FOOD & DRINK NEWS & REVIEWS
SQUARING THE CIRCLE Jo Laidlaw finds a new Edinburgh opening showcases a chef using every inch of his fine dining experience, while also rediscovering his bistro roots
DRINKS NEWS BrewDog Distillery Co. has officially replaced LoneWolf – the spirit operation of the craft beer behemoth. They’re celebrating with three bespoke boilermakers to be paired with their brews: the rye Torpedo Tulip from Dutch distillers Millstone to go with Dead Pony Club; Skeleton Key by blender Duncan Taylor for Jet Black Heart stout or Zombie Cake porter; and Transistor from Compass Box for the flagship Punk IPA. Another from Compass Box sees the Auld Alliance brought together in a Brexit-busting union of two European heavyweight spirits. Affinity (46% ABV, £100) is the first- ever blend of the Normandy apple brandy Calvados with Scotch malt whiskies. Sláinte! – or ‘santé’ as our Gallic brethren would say.
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T here’s a pleasing symmetry to Mark Greenaway’s new venture. Restaurant Mark Greenaway, eponymous fine dining restaurant which closed back in September, was known for cheffy flourishes and a level of fine-dining complexity that was loved by a legion of fans. But an earlier restaurant was Stockbridge’s Bistro Moderne, which offered an imaginative, modern take on casual dining – and it’s this experience he appears to be drawing on for Grazing by Mark Greenaway, a new 160-cover restaurant inside the Waldorf Astoria (that’s the Caley, to you and me).
In fact, Greenaway cheerfully admits the team have been looking to get ‘back to bistro’ for a number of years, but the right premises have eluded them. So this is a canny move for both – the hotel get a little bit of star power to entice locals through the dining room doors, and Greenaway gets a big canvas to play upon. And play he does: the food here is creative, exciting and very good indeed. That’s not to say everything is perfect. Big rooms need generous numbers of diners to make them buzz and prices are on the high side, especially as most mains need a side (though it’s hard to
GRAZING BY MARK GREENAWAY
grudge four quid for the amazing ugly potatoes – squashed knobs of tattie with cheese and garlic, yum.) But what Greenaway does so brilliantly is to use his fine dining instincts to elevate, creating dishes that are accessible yet so much more than the sum of their parts. So a starter of mackerel, as fresh as the hibiscus flower it comes with, is cooked very simply but comes with a complex little salad of apple and beetroot that layers acidity and earthiness against the fish’s oiliness. Halibut is perfectly roasted, its herb crust turning out to be an intense, green garnish, topped with wee bits of salt beet. Hake likewise gets its flaky moment in the spotlight, while a striped cigar of rich seafood cannelloni adds colour and drama. And desserts? They’re no doubt all perfectly lovely, but if the sticky toffee pudding soufflé is on the menu, there’s literally no point eyeing up anything else – it’s sweet-toothed heaven.
+ Playful, original food you won’t find anywhere else in Edinburgh
- While some dishes are designed for sharing, the name doesn’t quite fit the concept
Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian, Rutland Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2AB, 0131 222 8857, markgreenaway.com/grazing-restaurant
Mon–Fri noon–2.30pm, 6–9.30pm; Sat 12.30–2.30pm, 6–9.30pm; Sun 12.30–9pm
Average cost of two course lunch/dinner: £40 70 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2019