The run-up to the festival-packed month of August always leads to a burst of new restaurants in Edinburgh. This year is no different.
As per previous blogs, we expect more news of Brewhemia’s imminent launch on Market Street anytime soon. As soon as we hear more, we’ll post it on the 5pm Dining blog.
In the meantime, we’re looking out for the 52 Canoes tiki bar as they prepare to open in the former W.J. Christie’s on West Port, just off the Grassmarket.
The first branch of the 52 Canoes Tiki Den was in the West End. The Melville Place premises appear to have become the First Fleet Bar.
We understand that Amanda Caygill is involved in the new 52. Previously, Amanda has launched Portobello’s Espy and, more recently, The Barrelhouse Bar and Diner in Jock’s Lodge.
If it is anything like its previous incarnation, 52 Canoes is likely to stock vast amounts of rum.
More new restaurants in Edinburgh
It is something they will have in common with the soon to open Trenchtown.
Subtitled the Caribbean Social club, the new venture is taking shape in the Lochrin Buildings opposite the King’s Theatre.
The premises were formerly occupied by the ill-fated Killer Restaurant.
For some reason, the public never really took to a place whose name was inspired by a curry so hot that it is said to hospitalised two people.
Anyway, we’re sure that the new restaurant will be rather more circumspect when deciding how much Scotch Bonnet chilli to use in their jerk spicing.
Watch this space.
We have news of three more new restaurants in Edinburgh which are in the pipeline and we’ll scribble about them tomorrow.
Cafe St Honore wins Best Organic Eating Out award
Switching from new restaurants in Edinburgh to well-established Edinburgh restaurants, we would like to congratulate Chef Neil Forbes.
For years, Neil has been doing good things at Café St Honoré on North West Thistle Lane.
He championed eating locally and seasonally long before the terms became as fashionable and as abused as they are now.
He has also been very enthusiastic about organic food. Every dish they serve in the restaurant contains an organic element.
Chef Forbes’ commitment to the cause was recognised recently when Café St Honoré scooped the Best Organic Eating Out title.
The prize was announced at the prestigious BOOM (Best of Organic Market) Awards in Borough Market Hall in London.
Neil said, ‘We are delighted to have won the Best Organic Eating Out award. To be included amongst so many other great places to eat is testimony, not just to the hard work the team at Cafe St Honoré, but to the small-scale producers, growers and true artisans who work hard to provide us with the finest produce our soils can grow.’
Appetite for organic in Scotland is growing. The latest figures from the Scottish Government show a big increase. Sales growth in the organic sector in the year to February was 19.4%, taking it to £63.5 million.