The Hispaniola - sort of

Stan and I popped into the Hispaniola restaurant the other night, before seeing a performance at the Roxy. We thought we would just grab a quick bite - no big deal. We were not expecting what we found behind that door! First of all, despite the labelling, it's not the Hispaniola anymore. It's now the sister restaurant to our favorite Italian restaurant on Lothian, Ciao Roma. They obviously took over from The Hispaniola: a Pirate Dining Experience. A what? Yes, I said pirates. The upper floor of the restaurant looks like you're entering a pirate ship with enormous candelabras, wood everywhere, and pirates scattered about in various states of decomposition. There was even a skeleton hanging from the ceiling. But we were escorted down a level where the pirate theme has been replaced with a Bacchus/Dionysus theme. On the second level, we were surrounded by classical paintings, marble sculptures and this gorgeous window overhead. Needless to say, we were completely tickled by the place and the food was just as good as the other location. Is it touristy? Yes. But gads, it was fun. And it was just more proof about one of my favorite things in Edinburgh - there are wonders behind the most unexpected doors here. Mini-Narnia's and wonderlands are tucked in all over this city. I love it when I stumble across them.