Refurbished in 2015, this candlelit basement restaurant on Deanhaugh Street stands out from many of the city’s other Italians restaurants. Compact and cosy rather than extensive, it is an intimate space for a romantic dinner or a good conversation with old friends.
At first glance, the range of pasta and pizza on offer at Veritas looks similar to many others. A closer look reveals a concise and carefully selected range of authentic dishes. Popular pasta options include the penne with smoked cheese, aubergine, cherry tomatoes and black olives or the linguine with oil, garlic, chilli, prawns and spinach.
The Margherita pizza is topped with fresh buffalo mozzarella while a more complex option might be the pizza maialona with gorgonzola, Italian sausage and red onion.
To start, there are various bruschetta and focaccia or platters of charcuterie, roast veg and Italian cheeses. Other antipasti choices include a spicy stew made with cannellini beans, leeks and nduja salami paste or the bigne’ di verdure – mixed veggies fritters served with chilli jam and Spanish aioli. Depending on the ingredients at hand, the chef is also happy to take requests.
Veritas is on Deanhaugh Street on the north side of the Dean Bridge. Several bus routes run to and from the city centre from Deanhaugh Street and there is restricted on-street parking. Waverley and Haymarket train stations are a ten minute taxi ride. Nearby attractions include the Botanic Gardens.