The Geordie Tourist.

From the Menu:

Camomile Tea - £2.75

Sourdough or Wholemeal Toast, Northumbrian Jam & Butter - £2.25

Freshly Baked Croissant or Pain au Chocolat - £2.45

My brother got an upmarket sausage and bacon sandwich too. I was slightly disappointed as the menu online was different to the one when we got there. I had been setting myself up for a bagel with smoked salmon, and it was just nowhere to be seen.

Don't get me wrong, the sourdough toast was beautiful. I loved that it was a big portion and it came with raspberry jam. I much prefer it to strawberry these days so that was great. The tea was fresh and really hit the spot and even though I was near bursting, I managed half of the pastry, before giving the rest to my brother.

The food is always top notch at Garden Kitchen and that's why I like it. I've had a better variety on previous visits and I don't know if I'd return for breakfast. It was still better than any toast I would have gotten at home though.

Can you recommend any nice places to go for breakfast or brunch?

There was always plenty of empty seats to choose from which I loved. You could get your own tea and coffee from the nearby machine too. It's all included for free. Sometimes you can't beat a nice herbal tea before bed. Gosh I'm definitely old before my time.

The rooms were compact and quite basic but that's not to say they were lacking in function. You had headboards with control panels to control the temperature and the lights and all other manner of technological things that my brain can't comprehend. There were huge spaces under the bed to stow away our cases and a nice big TV for late night telly binging when we weren't too exhausted from sightseeing. 

My favourite thing was the art above the bed. I loved how it had all of Edinburgh's finest things on there. The famous streets, the landmarks and everything in between all done in a quirky way. I'd like to imagine all hubs having this dependent on their area. If someone knows tells me.

The bathroom was dinky and cool and modern and all other manner of words meaning the same kind of thing. It's not the place to go for a nice relaxing bath, rather a nice brisk monsoon shower (yes they have those) to get you out into the world exploring all it has to offer. 

This is a place that means business, to help you deal with yours. (Catchy new slogan maybe?) 

From the new hotel smell, to the fresh bottles of water waiting for us every morning, the Hub really became a home for us for the couple of days that we were there. (We stayed in a couple other hotels too.) It was everything we needed to be, but more than that it was a nice place to be. I've been to so many hotels that just don't hit the mark and this wasn't one of them. It cost us £157 for two of us, two nights with breakfast. Sure we could have got somewhere cheaper and definitely somewhere more expensive, but there was no need to, we had everything we needed at the hub.

Have any of you been to Hub by Premier Inn Edinburgh Royal Mile?

If you've been anywhere near Intu Metrocentre recently you'll know that lots of new foodie places and restaurants are opening. Last Saturday just before the grand opening of the new Bella Italia, I got a chance to go and try out breakfast for free. I guess a lot of places do that these days to give the staff a chance to get a bit of extra training and to make sure everything runs smoothly for opening.

I told the family about it and they jumped at the chance to go for some grub. I go out a fair amount I'd say these days, but I never really go out for breakfast. I was definitely excited to see what they had on offer. 

It was great being in a nice, new, shiny restaurant. The decor is lovely. I love how its all inspired by Italy. The paintings on the walls depicting landmarks and the frames hanging from the ceiling in the colours of the Italian flag. 

I particularly loved the Bella Italia sign all lit up and just how the different colours and fabrics come together to create a unique looking place. There was even a funky dessert cart and herbs growing in a border at the front of the restaurant. 

There was cute little pots of jam waiting for us on the table which was a nice touch.

The boys went for the Gigante Breakfast. My mam had a Veggie Breakfast which came with avocado. I went for the Fruity Pancake Stack.

The plates were cool and modern, the bread looked like nice homemade bread, or a posh loaf, not just your average already sliced stuff. It's the little touches that make it special.

I had already decided I wanted pancakes before we had even got to the restaurant. I was just hoping and wishing that they were on the menu. 

They were nice enough, just a little bit cold.

Afterwards we had to fill in some feedback cards. We all agreed it was a positive experience. The staff were lovely and the food was tasty, like I said before, just a little bit cold.

We had to pay for our drinks which was all good (the money was going to charity) It came to £16. The whole thing altogether would have came in at around about £44. I've had better breakfasts for a cheaper price so I don't know if I'd return.

My friend tried out the dinner tasting session where she got a free starter and a main. She said the food was delicious. So maybe I'd like to try some pizza or pasta instead. I mean I don't think I can give it a fair trial without tasting one of their specialties.

Have any of you been to the new foodie places at Intu Metrocentre?