Out of Town: Lyla, Edinburgh
If you are looking to celebrate in style, there are few better places than Lyla. Chef Stuart Ralston’s elegant restaurant with rooms, set in a magnificent Georgian townhouse in central Edinburgh, currently holds a Michelin star, is rated ‘Exceptional’ by the Good Food Guide and appeared at 33 in this year’s National Restaurant Awards top 100 list. Ralston appeared on Great British Menu, and his CV includes Gordon Ramsay’s 2 Michelin-starred restaurant in New York (now closed) and a stint as chef de cuisine at Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados. In addition to Lyla, Ralston also runs the more casual Noto, Tipo and Vinette restaurants as well as Vivien cocktail bar, all in Edinburgh.
The ten-course tasting menu began in the beautiful bar with its centrepiece ceiling light designed by Tom Dixon and glass-fronted ageing cabinets with ingredients for the menu, including Yorkshire rump of beef and whole kingfish on display, as well as jars of ferments and pickles. A series of three snacks included an Alp Blossom cheese, onion and quince ‘sandwich’, painstakingly decorated with edible flowers.
That sort of attention to detail was maintained as the meal continued in the elegant dining room where you can see Ralston and his team at work in the large open kitchen. Highlights of the meal included kingfish with katsuoboshi and dashi (a black radish ‘rose’ interwoven with slices of kingfish and served with a potent dashi stock); langoustine “fish and chips” (a plump langoustine cooked in katifi pastry with burnt apple ketchup taking the place of HP sauce); an umami-packed and perfectly set chawanmushi with pea and ham, and a stunnng dish of finely sliced squid seved in a deeply flavoured onion and pepper broth.
Lyla is without question one of the best restaurants in the country and in the top echelon of fine dining alongside places like Core by Clare Smyth, Moor Hall and Woven at Coworth Park. It’s not a cheap night out by any means, but it really delivers a special and memorable experience. It’s one I hope to repeat soon.
The details
Lyla
3 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5AB
0131 285 8808; lylaedinburgh.co.uk
Lyla has re-launched their accomodation with four completely refurbished and individually designed rooms. They make the perfect base for exploring the city. You are in the New Town, a few minutes’ walk from Queen Street and right in the heart of the city, yet tucked away in a beautiful Georgian terrace, sequestered with a sense of calmness and quiet that feels special.
Dinner starts from £185 per head. Overnight stays for two including dinner are £715, while room-only rates begin at £345, both including breakfast. Bookings can be made at lylaedinburgh.co.uk.
Brighton’s Best Restaurants dined and stayed at Lyla as a guest of the house.
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