Struggling with post-holiday January blues? Not to mention, Scotland’s Baltic weather conditions? Well thank cheesus for Edinburgh’s newest eatery, Meltmongers. Located on the edge of Bruntsfield Links, Meltmongers have been grilling up a storm for just two weeks now, offering American inspired comfort food that is bound to put a smile on your face and an extra layer of insulation round your waist.
The menu consists of nine savoury grilled cheese melts, such as The Meltmonger Classic (pictured), The Big Cheese – a suitable cure for our Saturday night antics – and seven other sandwiches oozing with brie, emmental, gruyère and applewood smoked cheddar and stuffed with meaty fillings like sweetcured bacon and grilled chicken breast. Each melt comes in your choice of freshly baked sourdough, bloomer or soft white bread, and if you’re extra hungry there’s always the thin cut sweet potato fries or mashed potato bacon cheese melts to make your meal even naughtier.
But hold up, the real guilty pleasure (for me, at least) comes in the form of Meltmonger’s dessert sandwiches. *Drum Roll* Enter, The King is Dead, a sweet melt crammed with peanut butter, banana and nutella… I think we’re going to need a looser pair of jeans! You can wash all this down with a Karma cola family’s fair trade, organic fizzy drink or Has Bean Coffee’s Jailbreak Espresso Blend – but unfortunately there are no alcoholic options, yet. It’s been a slow start for Meltmongers; the minimalist 12-seat dining area lacks a bit of character and sadly, due to technical problems, they can’t yet accept card or provide wifi.
It’s certainly a work in progress, but nothing that some contemporary wall art and a visit from an electrician can’t fix. This said, Meltmongers are nailing the grilled cheese concept, and with plans to extend their opening hours (currently 11am-5pm Monday- Thursday, and even later on the weekends), introduce a breakfast burrito and provide an efficient takeaway delivery service, these guys might just become the coolest kids on the (Bruntsfield) block. My lunch experience was everything Meltmongers’ aim for; fast, casual and scrumptious, and as I sat slurping on my Hershey’s chocolate milk and chilling to their indie folk playlist, I quickly realised that I can’t wait to return. The walk from George Square was certainly worthwhile.
Featured image credit: Meltmongers @ Facebook
Other images: Ailidh Forlan