Edinburghers looking for somewhere to get a casual bite over the festive season should take a look at three new eateries trialled by Scottish Field editor Richard Bath.
Bombay Bistro
Chef Mandeep Saini has form. Formerly of Gleneagles and The Berkeley in London, his Bombay Club in Auchterarder, which opened in 2023, was named 2025 Indian Restaurant of the Year for Scotland.
So it’s exciting that he has taken over the rather snazzy space on the Lothian Road near Bruntsfield Links which was until recently home to Tom Kitchin’s bistro, Kora. So the space and location are good, what about the food?
Sani’s concept for Bombay Bistro is an East-Meets-West fusion that includes dishes such as beef chettinad, haggis tikki, and sirloin boti, alongside a curated selection of Indian whiskies and wines imported from India.
We tried out the £45 festive menu and found it as advertised, with Indian staples given a proper Christmas makeover. The highlights were the outstandingly tender chicken tikka with a cranberry and beetroot glaze, two huge slabs of roasted turkey in a makhani sauce (think chicken tikka), and sides of roasted coconut cabbage and honey chilli glazed carrots.
The main of braised lamb shank with garlic crushed potatoes and starter of masala crab cakes with tandoori mayo were definitely a cut below the three highlights, but the sickly sweet pudding of warm carrot halwa with gulab jamun was definitely not for us.
At £45 for a starter, two sides, main and desert, this is not bargain basement but the normal menu, which is still available, looks like excellent value, and retains Saini’s trademark fusion approach.
Bombay Bistro, 14-17 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4HN. www.bombaybistro.uk
Nishiki
Having been to Japan quite recently, I immediately recognised this lovely little Haymarket eaterie as an authentic slice of the homeland. The layout is pared-back Scandi chic meets typical Japanese clean lines (there’s even a word for this – Japandi).
The décor features simple wooden tables and chairs, and the menu put together by chef-patron Mark Wang, who also owns fine-dining restaurant Yamoto in Tollcross, is equally straightforward and unfussy.
We decided to range across the menu looking at all the major food groups, starting with a huge bowl of edamame (great value at £6). Our first dish was the miso aubergine (£9), which was cooked in halves that have been scored in a criss-cross pattern down to the skin; this was a revelation, and it’s easy to see why it’s Nishiki’s best-seller.
We followed up with scallop sashimi (£8), a huge roll of wagyu temaki with truffles and chives (£10) and gloriously tender negimi yakatori chicken skewers (£8), before sharing an excellent and huge bowl of pork and chicken ramen (£19) that had a nicely spicy broth. It’s also worth bearing in mind that this is one of the best places in town to get sake.
Nishiki, 151-155 Morrison Street, Edinburgh EH3 8AG. www.nishikiedinburgh.co.uk
The Gilded Saloon
Those paying attention at the back will note that the address of the Gilded Saloon on Bristo Square is the same as that of the Gilded Balloon, which has been around since God was a boy.
This is true, but the clever bit is the new menu put together by recently appointed executive head chef Tomas Gormley, who won a Michelin star with Heron in Leith. Gormley is one of three partners in the Gilded Saloon, along with Fringe company The Gilded Balloon and Kelburn Garden Party.
The ‘executive’ bit means Gormley is not actually on site, but his representative on earth, head chef Josh Rich, previously of Spry Wines and The Cellar Door Restaurant, is doing the hard yards in the kitchen.
Although there’s no ‘saloon’ as such – we were simply sitting in the pub alongside the regular drinkers – the food is actually pretty decent. A starter of Isle of Mull Welsh Rarebit (£7) was enjoyable, as was a surprisingly chunky slab of cured sea trout with horseradish crème fraiche and pickled redcurrants (£9).
Equally solid, and arguably better value for money, were our mains of grilled chicken leg with lentils a la Francaise (£12), and a really impressive Free Company beef shin suet pie (£12), although the side of chips (£5) was disappointingly flaccid.
We rounded off with a very ordinary quince and pear lattice pie with custard (£7) and a nice spiced clementine sorbet with toasted oats and whiskey (sic) cream (£6). My spies tell me the Sunday lunch is particularly good.
The Gilded Saloon, 45-47 Lothian Street, Edinburgh EH1 1HB. www.thegildedsaloon.co.uk
Read more Reviews here.
Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field.
TAGS