---
title: "El Sabor, Edinburgh · Rampant Scotland"
description: "Location El Sabor is an intimate basement bistro at 36 Deanhaugh Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh (telephone 0131 332 3322), just down from Edinburgh's New Town. "
canonical: "https://rampant-scotland.pages.dev/besteating/best_eating_dev_sabor.htm"
last-updated: "2026-11-11"
date-basis: "git-content-change"
---

# El Sabor, Edinburgh · Rampant Scotland

Great Places to Eat

# El Sabor, Edinburgh

[Original page](https://web.archive.org/web/20040423154401/http://www.rampantscotland.com:80/besteating/best_eating_dev_sabor.htm)

Restored from the raw archived page capture: original scripts, advertisements and shared site navigation removed. Original wording, photographs and layout order preserved.

>

**Location**
El Sabor is an intimate basement bistro at 36 Deanhaugh Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh (telephone 0131 332 3322), just down from Edinburgh's New Town.

**The Restuarant**
Formerly a cosy coffee house, popular with locals for a Sunday brunch over the papers, it has now been magically transformed into a bright and colourful South American bar and restaurant. The dozen of so tables are covered in bright checked table-clothes, there are vases of fresh flowers, ceramics and art work, candles and soft lighting. The Proprietors, Mohammed and Mercedes Taheri, a husband and wife team, greet us personally with a happy smile, find a table near the bar and bring bright yellow menus. A cocktail is suggested - perhaps a Sabor Latino (Malibu with Vodka) or an Acapulco (White run with pineapple). Yes, this is Rio and an exotic world of sunshine and laughter. Now we really feel we have flown off to the south seas and basking under a palm tree.

**The Food**
El Sabor offers the "authentic Latin American taste" with enticing specialities for entradas, to start, include Ceviche, marinated fish with garlic and spices and Arepitas con queso, corn flour bread served with sour cream. For the main course there`s the simple but ever popular Churrasco, grilled T-bone steak, and Pollo guisado chicken stew or be daring and try the Pabellon from Venezuela, featuring shredded beef stew, black beans and rice. The selection of seafood is very tempting and I thoroughly enjoyed some juicy and still- sizzling Langostinos a la plancha, king prawns, served with rice and fried plantain, the tropical green skinned banana. This is a delicious and perfect accompaniment to savoury dishes, popular in many places apart from South America, from the Caribbean to Madeira. I have never before experienced plantain in Edinburgh so this was a real treat. Vegetarians are most welcome here where they may tuck into huge platters of spicy Chilli con vegetales, Wild rice with grilled vegetables or Soya Fajitas.

Our superb feast was washed down with a bottle of the house red wine, Casa de Piedra Cabernet Sauvignon at the amazingly good value at just £7.90.

**The Bill**
Starters: £3- £5; Main course: £7 - £12. Pudding/dessert. £3.50. House wine: £7.90.

**Conclusion**
On a wet Sunday night, El Sabor was very busy indeed with people arriving on spec for a table. With typical fiesta music in the background, a warm ambience, friendly service and a fabulous home-cooked banquet, this is the place to come for a good night out, some South American sunshine in the middle of the Scottish winter. Reservations are certainly recommended.

*Vivien Devlin*

Return to the Index of [Great Places to Eat in Scotland](https://web.archive.org/web/20040423154401/http://www.rampantscotland.com:80/besteating/best_eating_index.htm).

---

## Source

From Rampant Scotland, restored from the page as it stood on 23 April 2004. [Original page](https://web.archive.org/web/20040423154401/http://www.rampantscotland.com:80/besteating/best_eating_dev_sabor.htm).

Links to pages not yet restored here lead to the original page or elsewhere on the web; 0 of 1 links on this page are restored on this site.