The Kitchin

The once dubious streets of Leith are positively humming with culinary endeavour these days, and standing head and shoulders above the herd is Tom Kitchin's restaurant. The old dockyards lend themselves nicely to urban-chic regeneration projects, and accordingly in 2006, Kitchin and his wife Michaela took an old whisky warehouse as the raw material for their venue. The place was made over again in 2012, and now works a Scotland-meets-Scandinavia look involving modishly neutral tones pointed up with Scottish tweeds, luxurious turquoise velvet, dining chairs upholstered in Burgundy red, and walnut tables. Presiding over it all is a clued-up, courteous, largely French front-of-house team. The kitchen action is laid bare behind a glass screen, and while Kitchin has succumbed to the lure of telly, (naturally there's a cook book of recipes from The Kitchin) he is usually to be seen here at the sharp end of proceedings. Kitchin trained with French super-chefs Alain Ducasse and Pierre Koffmann, so you can be sure that finely-honed French technique lies at the foundations of his cooking, while the 'from nature to plate' ethos is proof that the man is passionate about seasonal Scottish produce. In fact, that is stating things mildly: obsessive might be a more accurate description of an attitude that insists on seafood and game being delivered in shells, scales, fur and feathers so that the chefs can make sure that butchery and preparation are second to none. Kitchin manages to create stunning food that also gets the juices flowing rather than presenting the components as some sort of clever, intellectual exercise; this is inspired, ingredient-led cooking put together with a clear, common-sense vision of what works with what. A budget-friendly set-lunch menu offers an accessible entry route, or if you're going the whole hog, there's a tasting extravaganza that goes by the name of 'Tom's Land and Sea Surprise', and of course a carte to showcase the best of what's in season. You might set out with razor clams, or 'spoots' in the local vernacular, served with diced vegetables, chorizo and lemon confit, but you could also be tempted by the French accent that is evident in crispy pig's ears in a salad accompanying boned and rolled pig's head with roasted Isle of Skye langoustines. A spring main course could deliver wild North Sea turbot roasted on the bone and matched with braised Swiss chard, lemon and croûtons, while two could sign up for saddle of Highland lamb cooked on hay, and partnered with garlic potatoes, 'white kidney', and baby gem lettuce. Desserts bring things to a close without letting up on the full-on flavours: unusual items such as sea buckthorn could appear in a tart served with glazed orange and dark chocolate sorbet, or you could go for a classical dish of chocolate financier with coffee sabayon and ice cream.