Edinburgh is not short of good restaurants. You can find them in Leith, Stockbridge, the West End and other neighbourhoods in the capital. But what about the city centre? Less well served, some might say (with some notable exceptions), so I was intrigued to hear about the opening of Lennox Edinburgh, on the corner of Queensferry Street and Charlotte Lane. The latest venture from chef/restaurateur, Nico Simeone, Lennox seeks to bring “unapologetic and indulgent cooking” to t

Malones Leith has announced the launch of a Guinness brunch, along with a month of community events in August, to show that Leith is still open for business, despite trams to the area being affected by the recent Princes Street fire. The bar has also invested in additional training for its team to support daytime service – a deliberate move to make the venue an all-day, all-ages spot for locals. Charlie Douglas, general manager at Malones Leith, said: “The trams being off has

The Lost Close, an underground, historic whisky attraction just off Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, has announced the launch of a new independently bottled whisky. The release marks the latest milestone in The Lost Close's ongoing commitment to ‘story-led’ whisky experiences. The Lost Close No. 3 is a 30-year-old North British grain whisky with an ABV of 44.6 per cent, distilled in Edinburgh in December 1995 and matured in a single refill hogshead for three decades. The release tells

Asu, the latest culinary project from the team behind Glasgow’s Five March, is set to open at Brown’s of Leith this month. Launching on Friday 24 July, Asu is set to bring the vibrant flavours of Asia to The Shore. Asu is the latest venture of owner, Joanna Nethery. The menus and kitchen team will be led by Five March’s executive chef, David Cleary, who previously headed up the Michelin Bib Gourmand Vietnamese restaurant, Hanoi Bike Shop, in Glasgow. The menu at Asu will i

Modern trattoria, Patatino, based at The Hoxton hotel, has launched a new brunch menu. Available on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm to 4pm, the menu combines Patatino staples with Italian-inspired twists on breakfast classics. The menu kicks off with a selection of small plates, including waffles tiramisù with mascarpone cream and coffee and a Patatino favourite – fried spaghetti with marinara sauce and spicy basil pesto. Hearty larger dishes to follow, include eggs royal

Chef Tomás Gormley of Edinburgh’s Cardinal restaurant, has announced the creation of the Cardinal kitchen garden, a regenerative smallholding on the outskirts of the city, in collaboration with Bramblewood Farm. Bramblewood Farm is a family farm in Pathhead, Midlothian, dedicated to regenerative agriculture and supporting the local community. At the Cardinal kitchen garden, Tomás and his team will work closely with the farm’s owner, Nick Holmes, deepening the connection betwe

One of Edinburgh’s most popular neighbourhood cocktail bars is shaking things up with a £100,000 interior makeover in time for this year’s Fringe. The Blackbird, close to the King’s Theatre, features a garden terrace, providing a green urban ‘oasis’ on warm summer evenings during the Festival and throughout the year. An interior transformation is now underway to give the venue a contemporary new look. The décor will feature plaster pink, terracotta and blue-green shades, al

On Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 July, The Little Chartroom will host a pop-up, when next door’s café, bar and bottle shop, Ardfern, moves in for a few days. Over these two days, while Ardfern is closed for a kitchen makeover, its burgers will be available at The Little Chartroom, to eat in or take away between noon and 9pm. The pop-up menu will include Ardfern's signature double smash burger with cheese, pickles and bacon-jam mayo; a fried chicken burger with gravy mayo, pe

The Old Chain Pier pub, in Newhaven, is celebrating a milestone following the implementation of the new Scottish Pubs Code. The landmark legislation, which gives pub owners the right to request a rent-only agreement without being tied to a pub-owning business for stock supply, has empowered the venue to break free from restrictive purchasing obligations. This means the historic pub can stock a wider range of beers and permanently slash the price of its house lager to just £5

SCOTCH whisky bar at The Balmoral has launched a new women-led flight in collaboration with whisky specialist, Stefanie Anderson. Available now, through to September, the exclusive menu is the first in a series of partnerships with women in whisky. The menu brings together a signature cocktail and a curated whisky flight, all designed to spotlight a different perspective on whisky – one that puts flavour, storytelling and passion at the forefront and reinforces that whisky c

