Dinner At Bistro 19 In Livingston, Scotland
Published On Wednesday 29 Jan 2025 by Sticky Beak
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Whenever The Man and I go away, we like to eat out as much as possible in the local area, and it was no different on a recent trip up to Scotland. Livingston is located about 15 miles outside of Edinburgh, and only a few miles away from where we were staying, so we decided to see what Bistro 19 [a fairly new] eaterie had to offer. There’s plenty of on-site parking spaces so, after bagging one, we headed inside the large building, eager to grab a bite!
A couple of the staff were fulfilling drinks orders in the reception area, and another of them greeted us and took us over to our booth table. The space is modern and the particular area we sat in – there were a couple of other dining areas located further down – had some gorgeous ‘foliage walls’ to admire, but my attention was captured particularly by the beautiful tones of the Herringbone-pattern wood floor. The lighting and decor is fairly neutral, and everything was spotlessly clean, which always creates the right first impression.
As well as the regular menu, Bistro 19 has a special set menu on offer Monday-Thursday 4-8pm that is priced at £17.95 for two courses or £20.95 for three (per person, obviously). The first job, though, was to get some drinks sorted: I opted for Pepsi Max and His Nibs had a Peroni Zero as he was mindful of the different drink/drive law in Scotland and didn’t want to get on the wrong side of it.
I went for a classic Prawn Cocktail to start, The Man went for the Lentil and Bacon Soup; for mains we chose Beef Fillet Teriyaki Stir-fry with Noodles/Rice (this carries a £3 supplement) and Chicken Balmoral with its (according to His Maj) irresistible Whiskey, Mushroom and Bacon Sauce...erm, thought you hated Mushrooms, mister??!
It wasn’t long before our starters were being placed before us and, I have to say, they looked rather fine. My Prawn Cocktail came in a slim-stemmed cocktail glass - very apt – and the colours were very appealing, visually. Luscious, pink Prawns were bathing in a velvety Marie-Rose sauce and lay on a thick, verdant bed of Mixed Leaves and then topped with roasted Red Pepper. It wasn’t the described Guac, but the sauce right at the very bottom of the glass wasn’t half tasty and I used the last of it to moisten the remaining salad leaves.
His Nibs’ Lentil and Bacon soup was surprisingly attractive; instead of a non-descript lentilly tone, it was sunny-hued: just the ticket in the middle of winter. Thick slices of warm, toasted bread (and wrapped butter portions) were soon getting dunked into its comforting depths and, judging by the grin of joy on The Mans’ mush, the flavour was marvellous. I was offered a spoonful, and it had a lovely creaminess from the Lentils, zhuzhed up by a hefty injection of meatiness from the Bacon. Crisped lardons decorated the Soup’s surface and added even more taste to this great starter.
Our empty plates were cleared away and we sat back in anticipation of our main courses. One of the best things about a stir-fry is the plethora of colours on the plate, and the one that came from the kitchen of Bistro 19 was ticking all the right boxes. Crunchy slices of Spring Onion, scattered White and Dark Sesame Seeds and a wedge of Lime formed the decorative touches, as well as being flavoursome in their own rights, and colourful Peppers popped against the dramatically dark pieces of Fillet Beef.
Noodles were swirled in amongst the other elements and these treasures had been cooked spot-on – nice one, Chef. The Teriyaki Sauce was scrummily unctuous and intensely tasty; in fact, the entire dish was faultless. A trio of crunchy Prawn Crackers added a nice touch to the dish, especially as they weren’t mentioned on the menu description.
A sizeable Chicken breast had been cut in half for presentation purposes, its juicy, tender flesh bathed in a pale, thick sauce. There was no mistaking the taste of Whiskey in this sauce and, combined with the Bacon and Mushroom, made for a tremendously moreish part of the dish. Chef had seasoned the Mash perfectly, the glass-smooth spud contrasting delightfully with the crunchy Savoy Cabbage shreds and still-firm Carrot batons.
All the dishes had been presented on crockery or in glassware that would showcase their individual charm, and we really couldn’t fault anything, which pleased our servers no end when they’d been doing their check-backs at each course.
I opted not to have dessert, but The Man Bird couldn’t resist the White Chocolate and Raspberry Sundae’s charms! Again, you couldn’t fail to appreciate the presentation: the same style glass that my starter had come in was used, and you could make out the distinct layers of White Choc Ice Cream and Fruit Compote. It was the finishing flourishes, though, that stole the show: Biscuit crumbs’ golden tone shone against the pale body of Ice Cream and decorative wafers added artistic form.
What I especially wanted to know was just how the Cream had been so intricately piped! It had a delicate filigree appearance and its texture was impossibly airy in the mouth – genius. Rich, creamy, sweet and tart, this gem of a dessert was sublime.
Hot Wings happily given to this Livingston eaterie; we’d certainly return here if we were in the area. Bistro 19 is open 7-days-a-week: Sun-Thurs 10am-8.30pm (last food order), Friday and Saturday 10am-9pm (last food order). On lighter, warmer nights I’m sure it would be divine to dine out in the garden...or even sip a cocktail; as it was, it was still a joy to dine there in the dark of winter.
To book a table either call 01506 888305 or visit the website www.bistro19.co.uk and hit the ‘reserve table’ button.
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