What an honour for chef’s creative thinking

A chef at a hotel in Inverness-shire has been named Creative Chef of the Year at Scottish Food Awards 2018. Links House head chef Javi Dominguez Santos was crowned with the title at the recent Scottish Food Awards held in the beautiful King’s Hall in Edinburgh. Many of Scotland’s food stars were been recognised at…

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From touring festivals to an established fun feast

This Persian-inspired street food restaurant evolved from a mobile kitchen touring festivals and markets. Ransacked Black Oven’s new home seems to be attracting a good mix of diners, from students to tourists. The food is tasty and in the main healthy, with good vegan, veggie and gluten-free options. The filling chicken shawarma salad came with tasty…

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Bring a little taste of Spain closer to your doorstep

There are plenty of Spanish restaurants in Edinburgh but if you want an authentic Catalan meal, Casa de Mara is the place to go. To start, we enjoyed melt-in-your-mouth croquettes and gooey-centred truita de patates (potato tortilla), while the calamars farcits (squid fi lled with prawns, squid, egg and almonds) was a personal favourite. The comforting…

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A diverse menu with something for everyone

Papillon is the newest addition to the Commercial Quay area of Leith. With plush décor, relaxed atmosphere and a diverse menu, there is lots to love, such as the satay prawns, with a delicate and fresh peanut flavour. The goat’s cheese bonbons, served with beetroot and treacly balsamic glaze, were just as tasty, but it…

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Glasgow dining sensation arrives in Edinburgh

Six by Nico has long been a phenomenon in Glasgow, where it went from being a small neighbourhood restaurant to something of a culinary sensation after moving to the foodie hotspot of Finnieston. That runaway success has been replicated in Edinburgh, where Scots-Italian chef Nico Simeone’s cosy 70-cover restaurant on the site of Passorn Thai…

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Every small market town needs a no-nonsense eaterie

I’ve always had something of a soft spot for Biggar, a town I used to drive through a couple of times most weeks en route from Thornhill to Edinburgh. It was the sort of place where you could always get a decent bacon sandwich, a pie at Gibson’s the bakers, something vaguely healthy at the…

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Fine Dining Chef of the Year honour goes to Daniel

Daniel Ashmore, head chef at The Pompadour by Galvin, was awarded Fine Dining Chef of the Year at the Scottish Food Awards. With a wealth of experience, Chef Dan has worked for various top kitchens in London including Michelin-starred restaurants, Tom Aikens, The Square in Mayfair and La Trompette. Moving to Edinburgh, Dan worked at…

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Award-winning steakhouse set to open next month

A multi award-winning British steakhouse and cocktail bar is set to open in Edinburgh this summer. Will Beckett and Huw Gott, the childhood friends behind Hawksmoor, will open their Edinburgh restaurant in the banking hall of the former Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters, on the ground floor of The Edinburgh Grand – the city’s new…

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The Dining Room offers far more than just whisky

I must admit I hadn’t appreciated that the Scottish Malt Whisky Society has only been going since the early 1980s. Perhaps it’s the patina of age bestowed by having a gorgeous old wood-lined Vaults in Leith or a whole Georgian townhouse on Queen Street in the centre of Edinburgh. The SMWS is actually a pretty…

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A wide choice on the menu at the Goblin Ha’

Picture this: it’s a Sunday morning and the kids are all home from university for the weekend. Or, maybe the scenario sees your children visiting with your fractious grandchildren. Or perhaps it’s the Sunday morning after a rather over-refreshed Saturday night and you’re searching for salvation. In each of those instances, what all right-thinking people…

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