REVIEW : EAT - The Kitchin, Edinburgh

A very long overdue visit that eventually came to fruition. I made a pledge at the start of the year to visit more fine dining restaurants in Edinburgh and Scotland rather than globe trotting around the world to eat exquisite food.

Our reservation at El Celler de Can Roca, Girona for March was cancelled (only a 2 year waiting list) and I had The White Rabbit in Moscow and Sketch in London on my radar. But Covid struck and it’s highly unlikely I will be heading anywhere outside the UK for the next 6-8 months.

Luckily, we do have some fantastic places to indulge in incredibly creative plates of food so it was with high expectations that we dined at The Kitchin.

I was pleased and a little relieved at the way the staff handle the Covid dining restrictions. Temperature check on arrival, all staff wear masks and a 2m distance is adhered to where possible. Obviously, staff that are delivering your food to the table have to come in a little closer, but there is still an air of distance and plates are set down or removed as quickly as possible.

Tables are well set apart, and you dont feel crammed into any one tiny space. Diners are all very respectful of other diners space and I felt most at ease here.

Instead of menus, your waitress presents you with a QR code which takes you to the website and allows you to read the menu. Neither of us use QR codes so didn’t have the QR reader downloaded and the network signal wasn’t great; so we had to spend some time faffing about, trying to access the menu. I still prefer a paper menu.

DINNER AT THE KITCHIN, EDINBURGH

We chose the Surprise Tasting Menu at £100pp. Wine pairing is an additional £65 but neither of us chose to pair it with wines. We definitely would have, had we been here for dinner.

The Surprise Tasting Menu is described as a journey through the unique seasonal Scottish larder and its produce. Six course tasting menu with an optional cheese course for a £15 supplement.

First to arrive at the table were some Crispbread and creamed cheese. The crackers are snap perfect with honey and oats a clear winner!

Stunning warm sourdough bread and creamy butter also arrived. Gosh the bread in fantastic and I tried really hard to not keep going back for another chunk.

Amuse Bouche - Mushroom Consomme with egg noodle

The aroma from this is pungent woodland but beckons you to take a sip and another and another. It’s warm and comforting, helping you settle in for the long haul. The egg noodles are half pea sized and soft. They play on your tongue as you drink.

Pre-Starter - Scallops baked in the Shell

I have an overwhelming love for scallops. It is without a doubt my go-to shellfish and these beauts are hand-dived from Orkney. What a superb way to showcase Scottish seafood.

The scallop had been opened, shucked, cut in half, placed in a white wine, vermouth and herb cream sauce, closed and then sealed with puff pastry. It is expertly re-opened at your table to reveal these silky bites swimming in a cream puddle and golden pastry that you wish there was more of to soak up all these tremendous flavours. I felt that the scallops were slightly overdone, but still delicious.

Starter - Crispy Veal Sweetbreads

For me the star of this menu. I am not a fan of sweetbreads normally, but I think I’ve just had them cooked badly before because these tasted just like ham hock; soft and slightly salty!

The flavours were fantastically balanced - peas added the sweetness, the girolle mushrooms the earthiness, and the summer truffles umami. The textures were spot on too.

And besides all that what a stunning dish to look at! A true celebration of Scotland.

Middle Course - Halibut with Stuffed Courgette and Tomatoes

It screams Summer. The heritage tomatoes cooked whole burst in your mouth; releasing their sweet juices. The courgette flower was so delicate and pretty and the halibut soft. For me the halibut, I think had been sous vide, so it lacked that gorgeous flaking of fish when it is perfectly cooked. I lapped up every morsel here though.

Main - Roe Deer with young neeps

This is also served with a side dish of potato rosti, beef ragu and polenta. Every aspect of this dish was delicious. I didn’t blow me away however but it was a very well cooked dish and its Scottish venison. What’s not to love.

Pre-dessert - Pannacotta

This came with toasted oats and a raspberry sauce. This was my least favourite course even though I am a big fan of pannacotta. Too much gelatin for my liking, not a wibble wobble here.

Dessert - Dark Chocolate and Rhubarb Souffle

The lunch ended strong. This dish was outstanding and a massive round of applause to the chef; a souffle this good is technically difficult! The souffle was like eating flavoured air; so light you could have drifted off on a souffle cloud and just lay there in bliss all afternoon. Dark chocolate around the edges melted giving the souffle the opportunity to rise and the rhubarb vein ran through the middle, not overly tart but with a hint of sweetness.

Chef Tom popped out the kitchen a few times and came over to say hello. Staff were pleasant and helpful. I really did enjoy lunch at The Kitchin. It wasn’t an incredible array of creative imaginative dishes that you do sometimes get at Michelin Star restaurants but instead a good honest tribute to the very best of Scottish produce, showcasing our larder using traditional French cooking techniques, for which Tom Kitchin is known for and is passionate about. Would I go again? Hell yes but this time for dinner and the paired wines.

The Kitchin, 78 Commercial Quay, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6LX. Tel : 0131 5551755 www.thekitchin.com

My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10