Petite and unassuming, Aurora finds its home in arguably Edinburgh’s most trendy neighbourhood - Leith.
Bucking the fashion for small plates in such a yuppy neighbourhood, it’s tasting menu only territory here, and dishes lean heavily on Italian influence but simultaneously aren’t shy about borrowing notes of interest from elsewhere. There are all the trimmings - an amuse bouche, beautiful bread and dainty petit fours but this isn’t a stuffy, white-starched-linen sort of experience. It’s relaxed and unfussy.
It’s those little extras where we found our favourite bites. Warm, pillowy bread pulled apart to be dipped in a swirl of oil, vinegar and soft ricotta. The opening melon gazpacho was similarly more than the sum of its parts, topped with puffed rice for texture and concealing a rich, oniony tang in the smooth chilled soup below.
The five courses in between snacks and sweets meandered through a sensible order of fish and vegetarian plates through to meaty mains (although should you prefer, you can plump for a fully plant-based menu). Another surprise standout came in the form of the kitchen’s take on a risotto Milanese. Aged rice, saffron and a background liquorice note came together to create magic on the plate. All rich and creamy from the starch and perfectly seasoned.
The service, while not unfriendly, feels staunchly functional. However, you can tell from the way each dish is presented with serious reverence along with its full, detailed description that the team is quietly passionate about what they do.
Diners who like to go the whole hog can plump for a well-matched wine pairing, while non-drinkers are treated to interesting softs like house-made lemonades and kombuchas.
With just two sittings each night and room for a small handful of covers in the trendy Scandi-style dining room, getting a table at Aurora feels like winning tickets to a sold-out show. Doing away with any fine dining pageantry makes the food the main billing, and we now happily count ourselves amongst the kitchen’s growing fanbase.