Reds

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The sign reading ‘Six buggy limit’ says it all. If you live in Portobello and have small children, chances are you’ll know Reds and its large, soft cage – sorry, play frame – in the back room, where your offspring can slide and scamper while you eat or get a caffeine hit. On weekend evenings the front area turns restaurant, with soft lighting and tablecloths, and a close-circuit TV screen lets dining parents keep an eye on the play frame while kids wear themselves out before bed. The daytime menu runs from garlicky crostini to sandwiches, cakes and diner-style mains such as enchiladas and spaghetti and meatballs. There’s a wide-ranging kids’ menu, too. Much is made in-house but a home-made Cullen skink that’s all cream and a few small flakes of fish is only marginally better than a dry, processed burger with a square of orange cheese. Reds’ revised, shorter evening menu has loftier ambitions altogether – for example Highland venison in red wine jus or wild mushroom risotto. Changes are afoot in the kitchen, so the food may perk up.