Vinette
Edinburgh, Lothians £££
An inspired reworking of the French wine bar and bistro
Stuart Ralston’s Vinette, his take on the French bistro, was, until summer 2025, home to Scott Smith’s much-lauded establishment Fhior. Now, with a pared-back design, bare putty-coloured walls, wooden floors and simple… Read more
Stuart Ralston’s Vinette, his take on the French bistro, was, until summer 2025, home to Scott Smith’s much-lauded establishment Fhior. Now, with a pared-back design, bare putty-coloured walls, wooden floors and simple wood furniture, the clean and uncluttered look is more neo-Nordic-monastic than Moulin Rouge – it’s down to the menu to carry the Parisian theme.
To start, the classic tartare has been given a Highland makeover, swapping beef for venison and teaming with beetroot and cranberry – it’s light, bright, delicate and fruity – while a silkily smooth chicken liver and foie gras parfait topped with sticky fig and triangles of toast is simply delicious. Then flavoursome cuts such as pork collar with cider-braised onion and mustard ooze hearty richness, while a dish of monkfish, mussels and purslane is tender and fragrant. They were teamed with simple sides of fries and green salad but upstaged by a creamy potato and celeriac tartiflette, topped with lardons and served in a small black, cast-iron cocotte – dish-scrapingly good. For dessert the dense and creamy burnt Basque cheesecake with vibrant plum compôte hits the spot.
The wine list is lengthy, French-focused but with a smattering of orange wines and there’s good choice by the glass. In the basement, there’s tiny neon-lit, Vivien, a Parisian-inspired bar. Named after Renée Vivien, a 19th-century lesbian poet and designed to evoke a speakeasy decadence, it’s bathed in a rosy glow and feels every inch the late-night drinking den.
36 Broughton Street, Edinburgh, Lothians EH1 3SB
Dining and Cooking