Cory Cavin is not only an Emmy-winning comedian but an accomplished foodie, with a cooking series that features a number of superstar chefs. Food based shows are not unique on the Fringe, but they rarely deliver what they promise (actual food).

So, this may be the only show on this year’s Fringe where food and drink lives up to the promise.  Thanks for the tin of Barney’s Cory and for the delicious prawn wrap.

The premise is that we are guests on the opening night of Cavin’s new restaurant called: ‘The Restaurant’. Trouble is, behind the scenes financial problems are not only brewing but they are threatening to overwhelm the venture before it even sees the light of day. He’s tense, and it shows as he struggles to deliver his signature cocktail.

The show feels like an extended Saturday Night Live sketch and, on the one hand, that’s great because it’s live and it’s real, but, on the other, SNL has a very specific comedy aesthetic that doesn’t always land in the UK. It’s sort of an issue.

Cavin is not short of effort in this production, he’s sweating, nervous and fully engaged before the curtain even rises. And to the strains of ‘New Noise’ by Refused – the frantic hardcore punk tune that soundtracks a key breakdown episode of The Bear (You know the one – where it all goes Pete Tong and Carly loses it) we get going.

The musical intro suggests we might be in for a The Bear homage, but it’s to Cavin’s credit that he only teases us with this and doesn’t actually go full Bear Boiling Point. Instead he treats us to an opening night that has its issues but he somehow maintains control.

There’s laughs to be had in this show for sure, but as a sketch that lasts an hour one has to wonder what the point of it really is. It’s a pretty enjoyable serving but it’s all a bit nouvelle cuisine in the end and you might be looking for a chippie on the way home.

‘Enjoy Your Meal‘ is at Summerhall – Former Womens Locker Room until Mon 25 Aug 2025 at 19:20