DRINKS NEWS

What better way to woo someone this Valentine’s Day than to ply them with gin? Should that gin be Makar Cherry Gin (recently voted the UK’s best flavoured gin in the World Gin Awards) in a little heart-shaped bottle, then how could you possibly fail in romance? They’ve also infused the stuff into chocolates just in case you need any more help. With so much gin around, we need more events at which to drink it. The inaugural True OrigGINs festival, set up by two Aberdeenshire bros, promises over 70 Scottish and only Scottish gins. The show kicks off in Banchory (15 Feb), before arriving in Edinburgh (29 Mar), Inverurie (19 Apr) and then on to Glasgow (31 May).

FOOD & DRINK NEWS & REVIEWS

HEADING SOUTH Southside Scran sees Tom Kitchin opening up a new bistro in Bruntsfield. Malcolm McGonigle checks it out

A nticipation has been at fever-pitch (well, as feverish as the douce Southside gets) for the opening of this latest offshoot of Tom and Michaela Kitchin’s growing family of restaurants. Many see it as a further vote of confidence in a Bruntsfield scene that has been ripe for refinement for a while now, and given the city centre’s well-reported trials and tribulations a move to the affluent ’burbs certainly seems a smart move from a restaurateur’s point of view. Let’s not forget either that the Kitchins did more than their fair share of the leg work to put Leith on the food map a decade or so ago; it’s no wonder then that many see Southside Scran’s opening as one of the hottest tickets in town.

A soft grey shopfront leads to a chic, tranquil interior filled with deep greens and blues, honeycomb tiles, sumptuous leather seating and a sparkling bar area. There’s all of the buzz and bustle of a typical French brasserie, while the menu (as expected) is a masterclass in Scottish sourcing, drawing exceptional farm, sea and loch produce from Scotland’s larder. (Equally rocking the Gallic vibe is the complete lack of veggie dishes listed on the menu, save salads and sides,

SOUTHSIDE SCRAN

but it does state that dishes can be adapted on request.)

A vivid risotto sets the tone bright, pungent and full of flavour, it’s laced with smoky roasted pumpkin, toasted seeds and topped with crispy sage leaves. Elsewhere, Borders game pithivier is a small puff pastry pie, loaded with densely seasoned meat offset by a bouncy quince gel. Notable mains include moist and creamy monkfish tail topped with lively cajun spices and Clash Farm pork belly tender, juicy with a crisp crackling skin in a rich meaty sauce. The intended star of the show though (alongside approachable and highly competent staff) is a rotisserie, which dominates the back wall and casts mouth-watering scents into the room as it grills, with sharing dishes like a whole roast Gartmorn chicken not only a nod to relaxed, family-style dining but also a great way to sample its work.

+ Over 60 wines served by the glass . . . - . . . but wines are pricey

14–17 Bruntsfield Place, Southside, Edinburgh, EH10 4HN, 0131 342 3333, southsidescran.com

Mon–Fri noon–2.30pm, 5–10pm; Sat/Sun 9–11am, noon–10pm Average cost of two-course lunch/dinner: £17 / £35

48 THE LIST 1 Feb–31 Mar 2019