Photo of
June 6, 2016
Bar Luca in Kilmarnock.
Bar Luca in Kilmarnock.

It’s Monday morning, the sky is blue and the birds are singing. It must be time to tell you about some brave new openings.

Top of the list is Bar Luca which opened in Kilmarnock about a month back.

It’s a new venture from the Riva Restaurants people whose other ventures include the Rosso restaurants in Bothwell and Kirkintilloch; Nonna’s Kitchen in Kirkintilloch; Camphill Vaults in Bothwell and Riva in Bothwell.

According to their website, further expansion is in the pipeline with Casa del Pane, ‘a house of bread, pastries, cakes, focaccia and desserts’.

Bar Luca, on Killie’s Bank Street, serves ‘classic Italian cuisine with a contemporary twist’.

It certainly has contemporary good looks judging by the pic above.

Drink a toast to Good Brothers

Moving back across the M8 to Edinburgh, Good Brothers is a new wine bar/bistro which has set up shop in the Dean Street premises left vacant by Bon Vivant.

Recent menus have included starters such as chorizo cooked in cider and main courses along the lines of seared tuna with soy dressing and Thai salad or the bavette steak with chips, salad and horseradish.

Educated Flea

Also in Edinburgh, the Educated Flea opened on Broughton Street last weekend.

It has taken over the building which for many years was occupied by Khushis Indian.

The Educated Flea appears to be from the same stable as The Apiary and Three Birds which both specialise in informal dining with dishes from around the globe.

Birds do it. Bees do it. Will educated fleas do it? We suspect so.

Soderberg expansion

Just across the road, in the former Union Gallery, Soderberg are opening a new cafe.Swedish pastries, buns, cakes, coffee and other delights are promised.

You can read more about the Soderberg take on fika, or coffee and cake, here.

Soderberg Pavilion on Lister Square is already winning fans. You can browse their offers and book in here.