Known for creative cooking, Moss is a neighbourhood restaurant in Stockbridge that only uses Scottish ingredients and drinks from the British Isles. It comes from Henry Dobson, formerly of Noma in Copenhagen, and his wife Akiko Matsuda, a ceramicist originally from Japan. Despite his fine dining pedigree, the menu at Moss comes in at a more pocket-friendly price tag, though rest assured the quality is comparable to tasting menu fare across the rest of Edinburgh.
Dobson is joined in the kitchen by a team who have experience in Michelin-starred restaurants such as Ledbury in London and Heron in Edinburgh. While the menu is Scottish through and through, it’s underscored with the hallmarks of modern European cuisine, namely in the form of Nordic and Japanese influences. From the menu come plates of bone marrow focaccia with beef garum and mugolio butter, beetroot with whey fudge, and smoked duck with cherry blossom and rhubarb. Mains meanwhile, offer up the likes of roe deer saddle with dauphinoise chips and winter leaf gnudi with Jerusalem artichoke and an onion and cep broth. As for the drinks, expect Kentish wines, pet nats from Monmouthshire, and beers from Dundee.
The sincerity of Dobson’s farm-to-table approach makes Moss quite unusual. With links to his family farm in Angus, Moss is able to make use of a rich store of Scottish ingredients and work within an incredibly short supply chain. As it stands, the restaurant sources around half of what is needed from the farm, using local suppliers to deliver the rest, but is working towards total self-sufficiency.
The dining room reflects the local, relaxed, style of the restaurant. The decor is pared back, featuring simple light wood-topped tables, bentwood chairs, and dark stained flooring. Plus, made by Akiko, all ceramics have been hand-built with an intentional asymmetrical design to create a natural feel.