Despite its unrivalled foodie offering on the Scottish culinary scene, Edinburgh – up until now – has been missing its very own food hall.
Bonnie & Wild will become the city’s first eating and dining marketplace, with lots of local culinary experts contributing to the space. Unsurprisingly, given its location in the capital city, Bonnie & Wild will focus on bringing guests the very best of Scotland’s larder, with independent producers showcasing their various specialities.
Alongside in excess of a dozen restaurants, bars and shops there will also be live events, cooking shows, festivals and foodie pop ups. The flexible space holds 700 guests and as well as all the previously mentioned offerings there is set to be private dining spaces, a demo kitchen and a children’s play area to keep little ones entertained. Shops are thought to include things like a local butcher and a fishmonger specialising in Scottish seafood.
While the full line-up of restaurants is yet to be announced, there are already a handful of really strong names confirmed. Mac & Wild have announced an outlet (who are famous for their Venimoo burger), as well as an Edinburgh based pizza company, an artisan gelato specialist and even a restaurant from MasterChef winner Gary Maclean.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Bonnie & Wild will be an all-day dining destination.
What restaurants are there at Bonnie & Gull?
A few local chefs and producers have already confirmed that they’ll be part of the new Bonnie & Wild space in Edinburgh. Here’s a quick-fire guide to them all:
Creel Caught
Creel Caught – as the name suggests – will specialise in beautiful Scottish seafood and is the brainchild of MasterChef winner Gary Maclean. Gary’s background is in teaching, and this will be his first solo restaurant venture where he hopes to showcase “Scotland’s incredible food scene”. The chef has hinted at a menu full of luxurious local ingredients, like lobster thermidor mac ‘n’ cheese as well as grilled langoustines with seaweed butter.
Mac & Wild
While Mac & Wild specialises in Scottish grub, this will be the brand’s first venture outside of London. Menus differ from site to site but we expect that the kitchen here will be serving similar fare to its London siblings. Think deep-fried haggis bon bons, a venison and beef burger with bearnaise sauce and the house specials – a line-up of steaks in various cuts accompanied by sides like truffled mac ‘n’ cheese and chips.
East Pizza
Pizzas will be taken care of by East Pizza, one of the city’s sourdough specialists. There’s a real emphasis here on ingredients, with lots of the produce used being organic. While the classics like margheritas are still on the menu, there are also options for the more adventurous diners. Combinations such as pancetta, potato, rosemary and garlic as well as a kimchi and blue cheese topping ensure you'll always have something new to try.
Joelato
Having trained in Bologna, Joe and his wife Lucy know a thing or two about authentic artisan gelato but have come home to Scotland and put their own twist on things. While the techniques may be traditional, the flavours have a distinctly local spin. Expect scoops to be made Scottish berries, native herbs and locally sourced milk, cream and eggs.
Where is Bonnie & Wild in Edinburgh?
Bonnie & Wild is opening in the St James Quarter, which is a redevelopment of Edinburgh’s east side. Just a few minutes from central station, this £1 billion project will include retail, leisure, hotel and residential buildings. Found at its heart, Bonnie & Wild’s address is St James Quarter, 415-417 St James Crescent, Edinburgh, EH1 3AE.
When does Bonnie & Wild open?
While an exact date is yet to be announced, Bonnie & Wild is meant to be opening in spring 2021, so there’s not long to go.
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