Top Edinburgh chefs on favourite restaurants and bars for the Fringe

The Herald Scotland

5 days ago

From hangover-busting bacon rolls to fresh oysters by the sea, read on for some top tips from the talent behind acclaimed restaurants, including Lyla, Timberyard, The Little Chartroom and many more.
James Clark, owner of Sotto: "Take a slower-paced day away from the frantic Old Town and spend the morning or afternoon in the Stockbridge neighbourhood, wandering the shops and green spaces. For the best bacon roll in the city, go to Cafe Gallo (I get the 'Nduja ketchup if I've got a hangover)."
Rachel Chisholm, co-owner of Leftfield and Margot: "For dinner, I usually head to Hawksmoor on a Monday as it's BYOB. I like their oysters, scallops and ribeye! Or head down to Stockbridge for pasta at Little Capo, which is always buzzy."
Roberta Hall McCarron, co-owner of The Little Chartroom, Eleanore and Ardfern: "A new favourite of mine is a recently opened bar, The Finch, based down in Leith with an amazing beer and whisky selection, all of which can be enjoyed inside in the stunning bar or alfresco in their garden.
"They host food pop-ups on the weekend, and it's family-friendly too! My go-to pour would be the Tre-Monti Rosato wine on tap.
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James Snowdon, co-owner of The Palmerston: "During the festival, I'm going to get out of the city centre so I'm hitting up Fin & Grape - best seafood cooking in town with a solid wine list. Stu and the crew have created a proper neighbourhood restaurant which ticks all the boxes.
"Or I'll head to Sabzi - proper hearty family-run Punjabi down on Ferry Road.
"The menu changes weekly and there's breakfast at the weekends - Stevie and his family have created something very special.
Scott Campbell, head chef of Badger & Co:"I've dined in Six by Nico a few times because I love the constant change in menu theme. The dining experience is great. A lovely setting and really good value for money. You feel like you're being taken on a journey with the theme and the dishes reflect the story.
"This has also given me a good insight into what we're trying to deliver with our menu here at Badger & Co on Castle Street.
"I tend to drink at bars owned by Signature, including The Queen's Arms and Cold Town House. The Queen's Arms is more of a classic pub style with a great range of drinks, and is good for catching up with friends for sporting events. Cold Town House is more for family time, with a great range of pizzas and finger food.
"It allows my kids to really go wild. Our family favourites are salt and pepper wings and the Grange pizza."
Dylan Pinder, head chef at Moss: "Noto on Thistle Street. They have small and large plates designed for sharing, so you can eat as much or as little as you want.
"The space is unpretentious with cool vibes. My favourite dish is one of their best sellers is the North Sea crab, warm butter with sourdough."
Lewis Vimpany, head chef at Lyla: "I'll say Project Canele on Dundas Street. Coffee/pastry shop run by Fraser, who was a chef once at Fhior. Beautiful pastries and super tasty sandwiches. Lannan gets all the love as it's just around the corner, but I think Fraser's stuff is also top. Really lovely guy and team.
"Super chill vibe and good food, what's not to love? I ordered a Comte cheese and caramelised onion focaccia sandwich. A Parisian vanilla flan and of course, a canele."
Mathew Sherry, chef de cuisine at Number One: "L'escargot Bleu on Broughton Street. It is a family-run restaurant and wine bar that showcases fantastic French cooking with the finest Scottish produce, a lot of which is grown by themselves.
"Quaint and intimate, I eat here whenever I can. I always have their steak tartare (done table side), and I am a big fan of the Lamb Navarin."
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Paul Hart, executive chef at The Balmoral Hotel: "I like to start my day out in Edinburgh with a stomach lining breakfast at Dishoom in St Andrews Square.
"I usually order some chilli cheese toast with fried eggs, or a bacon and egg naan roll with the chilli and tomato sauce, or maybe both."
Ross Sneddon, executive pastry chef at The Balmoral Hotel: "For drinks and martinis in Leith before heading into town, Bittersweet Leith. For casual food, Spitaki, where their octopus is the star dish, is a well-priced, family-run, family-friendly restaurant.
"For something fancy, Eòrna with always great food and Brian's signature salmon starter, is one of my favourites.
"The Fishmarket is a detour from the town centre, for a moment away from the festival crowds with casual dining and probably the best oysters in Edinburgh!"
Sarah Baldry, co-owner and head of pastry at Nàdair: "During the craziness of the Edinburgh Fringe, it is obligatory to grab a seat somewhere that feels relaxed.
"My go-to spot for quite possibly the best pint of Guinness outside of Ireland would be Seamus's pub on Brougham Place. From the moment you step in, you are greeted with the most welcoming, friendly smiles and great banter. It feels like a proper pub - grab a pint and sit down with a group of pals, you won't be disappointed.
"For food, I always go to Dumplings of China for a plate of their pork & chive dumplings, crispy Northeastern style pork & Spicy beans with pork mince. It looks so unassuming from the outside but the food is really special.
"Lastly, for immaculate cocktails, my go-to would be The Last Word on St Stephen Street. Their cocktails are super elegant, clean and always have really interesting flavour combinations which aren't overwhelming either. Followed by their charming service, this is my favourite bar in Edinburgh!
Max Wang, chef-owner of Yamato and soon to open Nishiki: 'Patina, which is out by Edinburgh Park, so perfect if you want to escape the festival madness. You can take the tram directly to it from Leith or the city centre. I think they have the best focaccia sandwiches in Edinburgh. Their pastries are also fantastic. I love the chocolate and vanilla pain au suisse served with their freshly squeezed orange juice.
"There is a big outdoor space in front of the bakery which is perfect for kids to play (weather dependent, of course)."
Kaori Simpson, chef-owner of Harajuku Kitchen: 'There are so many amazing places to eat and drink in the city, so this is hard. I love City Cafe on Blair Street, it does a no-nonsense brunch to fuel yourself before shows.
'I love the blueberry pancakes with a cup of filtered coffee. If you are looking to immerse yourself in the festival atmosphere, head to Fringe Bite at The Pleasance Courtyard. It is outdoors and one of the oldest Fringe venues, always busy with a good buzz and great food.
'This year, our street food business, Street Food by Harajuku, will be there serving our famous udon noodles with tofu or fried chicken and my special sweet chilli sauce.'
Jun Au, chef-owner of Pomelo: "I absolutely adore eating at Simply Greek on Union Street. These are my top tips on how to eat there:
Arrive and hope to be seated near the window
Order a selection of dips (£10) and two pita breads (£2.6) to start, before a mix of mezze, kalamarika (£15) and gigantes (£10). If you need more bread, order more!
Moving onto mains, a must order is the lamb chops (£15) and if you're dining with someone, order the mixed grill (£19.50), too.
After all this, you should be stuffed, but wait! To make more room, order 2 shots of uzo before dessert which has to be their emek kantaifi (£7).
"A good alternative on the other side of town is Nixos in Tollcross - great, quick street food. A perfect order for lunch is the mixed gyros main box (£15) and don't forget to get the cherry Greek soft drink, Loux. (£3.00)"
Bart Stratfold, head Chef at Timberyard: "Noodle Home on Nicholson Street is my go-to every week. It's authentic, affordable and always busy, so the atmosphere is great.
"The noodles are super savoury and really delicious. I usually go for hand-moulded thick noodles Chonquing style with beef, plus four lamb skewers made extra spicy and the cucumber and black fungus salad."
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