Castle Terrace rustles up tasty £1m overhaul

ONE of the Capital's top restaurants has reopened its doors after undergoing a £1 million revamp.

Dominic Jack with his restaurant's new mural. Picture: Contributed

Castle Terrace has extended its dining area and fitted a new kitchen and private room.

But all eyes will be on a new mural drawn on to one of the restaurant’s walls by Scots artist Nichol Wheatley.

As the wall conceals views of Edinburgh Castle, the artist has created an intricate line drawing offering a silhouette of the historic attraction.

The refurbishment comes as the restaurant – part of celebrity chef Tom Kitchin’s stable of eateries – marks six years in the Capital.

Its new interior was designed by the chef’s wife, Michaela Kitchin, alongside Glasgow-based Stephen Paterson of Burns Design.

Fabrics from the Isle of Bute, structured three-dimensional wallpaper from Scandinavian design team BN Wallcoverings 
and leather from Sunbury Design was sourced “to create a lush ambience, with a blend of rustic glamour, drawing on the building’s origin”.

Two new fireplaces have been fitted, along with a new bar, while there is also a chef’s table and wine cellar.

Chef patron Dominic Jack said: “Since we opened it’s been an incredible journey. The restaurant, our business and the team have evolved and grown since we opened and the refurbishment definitely reflects this – it felt like a natural next step.

“The new space allows us to continue to push for excellence in the service we provide and also allows me and my team to continue evolving our food.

“The complete restructure of the new kitchen space is an absolute chef’s dream and I can’t wait to start cooking with all my new equipment. We’ve introduced the new chef’s table to allow a select number of guests to see how our kitchen works.

“It’s all about taking our guests on a culinary journey. They can see our wine cellar and understand the level of detail and passion that goes into each and every dish we serve our diners.”

Castle Terrace – where a three-course set lunch costs £29.50 – lost its Michelin star in a shock move last year.

But, at the time, Mr Jack insisted the decision – which came two years after the restaurant was named as one of the best in the world by TripAdvisor – wouldn’t affect business.

He said then: “For the last five years, Castle Terrace has established itself as one of Scotland’s leading restaurants, building an incredibly loyal customer base along the way.

“Our talented team is committed to delivering the highest levels of excellence day in, day out, and today’s announcement won’t change that.”