Eating my way around Edinburgh!

Edinburgh isn’t so much a city, more a way of life… I doubt I’ll ever tire of exploring Edinburgh, on foot or in print.

Ian Rankin

Sorry I’m a little late with my post, I had a weekend away at my sisters place just outside Edinburgh! As you know, I’m a bit of a foodie so, the opportunity to try a couple of restaurants around town was always going to be part of the literary! My sis has lived just outside Edinburgh city centre for many years now and has the inside track on where to eat, here’s a few of her recommendations as well as a little taste, please excuse the pun, of where we ate over the weekend!

Heron

I didn’t get up to Edinburgh until late so, we went to a restaurant within walking distance of her place in Leith. Heron is really cool fine dining restaurant with lovely views over the Water of Leith. It’s made some serious moves since opening in 2021. It was recently awarded a Michelin star – making chefs Sam Yorke and Tomás Gormley the youngest in Scotland to receive the recognition – and spotlights farm to table dining, meaning everything on the menu is inconceivably fresh. A-la-carte and two tasting menus are on offer, always changing to reflect the best of the seasons. Think: hand-dived Orkney scallops with blood orange, mackerel with fig leaf and hazelnut, Gubbeen cheese with heather honey which tops their fabulous tasting menu!

Café St Honoré

After a gruelling morning of shops, shops and more shops, we bobbed into an old, established French restaurant. situated on a cobbled side street behind Thistle Street, it looks like a chic Parisian bistro inside, with heavy linen tablecloths, mirrored walls and monochrome floor tiles. It’s been around forever, but still, quite rightly, comes up in conversation as one of the nicest spots for a smart bistro meal in the centre of Edinburgh. The French angle got sidelined long ago in favour of locally sourced Scottish produce, cooked expertly, and dogged adherence to Slow Food principles. The chefs clearly take the rules of the international Slow Food movement seriously – if there’s a sublime, but criminally overlooked variety of rhubarb, they’ll track it down and bake it in an almond tart. If there’s a rumour of a place in Peebles making the best hand-squashed apple juice, they’ll put in a phone call! We were going out later and I LOVE the Sea Food in Edinburgh so, I just had the Belhaven Smoked Trout followed by Fillet of East Coast Cod – delicious doesn’t really do it justice!

Aurora

Back to walking distance for dinner, we went to Aurora. Aurora offers a fine dining experience that doesn’t rely on tradition. Guests are welcomed by a personal and intimate atmosphere, and invited to explore a seasonal tasting menu of Modern European cuisine in our refined establishment.

Inspired by the chef’s travels, their dishes include flavours that originate in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. Their vibrant courses are the result of an experimental kitchen style that routinely brings together unusual ingredients and pairings.

Never one to pass on a tasting menu, I had their autumn tasting menu – wow, such diversity and inventiveness; from scallop with chipotle, cactus and chapulines to venison served with black pudding, chestnuts in a rich, non-sweet plum sauce, a real wake up for the tastebuds!

Toast

It’s about a seven-hour drive from Leith back to my place so, I didn’t want to leave too late, with that in mind we went to a lovely little bruch place called Toast. Toast is Edinburgh’s first wine cafe located at The Shore in Leith. Offering a casual coffee, wine & food experience, Toast celebrates the pure enjoyment of eating & drinking with friends and family!

Located in a former art gallery, Toast brings a unique cafe destination to The Shore. Food is served throughout the day including delicious breakfast and brunch dishes, I had the huevos rancheros, Whilst my sis opted for the shakshuka a North African and Middle Eastern meal of poached eggs in a simmering tomato sauce with spices – yummy!!

These were simply my choices however, Edinburgh and the surrounding area has always been something of a Mecca for foodies, notable other restaurants I’ve tried include;

Fhior

A Scandi-style restaurant offering up creative modern cooking. Fhior – that’s Gaelic for “true” or “honest” – certainly lives up to its name. Their ambitious use of foraged ingredients and local produce is one that pays off across every dish on their seven or ten-course menu. You won’t know what you’re getting until you’re served, but trust me, everything here is exquisite. And there’s even something to take home: yes, a menu, handed to you in a mysterious envelope at the end.

Timberyard

Timberyard serves elaborate dishes in an artistic setting. The restaurant nails so many of the requirements for an excellent meal out: expect unusual ingredients and exciting combinations that run from drinks to dessert, plus a hipster vibe. It’s a family-run business, and owner-operators the Radfords – along with their extended team of local growers, breeders, producers and foragers – have you in very safe hands!

L’Escargot Bleu

L’Escargot Bleu is a welcoming bistro that serves up French cuisine crafted from local Scottish produce. Since opening in a former clockmaker’s in 2008, L’Escargot Bleu has slotted in nicely among trendy coffee shops, independent booksellers and award-winning butchers. Floor-to-ceiling windows and cosy tables at the front of the restaurant create ample occasion for an intimate tête-à-tête, while the bustle of the open kitchen to the rear adds further to the bohemian Frenchness.

Locanda De Gusti

An authentic Southern Italian restaurant offering seafood, pasta and pizza. Locanda De Gusti launched on the other side of Edinburgh some years ago, moved to up-and-coming Dalry Road in 2014 – less than five minutes’ walk from Haymarket Station – and now enjoys an enviable reputation for its food and service. Chef Rosario Sartore is from Naples, so the cooking has a pronounced southern Italian style, with lots of excellent seafood, while the décor puts diners in mind of a bright, polite farmhouse kitchen.

What’s on this week?