Why chef Stuart Ralston is closing Aizle in Edinburgh

The Herald Scotland

21-07-2025

'I wanted to work with producers who really care about what they grow and make people happy with our food,' Ralston said when announcing the closure online last month.
'Over the past 11 years, we have moved homes, met brilliant people along the way and grown into something to be proud of.
'We achieved what we set out to do.'
Citing plans to shift his attention fully onto the three other restaurants in his group (fine dining venture, Lyla, NYC izakaya-inspired Noto, and pasta-focused Tipo) Ralston has said that the option to leave his lease was the initial catalyst for Aizle's closure.
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"There was no rash decision made overnight," he told The Herald.
"It is very emotional, and something that I've been thinking over for months and months.
'If we wanted to keep going with Aizle, we could have, but when the option to leave our lease came up, I had to judge it accordingly and ask myself if it was worth staying.
'Within the restaurant group, my attitude has always been that if we're not constantly evolving, then there's no point in doing it.
'Aizle is the only restaurant in our group that is not fully independent, and because the Kimpton Hotel owns the site, there's only so much we can do with it.
'I love it so much as a brand, and it's given me everything I've ever wanted out of life.
"Because of that, it's an entity that deserves more than just to be flogging a dead horse for any longer than I feel is needed.'
Pictured: Aizle serves a 'blind tasting menu' revolving around produce from Scotland's larder (Image: Supplied)
After securing his Michelin Star in February this year, Ralston now spends the bulk of his time at Royal Terrace restaurant Lyla, which has been fully booked since the win.
'The global recognition for the Michelin Guide means that it can bring a lot of attention to a city like [[Edinburgh]], or even Scotland, and to be a part of that makes you feel really good about what you've contributed to the industry as a whole,' he said.
'That's not something I ever really considered when I was younger. All I thought about was cooking in a restaurant.
'I spent a long time away from home working in New York and Barbados, so when I came back to Edinburgh, I was a total nobody starting from scratch.
'That means it's taken slightly longer than I wanted to get to this point, but now I feel like the most important thing you can do is leave a bit of a legacy behind you.
'I try to say it as often as I can, so hopefully the message gets out there, but I'm lucky to have incredible people around that support me as well as the restaurants.
'It's not just me cooking all this food. The group has around a hundred staff, so it's nice to see everybody get to celebrate something like our Michelin Star at Lyla.'
These staff members are at the forefront of Ralston's mind ahead of Aizle's closure, with talk of a potential restaurant opening that would create new roles for his talented team members.
'Now I feel my main responsibility is to the staff, and I want to make sure that they've got other opportunities within the group.
'If I can make that happen, then I'll feel alright about it all."
With just a few weeks left until the final service at Aizle on Sunday, September 21, this summer will be bittersweet for the Glenrothes-born chef as he prepares to say goodbye to the restaurant which started it all for him in Edinburgh.
'Closing a restaurant is a new experience for me, but what has made it a bit easier was the response we got when we put out the post on social media announcing the news," he said.
'There's such an overwhelming number of comments from people who have made special memories at Aizle.
'I'm proud to know that from a small, very casual restaurant on Leonard Street, which was opened with only around 25 grand, I've managed to build a group that's now become successful.
"Aizle was the foundation for everything else to stand on.
'I'd say that, as well as the people who have stuck with me throughout the 11 years or started with us and have gone on to do great things of their own, is the most important thing we've achieved.'
Aizle is located at 38 Charlotte Square in Edinburgh.
For more information, visit www.aizle.co.uk.