Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 37 on 20/03/2008.

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A suitable distraction

Rob Allanson discovers a haven of French flair in the capital.

It may have been Burns night, yes one of the biggest nights of celebration throughout Scotland with piles of haggis, neeps and tatties, but instead of following the drunken hordes of revellers into the city I made my way along the Grassmarket under the shadow of Edinburgh’s imposing castle.

As I stood waiting for my dinner guest to turn up I took the opportunity to scan the menu outside.

Abstract, at first, rose to fame riding confidently on the success of its Inverness sibling who appeared on Channel 4’s Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Now it is reaching the dizzying height of food stardom wowing diners by serving a slice of French glitz and pizzazz on Edinburgh’s Castle Terrace.

You walk in to the strains of piano, classical when we first arrived but later on in the evening the talented ivory tickler was wooing some guests with more modern fare.

From this striking piano bar you walk into what can only be described as a shrine to food. The décor, rich and sumptuous, is nicely understated so that it does not distract from the real reason why this restaurant is fast becoming the place to eat.

Head chef Sean Kelly puts out a seasonally changing menu that exhibits some genuinely exciting French food often with a Scottish twist. While salivating over the menu, a little beetroot gazpacho was delivered to the table, followed by a potato soup with a leek emulsion. Simple and enough to get the juices flowing for the rest of the night.

The menu is split into two parts. If yo.....

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By Rob Allanson

Section : Best of Scotland

Page number : 21