pomegranate

middle eastern food is not something that i eat a lot of, and isn't normally my first choice but i had heard a lot of good things about pomegranate and i have wanted to try it for a while!
we booked to go here last saturday to celebrate my boyfriends birthday. we booked very last minute, but still got a table straight away; i was glad to see that the restaurant was busy when we arrived, as i was concerned that the ease of booking meant that it would be quiet!
pomegranate has a fun vibe when you walk inside because the decor is very vibrant. there are quite a few tables but it doesn't feel like a huge space, which is handy for providing an intimate setting. 
it is byob, which means more time can be spent pouring over the foodmenurather than the drinks! we chose to share a few meze dishes to start - hummus shawarma, cheese borek and halloumi. the hummus shawarma was delicious; i would highly recommend it! i also enjoyed the halloumi, but the cheese borek i found to be quite dry. for my main course i decided on the merishke kebab; the chicken was seasoned and cooked very well, but it was a very filling meal. i think i would opt for more meze on my next visit so that i can try a bigger selection of foods.unfortunately, the service was not very attentive, it took us a while to get anyone's attention, but when we did they were very friendly

great food and relaxed place

this is one of my favourite places to eat in edinburgh, its easy going an has lots of options on the mezemenuwhich are suitable for veggies / vegans as well as plenty of options for omnis. i would highly recommend the ful beans,the olive salad and the aubergine is unforgettable, pretty much everything i've tried has been really well made, tastes great and served with a smile! see you soon pomegranate!

great service, amenuto suit all dietary requirements and staff more than willing to answer questions and help out. the food was fantastic, portions are generous and there are plent choices for sharing, or ordering individual meals. don't forget dessert- the rose water sorbet is superb! byob.

i paid a second visit to pomegranate in march 2013, having previously been there with friends at the end of 2012, and the experience was once again joyous. if you are a fan of middle-eastern cuisine – or even if you have never tried it before, but like good food, well served – i would recommend you dine at this restaurant. located at the top of leith walk, pomegranate serves an excellent range of authentic turkish and arabian dishes with a contemporary twist. themenuincludes kebabs, bamya (meat and okra stew) , and shawarma (grilled meat or vegetables, often served in a naan bread) . but the real star of their show is the selection of mezze – a sort of middle-eastern tapas, for those not in the know. my partner and i went for the set mezze for two people, which allows for a choice of six dishes from their extensive mezze menu, including two that are meat based – vegetarians will be delighted to hear the majority of their mezze dishes a

very enjoyable.. having lived in the middle east for many years i was keen to try pomegranate.
booking online was very easy. the decor is charming and like good middle eastern cafe. colourful lights and walls. the tables and chairs are comfortably spaced.

we arrived at just after 6pm on a monday night, thinking it would be empty - it was almost completely full and we were glad we'd booked.
as tables emptied - people were filling them up again - so very busy which is never a bad sign.

our waiter was very attentive and immediately arrived with menu's and took a drinks order. we decided on the cha - and it was quickly brought along with a jug of iced water.
themenuis not huge but there is a good choice of hot and cold mezze (like tapas)
we decided to have one mezze each as a starter and one main dish each.

we chose sojouk - a spiced marinated sausage cooked in a spicy tomato sauce - and kuba. the middle eastern equivalent of a scotch egg - but the filling is spiced lamb.

the spice palette was tasty without being too hot. i can't understand how anyone found it bland.

the portions were a very good size.

the main courses were chicken and lamb shawarma platters. the meat is marinated, cooked and shredded
-then served with rice and salad and dips. the dips were yogurt and tomato based. again, spice with flavours rather than heat.

as a side we had baba ghanoush - a hummus/aubergine dip that was perfect. just like i remembered.
evereything was served with lovely thin flat bread like a nan - but not oily at all.

to finish we had arabic coffee with a little turkish delight and baklava.

our waiter was very friendly and attentive - and couldn't be found wanting.

it was just like normal eastern food you'd find in any good cafe. very much like middle eastern home cooking.

not gourmet - but very tasty and good value.
i look forward to trying the set meal of mezze for two next time. we will certainly be going back.

excellent. we went there last night and had a lovely meal. unlike previous reviewers, we found the food fresh, spicy and tasty. themenuis not extensive but what we had was very good. the service was friendly and attentive. we will be back