Ottolenghi’s first Edinburgh restaurant opens for bookings ahead of October launch
Rosalind Erskine speaks with the famous chef and author who is on the cusp of opening an Ottolenghi restaurant in Edinburgh, his first outside of London
Diners can now book tables at the first Ottolenghi restaurant north of the border as the renowned chef prepares to open his highly anticipated Edinburgh venue next month.
Opening at 92 George Street on October 2, the all-day dining restaurant will fuse Yotam Ottolenghi’s signature Middle Eastern style with local Scottish produce.
The move has been driven by the chef's own affection for the Capital—having studied literature in Edinburgh in the 1990s—and the strong local roots of his executive head chef, Neil Campbell.
Ottolenghi said: “I’ve been following Edinburgh and Scotland for quite a while and its flourishing of ingredients and cooking. Neil grew up here, he's got family here. He worked here in many restaurants over the years, and that connection meant that it felt very natural to do this.
“It was a combination of wanting to come here anyway, Neil and finding this great spot on George Street that just worked really well.”
The menu will feature east coast langoustines with fermented chilli butter—a nod to how Campbell’s mother used to cook seafood—alongside oyster mushrooms from Laurieston Farm paired with oak-aged Scottish shoyu from Banchory.
Famous for championing vegetable-heavy dishes, Ottolenghi said his upbringing in Jerusalem, where Palestinian and Jewish immigrant food mixed, made vegetables and pulses the natural "centre of the plate".
Breakfast offerings will combine brand classics such as shakshuka with Scottish staples, introducing well-fired morning rolls with scrambled harissa tofu, and a full Scottish breakfast featuring urfa beans and tattie scones.
Exclusive to the Edinburgh branch, meals such as lamb and aubergine rice pie will be served in large clay pots to create a sense of home and sharing. The venue will also offer culinary "theatre" with an open kitchen set behind a long bar.
The local connection extends to the drinks menu, with Leith-based blenders Woven creating a bespoke, lighter whisky with spicy notes designed to complement the food. Other Scottish suppliers include Welch Fishmongers, The Free Company, and Bare Bones chocolate.
Ottolenghi added: “Whenever there is an opportunity to bring in the local connection, we will try hard to do that because it’s the right thing and it immediately shows in the food.”
Bookings are now open for Ottolenghi in Edinburgh. To hear more from our conversation, search Scran wherever you get your podcasts.