Chef and restaurateur Nico Simeone has announced the opening of Lennox Edinburgh this July, marking the third location for his acclaimed, new restaurant concept, following successful openings in Manchester and Glasgow. Lennox offers a deliberate change from the format-driven approach that made Six by Nico recognisable. Instead, Lennox is built around “instinct, flavour and the raw energy of the kitchen”, delivering ingredient-led dishes. The capital’s vibrant West End has be

The Hoxton Hotel has announced the launch of its first ‘hedonistic brunch’ series - a monthly celebration of exceptional wines and indulgent brunch fare, hosted in the hotel’s events space. Taking place on the last Sunday of each month, the ticketed event will feature a buffet, designed to be paired with drinks such as chilled reds and rosé wines, as well as sakes. The first brunch will take place from 11:30am to 2pm on Sunday 26 July, spotlighting sparkling rosé and white w

One of Glasgow’s favourite Italian delis, Eusebi, has opened a bakery counter at Edinburgh food marketplace, Bonnie & Wild. Eusebi’s at Bonnie & Wild is offering a range of sweet treats, including crema and pistachio cornetti, handmade pastries and classic Italian desserts alongside seasonal cakes inspired by Scotland’s produce – bringing together the best of Italian tradition and Scottish ingredients. Eusebi’s much-loved strawberry tarts, made using Scottish fruit, will al

A Category A listed pub in the centre of Edinburgh will close on Monday 8 June, for a £280,000 revamp. The investment in Joseph Pearce on Elm Row is planned to upgrade the pub to a top-quality local. The opening hours are also due to be extended, changing from mid- afternoon to 12 noon, when the pub reopens, in late July. The project is being carried out by Heineken-owned Star Pubs, which is headquartered in Edinburgh. It will see Edinburgh born-and-bred Paul Henderson – a l

Leith pizza spot, Pala, is celebrating its first birthday by giving away a free bignè to its first 100 customers from 2pm on Saturday 13 June. Inspired by its Italian heritage, Pala will introduce birthday bignès – a classic Italian choux pastry filled with cream, similar to a profiterole – for one day only. Just 100 will be available, and gifted to the first 100 customers who make a purchase at Pala on 13 June. Pala is a collaboration between bakery Twelve Triangles and pizz

Asian-fusion restaurant, Uncle Tiger, which recently opened, at Bristo Place, has launched the second in a series of pop-up menus inspired by the street food culture of Japan. The restaurant is now rolling out its new ‘Golden Gai Time’ menu, available until the end of June. The menu takes its cue from Japanese izakaya – small, drink-led dishes designed for ordering and reordering. Golden Gai is a famous pocket of Tokyo made up of tiny, smoke-filled bars packed side by side,

One of Edinburgh’s most popular whisky bars has teamed up with a Lowlands distillery to launch its own-brand, single-cask, single malt. Over the last year, the team behind The Auld Hundred on Rose Street has been working with Annandale Distillery in Dumfries and Galloway to create and bottle its own-label Scotch whisky, ‘Auld Dram’, which is now available exclusively at the historic city-centre venue. Around 290 bottles of the limited-edition tipple are now being produced

Whirlybird, a new addition to Edinburgh's hospitality scene, opens on Monday 18 May on Victoria Street, in the Old Town. The venture is led by experienced hospitality operator Ash Bairstow, who has created a modern, all-day tavern. Whirlybird will offer coffee and pastries each morning, followed by a menu of contemporary takes on classic bistro dishes, created by head chef Lucia Gregusova. Dishes will include whipped crowdie with heritage radish, pumpkin-seed cracker

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has unveiled its newly refreshed garden-view deck and bar, in association with Maison Pommery & Associés. Located within the John Hope Gateway, the deck and bar has for the first time, extended its opening hours across the summer months. While the gardens close at 5pm, the deck remains open beyond this time on Fridays and Saturdays, offering panoramic views over the garden in the light summer evenings. The deck and bar are open from noon to

Great British Bake Off winner, Peter Sawkins, is partnering with Edinburgh Food & Drink Academy to host a ‘cook along’ masterclass event on Saturday 30 May. Peter will give a demonstration on how to master the French classic dessert, croquembouche, at the Academy, on Queen Street. The 12 attendees will then cook along with Peter, creating an almond, ricotta and strawberry celebration cake, learning professional techniques, tips and insider secrets to create their very own com