Tom Kitchin and his wife Michaela opened up in 2006 at Commercial Quay, Leith, outside central Edinburgh at a street that ought to be renamed Restaurant Street or similar. You will find a series of restaurants side by side, many with outside seating beside the narrow canal for summertime drinks and starters.

Today Tom Kitchin has a place among Scotland’s top chefs and so he should. His modern Scottish cuisine with classic French undertones is in most cases brilliant. Tom Kitchin’s motto; ‘From nature to plate’, describes well his tribute to nature, season and local produce in a true Scottish manner. The Head Chef, originally from Edinburgh as well, has worked all over Europe in some of the world’s best restaurants and with some of the foremost chefs such as Pierre Koffman, Guy Savoy and Alain Ducasse before he came back to Scotland.

Tom Kitchin has the perfect name for his eponymous restaurant and his close cooperation with his wife Michaela as the restaurant manager works perfect. The whole team of The Kitchin keeps a high and impeccable standard with a constant pleasant and professional mode.

As almost always when it comes to a European fine dining restaurant you will have the pre-starters, the amuse-bouche etc, but at The Kitchin almost everything is made in Scotland. Scottish cuisine à la Tom Kitchin means delicacies like woodcock, venison, Scottish grouse and hare, but also wild turbot, monkfish and wild Scottish Mallard duck, to just mention some from the range offered. There are just some minor annoyances here and there, but in general everything is kept on a great level with a taste of that it can be even better with smaller adjustments.

There are several great restaurants in Scotland such as Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, Peat Inn and 21212 to just mention some, but The Kitchin is a restaurant we can highly recommend if you are in Edinburgh. You will not be disappointed.

Images courtesy of The Kitchin

Written by Andy