Category: UK

The Kitchin – Sunshine (& Snow) on Leith

We had watched Tom Kitchin on BBC’s  Great British Menu and admired his ability to follow the brief and not merely repeat his normal repertoire.  So it was with some anticipation that we made our way to a beautiful snowy yet sunny Leith. After our visit to Number One at The Balmoral the ambience was disappointing in comparison but then again not every restaurant can be located in a 5 star hotel.  The Kitchin is a more modern colder affair located in a converted warehouse. However all was not lost, as course after course we were treated to some of the best food we had experienced this year with perfectly matched wine.

Again the highlight of this meal was the Monkfish, specifically Monkfish tail wrapped in pancetta with an amazing broccoli puree and pumpkin gnocchi.

The service was excellent and if we were ever in Edinburgh this would be one restaurant that we would happily visit regularly. If was also nice to see that even on a day so close to the Xmas holiday Tom was busy in the kitchen.

 

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Number One at the Balmoral – Well Bread

So can the top restaurants north of the border hold their own against the top London restaurants? Based on our experience at Number One Restaurant at The Balmoral Hotel, the answer is a resounding YES. Indeed they could teach some other Michelin establishments a thing or two about service and the importance of good bread. Bread is normally something we have found that a lot of the very best restaurants tend to dismiss. Not so at Number One, they have a “loaf trolley” and serve up world class bread baked on the premises by their Pastry Chef a former French Baker.

We really liked the dining room, the décor is warm and certainly in the evening very effective for a basement restaurant. There is a large bar area and two larger rooms with well spaced tables and curved booths that allowed everyone a good view of the room.

We went for the tasting menu with matching wines, which was all of a very high standard. The standout course being the Monkfish. The New Zealand wines were also very good indeed. I also really enjoyed the fois gras course with pineapple relish and pineapple bread. At the end of the meal the sommelier discreetly slipped us a small present in the shape of a full loaf of the wonderful walnut and raisin bread.

We also had pre dinner champagne cocktails in the lively Bollinger Bar at the Palm Court,  which is a popular new venue for afternoon tea.

 

 

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Joseph Pearce – Scotland meets Sweden

Joseph Pearce’s is a great find for Brunch, it is a quirky and relaxing venue just a short walk from Princes Street, far enough away to avoid the usual tourist traps. The menu has a strong Swedish influence that is just right for the Scottish weather.

Locals tell me that this is a lively bar in the evenings, especially in the Summer.

 

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The Wheelhouse – good food and a Tourist attraction!

If you are doing the tourist bit in Scotland you may well make a trip to see the Mega-structure that is the Falkirk Wheel (It is used to lift and lower barges from the lower to the upper canal). The purpose build Wheelhouse restaurant is located nearby to attract the passing visitors, and based on our recent visit, it is streets ahead of the type of venue you normally find in Tourist locations. The Restaurant has an eclectic menu, and provides good quality, well cooked food.

The Wheelhouse is a bit more expensive than other local restaurants, but worth it for what it delivers. The menu is split into large and small plates, we shared several small plates as starters and went for the large plates as main courses and finished with dessert.

The small plates included a light goats cheese tart with sun blushed tomatoes, a delicious seafood tempura and a selection of Pakoras.

The large plates included lamb chops with mint pesto – 4 small nicely cooked chops. Chicken Balmoral – Chicken breast served on a bed of Haggis with a choice of Whiskey or Caramalised Onion gravy.

They also have a reasonable wine list with a small selection of wines by the glass and serve the award winning Speyside Glenlivit sparkling mineral water, which I had not had before and will now look out for, as it makes a pleasant change from the more common Highland Spring or Perrier water.

The conclusion was that the Wheelhouse was worth a visit even without the attraction of the nearby “Wheel”, which to quote the locals “Disnae look like a Wheel!”.

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Chino Latino – lighten up!

Chino Latino is the restaurant at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel and as hotel restaurants go this is a winner, especially if you are into Pan Asian cuisine.

The name does not really fit, I believe the Latino part is meant to apply to the bar which does have a reasonable range of “latin” cocktails. The bar is comfortable, but too big to be cosy and the service is rather slow. It’s fine if you’re not in a rush.

The food here used to be stunning, it’s not as good now, but the kitchen can still deliver some excellent dishes. The food is designed for sharing. We had a really good duck dish with kumquats, absolutely yummy. The grilled scallops were also excellent, and the sashimi served with homemade wasabi was a treat. They were a bit heavy handed with the salt though on a couple of other dishes, the ribs in particular were a problem.

The prices here are pretty steep, but if you can get a Top Table deal on the food (we got 40% off on our visit), they are more manageable. It is hard though not to overindulge on the cocktails – I would recommend the watermelon martini for dessert!

I would also recommend bringing a torch to read the menu as the lighting can be a problem at some of the tables.

UPDATE : September 2011 –  Back again, one of the highlights of this meal was a Thai Curry (for sharing – as all the food here is), the presentation was very different and the dish itself was lovely. Seriously good Pan Asian food. My only real complaint is the room, which although atmospheric, fails on one of the most important aspects of restaurant dining – You must be able to read the menu. The font is too small and the lighting design is totally impractical

UPDATE : January 2023

Hotel & Restaurant closed, now a Hyatt hotel, click here to see article for details.

 

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What’s coming in December

Heading north for Christmas.

Scotland is well known for great ingredients. Venison, Scallops, Langoustine etc, but how do the chefs north of the border compare with say London? We have chosen two of Edinburghs top restaurants for comparison.

One an established classic, the other cutting edge. They are:-

We would also like to wish all our readers a Merry Xmas & Happy New Year.

Oh and on January 1st 2010 we shall be awarding our Best and Worst restaurant of 2009.

 

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