Fhior

Fhior, which means ‘true’ in Gaelic, is the new city-centre venture from chef Scott Smith, formerly of the acclaimed (but short-lived) Norn in Leith. Inside, it comprises an intimate main dining room plus a relaxed café/bar area for drinks and snacks, while the focus is on modern, seasonal cuisine based on Scottish ingredients (some of them foraged).

Smith and his team specialise in elegant, precise dishes prepared with skill and imagination: fresh mackerel on a rich smoked broth dotted with sweet cicely oil; translucent slivers of raw halibut dressed simply with zingy lime, spring onion and rapeseed; chicken from St Brides Farm in Strathaven, the gamey thigh seared and served with fermented barley, lovage oil and shards of crisp golden skin. Our choice of desserts also hit the target, from a creamy white chocolate mousse/crumble spiked with seaweed, ‘beremeal’ (barley) and cheese to compressed strawberries balanced with aromatic wood ruff and nutty rapeseed.

At lunchtime there’s a concise menu of snacks and small plates; in the evening, diners are simply offered a choice of four or seven courses in the tasting format. Hopefully, this addition to foodie Broughton Street will last longer than Smith’s previous venture.

Fhior, meaning ‘true’ in Gaelic, is a Scottish restaurant located just north of Edinburgh city centre that celebrates modern dining via an ever-evolving set tasting menu. The restaurant was opened in 2018 by couple Scott and Laura Smith and is based around the concept of being ‘true’: whether that’s to its ingredients and producers or own artistic expression.  

One of the main elements that makes Fhior stand out from the rest is its commitment to using local and seasonal produce. In fact, it even boasts its own kitchen garden, which it launched in 2020 so it could gain even more visibility over where its produce comes from, while ensuring it's grown organically without any chemicals. Anything that can’t be grown in the garden is sourced from producers who take true pride in their craft and share Fhior’s same ethical ethos.  

Fhior aims to take its diners on a journey via a menu of innovative dishes. It encourages individuals not to look at the menu before dining to increase the element of surprise, but that’s not to say knowing what to expect takes away from the dining experience. For dinner, there are both seven and 10-course tasting menus available, while for lunch guests can choose between four or seven courses. Examples of dishes might include langoustine with kohlrabi and lovage, courgette with fresh cheese and herbs, cod with chicken butter and aster as well as aged duck with turnip and scurvy grass. Dessert is likely to revolve around something fruity: think strawberry with crème fraiche and sweet cicely.  

All great food requires a drink to match. Fhior’s wines are selected from small-scale producers that are made naturally with minimal intervention. For that reason, the menu is ever-changing in line with what’s best at the time, with many bottles only being made in small batches.