We see from the job ads that a new Spanish restaurant is taking shape in the Merchant City.

The Spanish Butcher on Miller Street is the brainchild of the Rusks. The team already run The Butchershop Bar and Grill and Hutchesons.

Scheduled to open in late autumn, the new venture will be a restaurant and bar with looks inspired by Manhattan’s midtown restaurant scene.

Diners are promised ‘authentic, Spanish products’ including Iberian ham, seafood and very on-trend Galician beef.

Watch this space.

Home

Turning our attention to Edinburgh, a few places have launched recently and they deserve more attention than we have given them to date.

First up, we told you about plans to open Home, a new restaurant on Queensferry Street where diners can help support the homeless.

It’s the latest venture from the Social Bite company, a not-for-profit group of catering businesses which helps support homeless people.

It is owned by the Social Bite charity and operated by Dean Gassabi of the long-established Maison Bleue restaurants.

Having launched launch in mid-September in the West End of Edinburgh, it offers an Auld Alliance mix of French and Scottish cuisine similar to the current Maison Bleue offering.

A supergroup of esteemed Scottish restaurateurs make up the board of the new venture. Michelin-starred chef Martin Wishart, David Wither of Montpelier Group and restaurateur Simon Littlejohn all join together with Dean Gassabi and Social Bite founder Josh Littlejohn in supporting the venture.

Diners are encouraged to pay forward meals for the homeless. Each Monday afternoon from 3pm-5pm, the restaurant will open for a special service for the homeless.

Fancy a nightcap?

We also note that Nightcap bar has opened in the basement cellar space next to The Stand Comedy Club on York Place.

It’s a late night cocktail bar. Burgers, wings and sides are on the menu along with mixed drinks, craft beers and wine.

Good Brothers

Back in June, we scribbled about Good Brothers wine bar and kitchen opening in Stockbridge.

They had their official launch this month so we figured we would fill in a few details.

Run by brothers Rory and Graeme Sutherland, Good Brothers serves a selection of more than 100 wines from around the world, including over 50 organic, natural and biodynamic wines.

Graeme Sutherland, Co-Founder of Good Brothers, said:

‘We’re really passionate about what we do after years spent working in the wine industry. At Good Brothers we aim to change perception of natural wine and offer our customers an elegant, beautifully fresh drink with very little intervention. As people are much more switched on about where their food and drink comes from these days, we think it’s the perfect time to start spreading the word about these wines.’

To accompany the wines, Head Chef Maciej Szczepanski has created a menu of classic Scottish cuisine with a twist.

Dishes include: roasted candy beetroot with whipped crowdie; smoked mackerel and caraway seed parfait; bavette of beef and pan-fried sea bass.

Bryant and Mack

Last but not least, we see that Bryant and Mack is very much up and running on Rose Street.

In fact, they have been open for a couple of months so we’re a little late to the party.

It is a cocktail bar but, in what seems to be a growing trend for Edinburgh bars, it has a back story.

In this case, Bryant and Mack describe themselves ‘part-time drink slingers’ and Edinburgh-based private detectives.

We have no idea about their sleuthing skills but will happily investigate any bar that serves a Chilli Pear Mai Tai made with chilli and sweet pepper-infused Mezan XO.