Kora by Tom Kitchin
Edinburgh, Lothians
Kora is an alternative name for Persephone, the Greek goddess of spring and new beginnings, and it seems that the deity has answered the prayers not only of Edinburgh diners but also the restaurant’s owners Tom and Michaela Kitchin. Opened in 2018, then forced to close during the pandemic, this re-born bar and dining room is, arguably, even better than ever. It's the sort of neighbourhood bistro that suits once-a-week locals as well as customers coming from further afield. A crack team of Dominic Jack (chef-director of the Kitchin Group’s four restaurants) and head chef James Chapman (formerly at Kitchin’s Stockbridge pub, Scran & Scallie) deliver a genuinely seasonal Scottish menu – a dish on offer one week may be gone the next. We were impressed by everything we ate at our relaxed lunchtime visit – thanks to the friendliness of staff. Snacks included broccoli tempura with an Asian dressing involving four stems of tender veg in a light, salted batter with a ginger-zingy chilli sauce for dipping. A trio of hand-dived Orkney scallops, lightly bronzed from the pan with each sliced in two for ease of eating, rested on a bed of salt-baked celeriac purée with an assortment of intense miniature toppings (tiny golden raisins to amplify the sweetness, caperberries and diced green apple to cut through the richness) – complex flavours, expertly handled and generously portioned. A fleshy pair of bacon ribs to follow, supplied by Shaws Fine Meats of Lauder, came with a fried egg, pineapple salsa, cabbage and Koffmann fries – a namecheck to Tom Kitchin’s famous mentor at La Tante Claire. The fall-off-the-bone meat, stickily glossy, found its foil in the chunky salsa (a classic match of sweet and sour), though less might have been more here: either the excellent egg-topped cabbage or perfectly salted chips would have been enough by themselves. There was no faulting a 'floating island' with custard and crunchy pralines zigzagged with caramel sauce, either. With more than 30 wines available by the glass and advice from a knowledgeable sommelier, individual tastes are easily accommodated; a glass of chilled Beaujolais Villages was a smashing match for the ribs.
Dining Information:
Separate bar, Wheelchair access, Family friendly, Dog friendly
14-17 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, Lothians EH10 4HN
0131 342 3333
