An online magazine for and about businesses of all sizes, in Edinburgh and beyond
Bruntsfield restaurant, Leftfield, on Barclay Terrace, has reopened its doors, following a short period of refurbishment.
The space has been brightened, with the dark-green walls swapped for light plaster and white woodwork. Plants feature prominently, both in the dining room and in the exterior window boxes full of seasonal herbs, beans and sweet peas, ready to be used by chef Phil White and his team.
The bright colour scheme extends to the standalone bar area, which seats six. Downstairs, the private dining room has retained its dark-green décor, with seating for up to eight guests, around an oval, Brazilian green-marble table.
Leftfield has also introduced a new, bistro-inspired menu, with a greater focus on meat and vegetable dishes, while continuing to celebrate Scottish seafood. Its popular, hot seafood platters are still on the menu and are also available to take away.
The new menu features snacks such as Islay oysters with Manzanilla shallot; starters include hand-dived scallop with cucumber, crispy garlic, ginger and chilli; and for main courses, diners can choose from a selection of sharing plates, such as a pork chop, borlotti beans, cavolo nero and roast apple or hake with cockles, Arenkha caviar and beurre blanc. The dessert menu offers puddings such as pavlova with mascarpone and blackberry coulis or Basque cheesecake with rhubarb compote.
For the reopening, wine manager Lola Chisholm White has curated a more extensive wine list, with the same focus on organic and biodynamic wines from small producers, but from a greater variety of regions. There is also a larger selection of wines available by the glass, and, for the first time, wines are available to purchase and take away from Leftfield’s new bottle shop.
Restaurant manager, Veronica Luque Perez, makes the infused spirits included in Leftfield’s cocktail offering. She also creates the cordials and shrubs used in the non-alcoholic drinks, using seasonal fruit and botanicals.
Commenting on the relaunch, Rachel Chisholm, co-founder said: “We have been on this sunny corner of Bruntsfield for eight years, through many different phases and challenges. Being a restaurateur has not been easy these past few years, but we are still here and we wanted to celebrate that by bringing a lightness back into our rooms.
“The new dining room is a beautiful airy space, with the best views in Edinburgh and our menu reflects how we want to eat – really good, tasty food prepared with a light touch so the ingredients we source can speak for themselves.
"Our wine list is a joy; it’s a real pleasure to serve such beautiful wines by the glass and to see our guests exploring different regions and styles. With the whole family on board and a brilliant restaurant manager, I’m so excited for our future.”
Leftfield, which first opened in 2017, is named to reflect the restaurant’s position to the left of Bruntsfield Links, as well as Phil’s approach to cooking: mixing classical techniques with a slightly ‘left-field’ twist.
It is open for dinner Thursday to Sunday, and for lunch Friday to Sunday. From June, Leftfield is also open for cocktails, wine, oysters and snacks between 2pm and 5.30pm, as well as for dinner on Mondays.
Image: Tina Leahy
