DRINKS NEWS
After a tiny break of a mere 523 years, production has restarted at Lindores Abbey near Newburgh in Fife, the ‘home’ of Scottish whisky – the earliest written mention of whisky in 1494 refers to the distillery. Their first release is an aqua vitae, which infuses malt spirit with cleavers, lemon verbena and sweet cicely, perfect for a Dark and Stormy as autumn draws in. Glasgow-based soda geeks Rapscallion are taking on the bigger boys in the world of fizzy pop. Tantalising varieties of their natural concoctions are now available in cans, including Pink (rhubarb, pink grapefruit, Szechuan pepper) and Ninja (raw ginger, cassia, lemon cardamom).
FOOD & DRINK FOOD & DRINK NEWS & REVIEWS
IT IS A TRUTH UNIVERSALLY ACKNOWLEDGED . . . . . . that Broughton Street is home to more than its fair share of Edinburgh’s prime dining spots. Megan Welford tries out one of the latest offerings
N orn’s closure back in the spring was a shock to the capital’s food scene. Scott and Laura Smith’s first restaurant won plaudits and awards (including a Best Newcomer Award from our very own Eating and Drinking Guide) for its stripped-back and innovative cooking, where seasonality was a mantra and pickling, preserving and foraging a way of life.
But even before the dust settled came news that the Smiths had taken over the awkward space formerly occupied by Seasons on Broughton Street and work was starting on a new venture. And so Fhior is here. The name means ‘true’ in Gaelic and most of Laura and Scott’s now-familiar principles stand true too: minimalist décor, relaxed atmosphere, passionate staff who proudly show off the dishes they’ve made and sublimely creative cooking. Thankfully, their cult beremeal bread also made it up the road from The Shore; this should be handled with care if you’re dining as its Orcadian goodness is deceptively filling, but – huzzah! – early birds can now pick up a loaf from the restaurant on Saturday mornings.
The lunchtime menu is a compact à la carte, supported by a pared-down bar snacks list, an
FHIOR
innovation for Broughton Street – choose from dishes like lobster croquettes with lovage emulsion or baby leeks with wild garlic, spruce and sorrel. For dinner, after specifying any dietary requirements in advance, all you have to do is decide between four or seven set courses. Pick seven though, or you’ll be sad, envious or downright rude to neighbours who’ve had better foresight. There are matching wines from talented sommelier Stuart Skea or choose your own from an excellent and unusual list. Then simply sit back and wait for a series of taste explorations: it could be sharp elderflower pickle and unctuous oyster butter with cod, or shaved lamb crystals nestling next to samphire and sea buckthorn picked that morning from a secret spot in East Lothian. Finish with the most intensely strawberry-tasting dessert you could possibly eat, scattered with the pretty bite of amaranth and nasturtium. And here’s another truth for you: eat here, and you can die happy.
+ Stunning, stunning food - The set menu concept can divide diners
36 Broughton Street, New Town, EH1 3SB, 0131 477 5000, fhior.com
Fri/Sat 12.30–2pm, 6.30–9pm; Wed/Thu 6.30–9pm. Closed Sun–Tue. Average cost of two-course lunch/dinner: £15 (lunch) / £40 (dinner)
44 THE LIST 1 Sep–31 Oct 2018