have a nice evening anyway. We found a quietish corner, and I think they must have turned the music down. Either that, or Husband's conversation was so scintillating that I filtered out any other decibels. The tapas were delicious. The staff were helpful and when we said we wanted something else to eat, but not a whole course, the waitress suggested the cheeseboard from the dessert menu. She said it was really nice, and she was right. Just the perfect suggestion.
So will I go to The Blue Goose again? In all honesty, I probably won't make a special trip. We are in central Edinburgh, and therefore very spoilt for choice with places to eat and drink without driving for 20-30 minutes with the irritating Emily. But if I happened to be in a traffic jam on the Lanark Road, on my way back from... Lanark, perhaps?... and wanted somewhere for a break, it would be good to know of The Blue Goose, with its easy parking, flexible menu, friendly staff, and memorable name. It might be a balmy summer evening, and I'd order the cheeseboard and a glass of wine, take a table outside, and sit by the Water of Leith. Not very near Leith.
Iota and Husband enjoyed a glass of wine each and six tapas for two, at The Blue Goose, 27 Lanark Road, Edinburgh EH14 1TG. Normal price £32 pounds, covered by a £12 Groupon, representing a £20 saving. And we didn't pay the £12 anyway -
thank you, Groupon.
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