Many of the operators at the top end of the Scottish dining scene have got off to a flying start in 2015.
Over the last few days, the 5pm Dining blog has covered the new look Kitchin in Leith; Martin Wishart’s Honours restaurant in Glasgow’s Malmaison and the personnel changes at the Galvin restaurants in the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh at the west end of Princes Street.
Things have been just as busy at the east end of Princes Street where the Michelin-starred number one restaurant, the flagship restaurant at The Balmoral, unveiled a £200,000 refurbishment at a lunch earlier this week.
The most obvious change is that part of the bar area has been turned into dining space, a move which has added another twelve covers to the restaurant’s capacity.
Keep luxurious sense of space
The seating has been re-upholstered; the lighting reconfigured and the flooring replaced with solid timber oak. The restaurant’s striking burgundy lacquer walls and numerous artworks from the Royal College of Art in London remain.
The new look was designed by Olga Polizzi, Rocco Forte Hotel’s Director of Design. It took a year and a half to plan and two weeks to carry out. The restaurant now seats 62.
It is the first major refurbishment the restaurant has had since it launched in 1997. Jeff Bland was the Head Chef then and he was also in the driving seat in 2003 when number one won its Michelin star. Today, Jeff is Exec Chef while Brian Grigor is Head Chef.
At the lunch earlier this week, General Manager Franck Arnold commented: ‘We have added twelve more covers but it was very important that we retained the feeling of comfort, luxury and spaciousness that Number One is known for.’
Scottish Experience menu
As well as a new look, number one has added new dishes and new menus. The three course a la carte at £70 remains as does the seven course taster menu for £79.
New additions include a Prestige Ten Course Tasting Menu at £110 plus a four course Scottish Experience Menu at £75.
Head Chef Brian Grigor is passionate about using Scottish produce, especially game, across his menus but the Scottish Experience Menu really delves deep into the finest foods that Scotland’s natural larder has to offer.
Typical ingredients might be scallops from Dingwall, Borders Roe deer, Orkney beef or Loch Etive sea trout.
Two years to develop a dish
A single dish on the menu can take years to develop. For example, Brian’s signature dish is Balvenie smoked salmon.
That might sound simple but the finished dish took the chef two years to perfect.
The salmon, from Loch Duart, is cured and smoked in-house using chips from former Balvenie whisky casks.
The individual slices of salmon are bound with a light lemon butter and served with a quail’s egg, puffed salmon skin and caviar. The dish is dramatically presented under a smoke-filled glass cloche.
This blogger can vouch for the smoked salmon dish and we’ll also sing the praises of the venison with pistachio, pomegranate and bulgur wheat.
If you have a special occasion to celebrate then number one will make it very memorable meal.
