Dining in Edinburgh
EH2 Tempus
EH2 Tempus is located within the George Hotel which is near St Andrew Square, at the eastern end of George Street. This is one of the original streets in the plan of Edinburgh's 18th century "New Town". George Street was intended to be the main thoroughfare in this development and is 20 feet wider than even Princes Street (which has been developed over the years with more recent architecture to become the location of the most popular shops). Unlike Princes Street (where too many modern buildings have been allowed to intrude) George Street has managed to retain most of its attractive Georgian facades (even if the buildings behind are sometimes modernized). The George Hotel is at #21, created from three original houses, dating from 1780. These have been joined together with extra Corinthian columns tying them all together architecturally to form an up-market hotel (extremely popular with American tourists).
Abstract
In the shadow of Edinburgh Castle at the foot of Johnstone Terrace, which sweeps down from the Lawnmarket, a brand new restaurant, Abstract, has opened on Castle Terrace. A short walk from Lothian Road, this is ideal for visitors staying at the Sheraton or the Point Hotel who want to find an alternative to these fine hotel restaurants one night. In the heart of the financial district, this is ideal for business or leisurely social lunches. It's also near the Usher Hall (pictured here), Royal Lyceum Theatre and several cinemas. The property on this site was previously a Chinese restaurant, but now has been completely gutted to create a very stylish, fine dining French restaurant.
Always Sunday
Always Sunday is at 170 High Street on the Royal Mile, almost opposite Cockburn Street (pictured here). Regular guests include lawyers and judges from the High Court up the road, local business people, wandering tourists, students and shoppers. The interior decor is warm and sunny with soft lighting reflected off a white canopy ceiling, blonde pine tables with green upholstered chairs. The ambience moves between the seasons with a changing display of photographs depicting Scotland's natural landscape from Spring bluebell woods to Autumnal golden leaves and chestnuts. On the soundtrack are mellow songs from Leonard Cohen and the blues to soft jazzy tunes.
Baloo
Enter a bright, airy but intimate space, (40 covers) with two long picture windows. Sit at polished pine tables (vases of fresh flowers and candles), on long brown leather banquettes around the wall or comfy cane-basket armchairs. The design has that bold post-modern industrial look with red-brick walls, grey concrete pillars and huge ceiling fans. A blackboard lists the menu and daily specials. It is a rather clever concept - relaxing café-diner by day serving breakfast, snacks, lunches and children's menu. By night the ambience remains casual while the menu switches to a quality 3-course dinner menu featuring contemporary Scottish cuisine tossed with a touch of Munro's creative flair. And the name? Well, life is one Hullabaloo, they say.
Cruz
The new owners of the renamed Cruz are restaurant entrepreneur Matthew Tabatabaie (owner of De Niro and Ti Amo, two popular Italian restaurants in Edinburgh) and Sassan Pour, an architectural engineer. They have invested over £1 million in interior design and refurbishment to create a piano bar, dance floor, top deck restaurant and outdoor terrace. Now painted a bright glossy white, with a smart canopied entrance by gangplank from the harbour wall to the ship, this is certainly an alternative and quirky place to enjoy a drink or meal.
Coyoba
The background to the opening of Coyaba is an inspiring story. Mother and daughter Lizzie and Esther Mead had long enjoyed a recurring love affair with Jamaica from regular visits and admired its culture, lifestyle, people, food and drink. Their friend Mahlon Bentley, a Rastafarian chef had moved to Scotland and they used to prepare lavish Caribbean feasts for summer barbeques, private parties and special events. So successful and popular were these events that they decided to gamble on opening a restaurant to celebrate the distinctive Jamaican cuisine and culture on a wider scale.
Embark
Embark is described as a Bar and Dining room where fine food is as, or even more, important as the beer, wine and cocktail list. Edinburgh is awash with new style bars, so this concept is rather unique, offering an upmarket restaurant rather than pub grub on the side. That's not to say this is a formal, dress up, restaurant - more smart casual. It's certainly spacious. The interior design, reminiscent of a ship's deck, is divided around ground, mezzanine and upper floor levels. Enter the cool and casual downstairs bar, with its polished wood floor, brown leather sofas, shining chrome and steel, and long red banquette seat along one wall opposite the long bar. An industrial steel staircase leads upstairs to the smart restaurant, where colours and fabrics are subtle and sophisticated - taupe, eau de nil and coffee - with a long banquette seating against a neat line of square, bare wooden tables. From the dining room you can step outside to an attractive roof terrace.
Erawan Oriental
The Erawan Oriental is rather chic with a carefully designed oriental look. It's all very fresh, bright and light in colour and texture giving a sense of a garden setting. Seating is either at the long rows of teak tables along the window and centre or in the oh, so comfortable, hideaway sofa booths on the far side, ideal for a couple or party of four diners. Tall wooden pillars around the room are decorated with carvings of elephants, and all around is a collection of figurine statues, colorful paintings and dotted around a few plant pots with verdant green ferns and bamboo. There are plans to develop the space with 20 more seats and a separate bar area.
The Gallery Restaurant and Bar
For over 150 years Searcy's has been at the forefront of private catering, restaurants and hospitality in the UK. The company is renowned for creating convenient and attractive dining experiences in several of London's leading arts venues such as the National Portrait Gallery, The Royal Opera House and the Barbican. It makes sense then to invite Searcy's to manage the Gallery Restaurant at the NGS in Edinburgh, as they fully understand the particular clientele of international city visitors, art lovers and local residents on a day out. Steve Adair, the Head Chef, and the General Manager, Stuart Thom, were both previously at the prestigious Tower Restaurant, Edinburgh.