Dear lovely people.
So the 15th of July is our liberation date. Finally a little good news. Nonna Gertrude texted me within 2 minutes of the announcement. At 93 she’s the biggest lockdown rebel in the family. She’s more desperate to get out; get to the hairdresser, the book club, meet her pals for coffee and lunch than my teenagers! Go Nonna G!
Tomorrow we see our neighbouring shops on George Street opening their doors. I’m imagining the Q’s at Space NK will be wrapping round the block to Queen Street. We’re all in need of a little retail beauty therapy.
We’re working on a slow and steady reopening.
Opening Contini George Street is the first step closer (get it) to serving you in our restaurants. We’ve got some very exciting new additions for the mothership that we’ll share next week. You’ll love it! All I’m going to say is classy glassy! Covid-19 has challenged and in truth has been one of the hardest mental journeys of Victor and my lives. We’re taking small steady steps but you’re supplying the energy and enthusiasm to keep us going. We’ll share news on our other beautiful venues when we can.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, we can’t say thank you enough!
Keep well and keep safe
Carina & Victor and all the team at Contini
WE’RE GOOD TO GO
We’ve registered for the government’s “WE’RE GOOD TO GO” industry standard accreditation scheme. This will give extra confidence to you, our team and our suppliers that we will be continuing to meet best practice in this new Covid-19 world. I’m very glad the industry bodies, front faced by Visit Scotland, have worked together to give us this tool to be able to visibly reassure everyone that the health and wellbeing of our customers, our teams and our suppliers is at the heart of our choices.
CONTINI TAKEAWAY!
To help service get back up and running at Contini George Street we’re opening for a limited takeaway menu from this Wednesday. Anyone missed a cappuccino or a Edinburgh Bacon Company sourdough panino or warm bomboloni for breakfast? How about an Aperol Spritz with a San Marzano Bruschetta or hot arancini with arrabiata sugo and fresh chillies for lunch? I can never resist fabulous fresh Anguria, chilled mouthwatering watermelon at any time.
You all know we’re passionate about bringing you the very best. Whether it’s our own produce and supporting our artisan Scottish suppliers but we can’t be true to our values at Contini George Street without our taste of Italy supplementing the best we can get from Scotland.
We’ll be showcasing our amazing Italian produce either as a box or a bag. The news season produce really is sensational. Victor is on the phone to the market in Milano for two or three days each week coordinating the order and ensuring the best freshest produce arrives. We’ll also have baskets of our Kitchen Garden Produce grown 5 miles away and picked fresh that morning.
Please pop along and say Ciao! We’ll love to see you. As we’ve said we’re taking it slow to start. Over the last 3 months we’ve had to adapt and learn new ways of doing things. At times we’ve felt beaten, to say it’s been tough is an understatement. We’re not beaten yet but we know the next stage of the journey is just starting. We’ll be open from 10am to 6pm for this first small start! Tables and chairs won’t be available until the following week but Princes Street Gardens West are open and if the sun is shining there are few places nicer.
CONTINI at HOME NEW MENU UPDATE!
Many of you have asked if we will be continuing Contini at Home once we’re open. Yes we will!
I’m delighted to release our July menu for Contini at Home. Beautiful Scottish squid and Shetland mussel rice salad; porchetta with fresh borlotti beans and salsa verde; white chocolate mousse with Contini Kitchen Garden gooseberries and elderflower; our fresh handmade ravioli will be filled with violet aubergine and Errington’s Ewe’s milk ricotta with a roasted Sicilian Pachino tomato, pine kernel and sultana sugo; Prosciutto di Parma with sweet Cantaloupe melon and fresh figs fresh and roasted with Errington’s Goats curd for sweet but not so sweet dessert. Just a few suggestions to wet your appetite.
You can now order by 9am for same day delivery!
