Food: Top End
| 04 August 2009
3 Royal Terrace, 0845 22 21212
http://www.21212restaurant.co.uk
NEAR 5 minutes from the Playhouse
Just opened in May, 21212 is the unconventional new restaurant of Paul Kitching, a chef who gained a Michelin star at his previous restaurant in Greater Manchester. The contemporary dining room and open kitchen are housed in an elegant Georgian townhouse but the food is cutting edge modern. Expect the unexpected from the daily changing menu. ‘Baked turbot, chorizo, dates, vanilla, swede puree’ was the deceptively straightforward description of a dish from a recent menu. It’s bold, adventurous, sometimes baffling and a unique experience.
| 04 August 2009
33-35 Castle Street, 0131 229 1222
http://www.abstractrestaurant.com
NEAR 2 minutes from Traverse
When it opened in March 2007, Abstract quickly garnered critical praise for its modern French food, glitzy looks and impeccable service. Experimental without being irritatingly wacky, a typical main course might be the Gressingham duck breast stuffed with foie gras, chou farci and white haricot beans. The à la carte isn’t cheap but it is memorable. A £12.95 two course lunch is an affordable luxury. If you’re feeling brave, watch head chef Sean Kelly keep his kitchen in line from the chef’s table.
| 04 August 2009
Scotch Whisky Experience, 354 Castlehill, 0131 477 8477
http://www.amberrestaurant.co.uk
NEAR 2 minutes from the Tattoo
With 300 malts on hand, this restaurant café at the top of the Royal Mile will put a smile on a whisky-lover’s face. During the day, the café menu includes dishes like the mussels with Islay whisky and spring onion sauce. The candles come out and the operation kicks up a couple of gears in the evening with options such as the medallions of Scottish beef fillet with fondant potato and whisky peppercorn sauce. Real whisky fans can ask the sommelier to match malts to their meal.
| 04 August 2009
10 Cambridge Street, 0131 228 8882
http://www.atriumrestaurant.co.uk
NEAR One minute to Traverse
Despite marching deeper into its second decade, Andrew Radford’s Atrium is still very much one of Edinburgh’s destination restaurants. Local ingredients are given high prominence by head chef Neil Forbes in dishes such as the Perthshire Lamb, truffled lamb bridie, carrot purée and thyme jus. The prices have moderated of late to take into account the recession but the standard stays high. Expect to pay upwards of £30 a head for three courses from the à la carte in the evening. The two course set lunch is £14.
| 04 August 2009
Harvey Nichols, 30-34 St Andrew Square, 0131 524 8350
NEAR Five minutes to Assembly Rooms
With views across the city skyline, very professional staff and a good wine list, Harvey Nicks has a lot going for it. In the restaurant, head chef Stuart Muir rustles up meals such as the baked North Sea turbot with salt cod fritters, spiced cherry tomato chutney and wilted spinach. The brasserie menu is simpler and correspondingly cheaper. On a sunny afternoon, the balcony is a great place for a steak frites. They are pretty nifty with a cocktail shaker as well.
| 04 August 2009
1 George IV Bridge, 0131 220 6666
Near Three minutes to the Hub
| 04 August 2009
78 Commercial Quay, Leith, 0131 555 1755
NEAR Ten minutes by taxi to city centre
Open less than a year before gaining its first Michelin star, Tom Kitchin’s eponymous restaurant has lit up Edinburgh’s dining scene, and his subsequent appearances on the Great British Menu have further polished his reputation. The chef has worked with big names such as Pierre Koffmann and Alain Ducasse which is reflected in the classical French slant to the food. ‘From nature to plate’ is the restaurant’s philosophy and a recent menu boasted dishes such as rump of lamb from Dornoch, served with kidney, crispy belly and a compote of red onions cooked with Szechuan pepper and apricot, as well as Kitchin’s signature starter of roasted langoustine tails from Anstruther with boned and rolled pig’s head served with a crispy ear salad. You’ll pay top dollar but remember the meal long after the bill stops stinging.
| 04 August 2009
Balmoral Hotel, 1 Princes Street, 0131 557 6727
http://www.thebalmoralhotel.com
NEAR Five minutes to Playhouse
Head chef Jeff Bland secured a Michelin star at Number One a few years back and shows no sign of relinquishing it. The basement restaurant is as sumptuous as you might expect at one of Rocco Forte’s flagship hotels and it has the deluxe food to match. Loin and shin of venison, red cabbage and thyme semolina gnocchi featured recently on the dinner menu. Obviously it’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for. The à la carte is £57.50 for three courses. The multi-course taster menu offers a blow-out at £62.50. The more informal Hadrian’s Brasserie upstairs should not be overlooked either.
| 04 August 2009
33 Castle Street, 0131 226 7614
NEAR Two minutes to Assembly Rooms
Sleek, contemporary looks and progressive cooking are a hot combo at Oloroso. As well as its rooftop restaurant, Oloroso also boasts a hip bar and terrace with views to the castle in one direction and Fife in the other. Chef Tony Singh has developed a broad range of menus that encompass flavours from around the globe. Think seared seabream with spring onion blinis, rosemary emulsion and a pancetta crisp. Alternatively, hit the grill menu for aged Highland beef. Book well in advance or just get a drink at the bar and enjoy the views from the terrace.
