The recent release of Ferrier Richardson’s Edinburgh on a Plate, a cookbook-cum-guide spotlighting the chefs behind some of Edinburgh’s most successful restaurants, is the latest endorsement of our city’s culinary offering. A deserving endorsement, I say: there are few cities I know, especially those similar in size to Edinburgh, with such an exciting food scene. I constantly hear about new, I-must-try-there openings across the city, so much so I struggle to keep up. But these eateries do much more than just enrich our palates. With the roaring success of local chefs such as Roberta Hall-McCarron (snubbed by Richardson, dare I say) and Stuart Ralston, comes a sense of community and pride — to live alongside such a vibrant culinary ecosystem is, I argue, a momentous blessing we must support. Here’s why.
A little over a year ago, in their Edinburgh’s Best Restaurants: Where Chefs Eat guide, the bloggers TOPJAW practically screamed in satisfaction after each plate, visiting everywhere from my local (and favourite) coffee shop BEATNIK to The Palmerston, which they crowned Edinburgh’s best restaurant. Housed in a 19th century former bank a short stroll from Haymarket, The Palmerston combines local history with a seasonal, ever-changing menu. Dinner there is always a pleasant surprise: I yearn to know how they concoct odd-sounding and sometimes rather niche ingredients into some of the tastiest dishes in Edinburgh. Combined with a biblical wine list, laid-back ethos, and £24 set lunch, it’s no wonder I have to book a table weeks in advance.
A jaunt to Thistle Street brings us to the ever-trendy Noto. Fronted by the Edinburgh culinary kingpin Stuart Ralston, Noto’s sharing plates are a Japanese-inspired slice of heaven. Their signature North Sea crab, served in-shell with warm garlic butter and house-made sourdough, is so ubiquitous it featured on the ever-hilarious Edinburgh meme page Stockbridge Yummy Mummy. Even better than the Michelin, I say. Ralston’s other offerings, including the Michelin-starred Lyla, the Italian Tipo, and the brand-new Parisian wine bar/bistro Vinette (alongside Vivienne, its sister cocktail bar downstairs), are also not to be missed.
The best ’til last: my personal favourite, Roberta Hall-McCarron. Her meteoric rise from working in a host of renowned restaurants, including under Tom Kitchin at his Michelin-starred flagship The Kitchin, one of Edinburgh’s most famous restaurants, to opening The Little Chartroom in 2018 is jarringly impressive. Today, Hall-McCarron’s eleanore and Ardfern, her most recent venture, are some of my favourite spots in the city. Her offering is so deeply versatile — eleanore is, without sounding oxymoronic, relaxed fine dining: Scandinavian décor, open kitchen, chatty waiters. I implicitly trust the chefs; they could put absolutely anything on their tasting menu and I know I’d love it. Ardfern, on the other hand, is a slightly chaotic-sounding, dimly-lit bottle shop/bar/café. But it works perfectly. Located on the unassuming Bonnington Road, in what I would call the dregs of Leith, Ardfern is more than worth the journey for us Old Towners. It was there, after all, that I ate what I can only describe as the best burger of my life. And for that, Roberta, I take my hat off to you.
“Calton Hill” by Adam Wilson is licenced under CC BY-SA 2.0.