Restaurant Martin Wishart

Chef and well-respected restaurateur Martin Wishart has held a Michelin star here since 2001, and standards remain sky-high at his suave flagship restaurant on Leith waterfront. Thick pile carpets, stripped pine panelling and mellow colour schemes create a mood of suave sophistication, while Wishart’s cooking takes account of Scottish produce – although his seasonally changing repertoire bears all the hallmarks of rarefied and refined French technique. You could open your account by ordering ravioli of snails with Shetland mussels, Ayrshire wild leeks, garlic shoots and white onion velouté, before tackling braised veal cheek with a fricassee of peas, morels and broad beans. After that, a dessert of brown butter pannacotta with blackcurrant crémeux and Granny Smith granita might beckon. There are also two tasting menus (including a veggie version featuring the likes of basil gnocchi with sprouting broccoli, monk’s beard, celeriac and Parmesan), while the superlative wine list offers some fine food-matching possibilities. Some readers applaud the “flawless attention to detail” and the service from “friendly French-speaking staff”, while others point out that lunch is “excellent value for money”.

Martin Wishart, an Edinburgh-born chef, has firmly established himself as one of the UK’s most highly respected chefs. Trained under such renowned chefs as Albert Roux, Michel Roux Jr, Marco Pierre White and John Burton-Race, taking a little bit of inspiration from each mentor over the time he worked with them and distilling it to create his own culinary magic. Amongst some of the many attributes they imparted to him over the years of working together, it was the importance of discipline in the kitchen, a passion for food and a deep understanding of classic French cooking techniques that have continued to be the backbone of his style. Martin now has more than thirty years’ experience in the business. He is now an established and multi-awarded chef and restauranteur.

With a passion for quality produce, he sources his ingredients as locally as possible and when necessary, internationally. Being a proud Scot, he likes to use Scottish produce and has built lasting relationships with many of his suppliers.