On my recent trip to Edinburgh with my mum, I wanted to find somewhere fabulous for us to have a relaxed, memorable lunch. I remembered spotting Noto last year and discovered it had been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand and was Marina O’Loughlin-approved, so we just had to try it.
Noto is a stunning restaurant in Edinburgh’s New Town, nestled among some of the city’s foodie hotspots on cobbled Thistle Street. It’s the more casual offering from acclaimed Scottish chef Stuart Ralston – chef-owner of Aizle, a six-course tasting menu restaurant at the stylish Kimpton Charlotte Square.
Noto takes inspiration from Stuart’s time spent living and working in New York and is named after his friend, the late food photographer Ben Noto. An enigmatic line drawing of Noto welcomes you inside and sets the mood for a convivial, enjoyable meal.
Inside, the restaurant feels both urban and rustic, decorated in natural, earthy tones with simple walnut seating, twisted twig sculptures, dried wild flowers, exposed bulbs and tall windows letting the daylight stream in. It’s been named one of Scotland’s most beautiful restaurants by Condé Nast Traveller and it’s easy to see why.
Noto offers a tempting menu of small plates and larger sharing dishes with Mediterranean and Asian influences, using the finest local Scottish produce. While some neo-bistros can feel restrictive, there is a plenty of choice here and the freedom to order exactly what you fancy. It’s also worth noting that the full menu is served in both the dining room and the adjoining bar.
Shortly after ordering, our drinks arrived with frosty glasses and we started grazing on some freshly-baked Company sourdough, served with an enormous mound of velvety local butter topped with delicate wisps of roasted chicken skin.
This was soon followed by the most decadent Anster croquette and truffle. These little flavour bombs were ever so crunchy and potent with a generous covering of finely-shaved Anster, a tangy artisan cow’s milk cheese made in Fife.
Because one cheese dish just isn’t enough, we also ordered Burrata, romesco, chilli, toasted sourdough. The creamy, top quality burrata was perfectly complemented by the rich, nutty and slightly piquant romesco and the sourdough tasted even better when toasted and rubbed in olive oil and sea salt.
We were keen to explore the menu’s Japanese influences and couldn’t resist the Chicken yakitori, umeboshi, egg yolk. The skewers of marinated chicken thigh were succulent and nicely charred, topped with spring onion, sesame seeds and sticky Japanese plum. The egg yolk cured in soy sauce made them even more satisfying.
The most complex dish we tried was Aubergine tonkatsu, kimchi and pickled ginger. The aubergine managed to retain its flavour through the crunchy panko coating and was elevated by the tangy, fragrant flavours of chunky kimchi, refreshing pickled ginger, sesame and Japanese mayo with a dusting of togarashi.
It’s essential to leave room for dessert, as you won’t want to miss the heavenly Chocolate, miso, hazelnut. Smooth Michel Cluizel dark chocolate ganache sat atop a malty, gooey miso caramel and toasted whole hazelnuts, finished with a scorched whirl of light-as-air Italian meringue. It was quite spectacular and a real treat for chocolate lovers.
Equally delicious but much lighter was the delicate, spring-like Wye valley rhubarb, diplomat and pink peppercorn. The buttery shortbread pastry case was filled with an airy diplomat cream studded with vanilla seeds, a refreshing rhubarb sorbet and pretty meringue candy sticks.
Lunch at Noto was an absolute delight and everything from the food to the style of the restaurant felt soulful, modern and well-considered. If you’re visiting Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival or a weekend break (be sure to stay at nearby Eden Locke), Noto should be at the top of your list.
For more information and booking, visit: www.notoedinburgh.co.uk
