Photo of
January 15, 2020

Signature Pubs have opened their latest unit in Morningside.

The old Bank of Scotland building on Holy Corner has become McLaren’s on the Corner. Main pic is from venue's Facebook.

Currently in soft opening phase, it is billed as a 'stunning bar and restaurant split across multiple floors' and takes its name from the Victorian Duncan McLaren.

Quite some guy, old Duncan. Not only was he an MP who also worked as Treasurer of Edinburgh Council and Lord Provost of the city. In addition, he campaigned for the Meadows to be opened to the public and he supported free education for all. We're not finished yet. He also supported the establishment of the National Museum of Scotland.

We feel knackered just thinking about it.

From breakfast to late evening drinks, his Morningside namesake has plenty of options for anyone in need of a pick-me-up.

You can see the menus here so I'm not going to list everything but we do like the look of the salt-aged sirloin; another dish of brown crab mayo and devilled eggs plus the wild mushroom pappardelle which features chanterelles, morels, oyster, shiitake and porcini mushrooms as well as Cora Linn cheese from Errington cheese makers in Lanarkshire.

Daily fish from Peterhead

Other local suppliers include the butchers Simon Howie in Perthshire and McCaskies of Wemyss Bay. Gary Welch provides the fish daily from Peterhead.

I suspect we may return to cover McLaren's on the Corner in more detail. Other Signature Pubs include Kyloe, The Huxley, Element, Badger & Co and most recently Cold Town House.

In other news, keep an eye on the old Au Bar unit on Shandwick Place.

It has recently been taken on by a new operator and word has it that it may well open under another guise around Burns Night.

We will leave you with this link to a piece covering the eight secrets that Toby Carvery staff want to tell their customers but can't.

Apparently the staff 'always smell of gravy'. Which is all we're looking for in a life partner.