FOOD & DRINK RECENT OPENINGS
SUPPORTED BY
ARCH RIVAL
The most prominent tenant in the new Waverley Arches development is, for Jo Laidlaw, a steakhouse with style
Edinburgh’s second Chop House – sister to the 2015 original in Leith from the guys behind Monteiths and Sygn – anchors a row of independent shops and cafés at the New Waverley Arches. The interior is a real treat – a chunky metal frame sitting inside curvy glints of granite and stone. On entry, there’s the expected hit of charcoal but with a slightly bitter edge, moving the vibe away from family barbecue to something altogether darker and sexier. Service is brisk and confident: well- drilled staff recite cuts and cooking temperatures while pouring water from carafes with satisfyingly clunky cork stoppers. Starters focus on sharing (mostly) fishy bites – tempura prawns, crispy squid – but it’s the meat which takes top billing here. Sourced mainly from Shaw’s of Lauder and Hardiesmill, then dry-aged in-house for 35 days, there are four cuts: rump, sirloin, ribeye and fillet, as well as larger sharing cuts like chateaubriand. And it’s pretty damn near perfect – cooked exactly as it should be, properly seasoned, with a smoky crust. Sides are strong (but with only a sauce included, the bill will mount up if you go mad for the chips). All in, this is the place for a seal-the-deal steak.
CHOP HOUSE MARKET STREET Arch 15, East Market Street, Old Town, Edinburgh, EH8 8FS
0131 629 1551, chophousesteak.co.uk Ave. price two-course meal: £14 (lunch) / £37 (dinner)
The best of the new restaurant, café and bar openings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for one.
Glasgow IBÉRICA SPANISH
140 St Vincent Street, City Centre, 0141 530 7985, ibericarestaurants.com, £10.95 (set lunch) / £15 (dinner) This seven-restaurant-strong group stakes its first foothold in Scotland with an opulent restaurant and bar design that marks the Celtic heritage shared by northern Spain and Scotland. Menus are masterminded by decorated executive chef Nacho Manzano, who draws on his native region of Asturias with small plates of light, sweet jamón serrano and salty, intense jamón ibérico. Tapas reflect Asturias’ famous seafood with octopus and pimenton de la vera, a type of smoked paprika, or mackerel cooked for a single minute in a clam and garlic sauce.
ELENA’S SPANISH BAR & RESTAURANT SPANISH 90 Old Dumbarton Road, West End, 0141 237 4730, elenastapas.com, £10 (3-tapas lunch) / £22 (dinner) The fairly short-lived (and missed) Grumpy Goat left behind an attractively refurbed venue that newcomer Elena’s has prudently left pretty much untouched. A few Spanish flags among the remnants of mixed seating and old Glasgow photos are the only give- away to the new direction, where the eponymous Elena, hailing from Cantabria in northern Spain, is dishing up ‘rationales’, or portions – bigger than tapas but shy of a full plate. It’s an enjoyable delve into Iberian flavours: benchmark patatas bravas are good, padrón peppers are addictive, while Galician-
style octopus is a standout winner. It all makes for a great-looking, well-positioned bar-bistro with amiable service and enticing food to boot.
THE LARDER BISTRO 5 Kirk Lane, Bearsden, 0141 942 1380, thelarderbearsden.com, £26.50 (lunch / dinner) With venues in Lenzie, Milngavie and Bishopbriggs already, the R Group
know a bit about dining trends and maintaining local custom. Small plates and the influence of Finnieston feel about right — but the rhythm is more relaxed, more Bearsden. Dishes described by their ingredients can intrigue or frustrate: ‘pulled duck, mango, coriander’, is an unassuming bao (steamed bun), but ‘pineapple, coconut, lime’ is delightful — toasted, citrus and sweet notes mingling on a vibrant plate. There’s lots of pleasant stuff, with long, clean lines and spaciousness helping the cause, too. A trip into the city is now that wee bit less necessary.
Edinburgh WAHACA MEXICAN 16 South St Andrew Street, New Town, 0131 202 6850, wahaca.co.uk, £13 (lunch) / £20 (dinner) Since launching in London in 2007, Wahaca has made its name as a group pushing a fresh, exciting revival of Mexican food alongside transparent credentials when it comes to sourcing, waste and good causes. Sprinkle in a celebrity chef-owner (Thomasina Miers), some street art and its fresh take on quality tequila and mezcal, and its arrival north of the border has been highly anticipated. You can expect to have your Mexican horizons stretched with tacos, taquitos and tostadas filled with lively
ingredients such as sweet potato and feta, crispy blue corn, pork pilbil or MSC-certified shrimp and Devon crab. It’s a bustle of music, chatter, colour, and revved-up food and staff.
HOME BY MAISON BLEUE FRENCH-SCOTTISH BISTRO 7-8 Queensferry Street, West End, 0131 220 0773, home-restaurant.co.uk, £12.50 (set lunch) / £25 (dinner) With a full glass facade, bright lights, warm brick walls and open-flame stoves, this laudable venture has set itself up as a very welcoming place — homely, even — that’s smart but not too self-conscious and careful to keep its statement- making to its charitable aims. A partnership between homelessness-supporting sandwich shops Social Bite and longstanding Victoria Street restaurant Maison Bleue, with additional support from David Wither of Montpeliers Group and chef Martin Wishart, it has opened with an approachable mid-market, globe-spinning range encompassing steaks, coconut chicken, Creole seafood gumbo and slow-cooked lamb tagine.
KALEIDOSCOPE WHISKY BAR 28 Queen Street, New Town, 0131 220 2044, smws.com, £20 (lunch / dinner) For local whisky aficionados or just showing off the national drink to visitors, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a true Edinburgh asset. Its gradual development from members’ rooms to public bar and restaurant was further confirmed by a £300,000 summer makeover which saw chef James Freeman’s classy Dining Room restaurant given first-floor status, while the new bar, a cosy but classy affair without a stitch of tartan naffness, takes up the ground floor space. You might come for the range of over 200 single cask whiskies, but there’s a grown-up bar menu with sharing platters, main plates of pasta or risotto, or a steak sandwich.
Independent write-ups on all the restaurants worth knowing about in Glasgow and Edinburgh are available on our online Eating & Drinking Guide at list.co.uk/food-and-drink 68 THE LIST 3 Nov 2016-31 Jan 2017