When it opens in November, White Horse Oyster & Seafood Bar will give a new lease of life to the oldest inn on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
Originally established in 1742, the White Horse Bar will relaunch next month as the White Horse Oyster & Seafood Bar.
It is the latest venture from The Compass Group who also operate Sygn, Monteiths, The WestRoom and Chop House at The Arches and in Leith.
As the name makes clear, seafood will take centre stage at the new restaurant. The kitchen is using suppliers such as Welch Fishmongers, Mara Seaweed and the Cornish sustainable fishing specialists, Wild Harbour.
Managing Director Mark Fraser commented: ‘We wanted to go back to basics and create a classic and relaxed offering where the ingredients take centre stage, so sourcing the very best seafood is crucial for us at White Horse.’
White Horse: first, choose your lobster
A key feature of the restaurant will be its large, custom-made lobster tank. Diners can choose which weight of lobster they would like to see on their plate. Guests will also be able to choose from a range of different British oysters, all of which will be shucked at the bar.
Sharing platters of shellfish including lobsters, scallops and crab will form a key part of the offering. The platters will be complemented by small plates. The idea is that everyone around the table will be able to share in all the different dishes. It is a notion that the owners already encourage in their Chop House outlets.
There will also be a selection of stand-alone dishes like monkfish curry, lobster and fries and whole lemon sole.
Relaxed ambience
Mark continued: ‘Shellfish is often considered a luxury ingredient, and seafood restaurants as formal and expensive. Whilst the focus of White Horse will always be on the quality of the ingredients we source, we are very excited to introduce a new and relaxed way to enjoy seafood in the capital.’
The Royal Mile building is being completely refurbished. In addition to the dining room, there will be seats at the custom-made, green marble bar where customers will be able to enjoy drinks and an all-day menu of small dishes such as crab fries and sesame tuna.
We’ll bring you the exact opening date for the White Horse when we get it.