| 04 August 2009
P50-54 Henderson Street, 0131 554 5556
NEAR 10 minutes by taxi to the city centre
In January of this year, chef proprietor Tony Borthwick regained the Michelin star that he had to relinquish when he first moved the Plumed Horse from Castle Douglas to the capital. Now an established feature on Leith’s Michelin Mile, he is cementing his position in Edinburgh’s top flight restaurants with dishes like this: pan-fried breast of guinea fowl, white spring truffle, Puy lentils, spring blond morels, celeriac puree and truffled fowl stock. Three courses from the à la carte dinner menu will come in at £43. A three course lunch is £23.
| 04 August 2009
54 The Shore, 0131 553 3557
http://www.martin-wishart.co.uk
NEAR 10-minute taxi ride to city centre
The first of Edinburgh’s four chefs to be awarded a Michelin star, Martin Wishart has expanded his operations in recent years to add a cook’s school and a West Coast offshoot at Cameron House Hotel. None of which has distracted him from ensuring that his eponymous restaurant remains one of the very best in Edinburgh if not Scotland. Wishart trained with Michel and Albert Roux and worked alongside Marco Pierre White so it is no surprise that his cooking is strongly influenced by the classic French tradition. The menus change according to the seasonal produce available but a typical dish might be the braised cheek and short rib of beef, herb crust, confit Vivaldi potatoes and morels. Despite extending through to the next door premises, getting a table in the evening usually requires a lot of forward planning. Lunch is easier and incredible value at £24.50 for three courses. Three courses from the à la carte are £60. Unusually at this level, Restaurant Martin Wishart has a dedicated veggie tasting menu.
| 04 August 2009
Prestonfield House, 0131 225 1333
NEAR 30 minutes to Pleasance
Rhubarb is the latest and possibly most adventurous opening from James Thomson, owner of the Witchery and the Tower. Before he took over, Prestonfield House was showing its considerable age; Thomson has turned it into a riot of baroque colour and drapes which the theatrically minded will appreciate. A lavish hotel as well as a restaurant, it has been winning awards ever since it opened. A typical dish might be the slow braised pork belly and sautéed scallops, turnip purée and boulangère potatoes. The staff can pamper with the best of them and have served Vin Diesel, Michael Stipe and Dido since Rhubarb opened its doors.
| 04 August 2009
8 Conference Square, 0131 221 7788
http://www.santiniedinburgh.co.uk
NEAR Two minutes to Usher Hall
Part of the Sheraton, Ristorante Santini is the hotel’s Italian equivalent to its equally upmarket Grill Room which boasts top notch beef from around the globe. Beef is also on the menu at Santini where it might be served with Barolo butter and country potatoes. Perhaps more typical are dishes such as the breaded swordfish gratinated with almonds or the braised veal shank served with saffron risotto.
| 04 August 2009
19-21 George Street, 0131 240 7197
NEAR: Two minutes from the Assembly Rooms
With its raised captain’s table, antique chandeliers and outsized flower displays, the flagship restaurant at the George looks invitingly decadent. It’s easy to imagine slightly scandalous parties taking place here. The menu sways gently between classics like the Caesar salad and cod ‘n’ chips and more exotic smoked eel and scrambled eggs. Local suppliers such as the Buccleuch estate are to the fore with beef and game. The cocktail bar is a smooth spot to forget the trials and tribulations of the working day over a couple of Comotion Lotions.
| 04 August 2009
Museum Of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0131 225 3003
http://www.tower-restaurant.com
NEAR Five minutes to Festival Theatre
Now in its tenth year, James Thomson’s Tower is still very much a place to see and be seen in Edinburgh. Perched on top of the Museum of Scotland, some of the best viewing is to be had across the Grassmarket to the castle. Rock oysters, grilled sardines and seared turbot with lentils are among the fishy options while the 21-day fillet steak is always popular on a menu that also includes calves liver and bacon, omelette Arnold Bennett and a brown crab risotto. The wine list has won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
| 04 August 2009
267 Canongate, Royal Mile, 0131 558 8737
http://www.wedgwoodtherestaurant.co.uk
Near Ten minutes from The Hub
Since it was founded in 2007, Wedgwood the Restaurant has been shaking up the Royal Mile’s tourist-led dining scene with a fresh take on local ingredients as seen from a global perspective. Dishes such as fillet of Scottish lamb rolled in cous cous, pistachio and black onion seed reflect this outlook, and have built a solid local following under the watchful eye of chef Paul Wedgwood.
| 04 August 2009
352 Castlehill, Royal Mile, 0131 225 5613
NEAR Two minutes to the Tattoo
The Witchery fulfils a lot of people’s fantasies about Edinburgh as a romantic and atmospheric city steeped in history. The building that houses the restaurant goes back centuries and the two dining rooms look as though they may have been there since the adjacent castle was built. Candlelight, oak panelling and beamed ceilings complete the picture. The food is classic with seafood platters jostling for space with fillets of Borders beef and steak tartare. The wine list has won numerous awards. One of a kind. Light lunch and supper menus are available at £12.95 for two courses.
