FOOD & DRINK NEWS & REVIEWS

THE NORTHERN LIGHTS OF GREAT JUNCTION STREET Jo Laidlaw discovers a new opening in an unfashionable part of town can brighten even the darkest of nights

W ith a run of glossy new openings in the city centre and a string of second, third and even fourth new venues planned for some well-known local names, you’d perhaps be forgiven for thinking the Edinburgh dining scene is a familiar story. But take a closer look along the edges of the more established food streets and districts: you’ll see bright, shiny new talent, taking advantage of lower rents to strike out and start up. Take North Leith, already a place with its fair share of proudly indie outliers Coburg Street’s cosy Ostara and the fabulously irreverent Dreadnought at the end of North Fort Street, to name but two now joined by Aurora, an informal neighbourhood bistro which sits at the furthest point of Great Junction Street. Optimistically described by chef and owner Kamil Witek as ‘a stone’s throw from The Shore’ (let’s be honest, you’d need a pretty strong throwing arm) Aurora exemplifies the trend of starting small in modest spaces, building a loyal and local customer base while experimenting and perfecting an approach to food and hospitality. That Aurora is already a really rather lovely place to be is a bonus. Known for a stint at Salt Café (another locals’ local), Kamil uses seasonal ingredients and

AURORA

surprising flavour combinations to create an always- evolving menu. Breakfast and lunch see a focus on eggs with florentine, benny and royale all present and correct as well as spicy North African shakshuka. Lunch time sees a half-dozen larger plates added, like pork cheek and barley ravioli bathed in a chicken consommé, or peppercorn crusted tuna with avocado nori, all supported by bread and pastries made on the premises. But it’s in the evening that Aurora’s playful side really comes to the fore. Currently only open on Friday and Saturday nights (so you already feel clever for securing a reservation and making the trip across town), the compact à la carte often features fish, for example in a lobster bisque with a yin and yang of black and white ravioli or wobblingly perfect cod, while regular fixed-menu event nights feature themes like Land and Sea or Childhood Memories to inspire one-off, inventive menus.

+ Shining devotion to creating interesting, imaginative dishes

- It is a short menu, though well-conceived

187 Great Junction Street, Leith, 0131 554 5537, auroraedinburgh.co.uk Tue–Thu 9am–5pm; Fri/Sat 9am–11pm; Sun 9am–4pm. Closed Mon

£12 (lunch) / £18 (dinner) 48 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2018

DRINKS NEWS

The Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival takes place at The Biscuit Factory 25–27 May with the usual array of great beers, street food and DJ sets. Look out for a one-off kettle sour beer, created by a special collaboration of 24 female industry-leading brewers, lecturers and students from Heriot Watt’s ground-breaking brewing degree course. Minimum alcohol pricing finally sees the light of day come May 1, with all alcohol in Scotland selling for at least 50p per unit. Reaction from the licensed trade industry has been mixed, with some claiming the change will have a devastating effect on an already struggling bar scene.

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