Edinburgh restaurant legendary critic AA Gill called 'sublime' announces shock closure

Fhior, the multi-award winning eaterie from chef patron Scott Smith, will run its closing dinner service on June 1 and will shut its doors for the last time after the final guest leaves.

Smith, who has run the Broughton Street restaurant since 2018, will be launching a new culinary project, Blank Plate Creative providing hospitality businesses with bespoke catering solutions.

The restaurant, which has been co-owned by Scott, and his wife Laura, has scooped numerous awards and is listed in the Good Food Guide and Michelin Guide. Its ethos lay in showcasing Scottish produce and elevating the flavours that the country has to offer often bringing under utilised ingredients to the forefront – most famously its beremeal bread, which legendary critic AA Gill called “sublime”, whilst Marina O’Loughlin said of Smith; “a new Scottish star is born”.

Just a year after opening, Fhior won Restaurant of The Year at the Edinburgh Restaurant Awards and, later that year, Scott was crowned Best Scottish Chef at the Scotsman Food and Drink Awards. Scott has also previously won an Acorn Award, a coveted award given annually for 30 stars in hospitality under the age of 30. Fhior was also noted in the Estrella’s National Restaurant Awards upon opening, and was crowned Scottish Restaurant of the Year in the Scotsman Scran Awards just last year.

Scott and Laura have said in a statement: “After nearly seven incredible years, we’ve made the deeply difficult decision to bring our restaurant, Fhior to a close.

“This has not been an easy decision. Fhior has meant the world to us—not just as a restaurant, but as a place where we’ve met lifelong friends, shared unforgettable moments, and worked with some of the most passionate, generous people we could have ever hoped to cross paths with. From our dedicated team past and present, to our wonderful regulars, guests, and suppliers—you’ve helped make Fhior a place of purpose and genuine connection. We are so incredibly grateful.

“Ultimately, this decision comes down to a number of personal and practical factors, including the arrival of our second child and a desire to spend more time with our growing family. While the restaurant has achieved so much, the cost of doing things the right way in a very difficult hospitality climate has taken its toll. Rather than compromise what Fhior stands for, we’ve chosen to close on our own terms, with intention, and with the same care and integrity that defined every service. Our team has been part of this process and we’ve been able to help them all find new jobs.

“We want to end well—there’s still time to join us over the coming weeks, and we’ll be doing everything we can to ensure this final chapter is one we can all be proud of.

“To those holding gift vouchers, we understand this may be short notice, and we are already looking at ways to honour those who cannot use them in time—we will be in touch. If you have a booking, please bear with us while we get back to everyone.

“While this is the end of Fhior as a restaurant, this is not the end of the journey. In the months ahead, we’ll be focusing on family, rest, and some exciting new projects, including the launch of Blank Plate Creative, a space for collaboration, creativity, and supporting others in building meaningful food businesses, and you never know where Fhior may pop up again.

“Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for being part of Fhior’s story. We’ve loved every moment, and we’ll carry the spirit of what we built here into everything that comes next.”

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