Walking into Winsome, there’s something in the air that’s immediately relaxing. On our visit – a rare sunny lunchtime – it’s the nutty waft of fresh-baked soda bread, cooling on the counter, plump and ready for the dinner crowd. Led by our noses (and Winsome’s ever-charming general manager, Tom Fastiggi) inside are a clutch of well-spaced tables, draped in bistro linens, and pinned with hefty candlesticks cloaked in layers of wax.
‘Winsome’ suggests something sweet, endearing, even virtuous. Raw brick walls are painted pure white, black pendant lights are industrial, but the room screams romance. And with Shaun Moffat in the kitchen (ex-Manteca, Edinburgh Castle), what follows is a display of assertive, comforting cooking – nothing coy, no blushing innocence.
Thick-cut soda bread more than lives up to its aroma: a soft, yielding centre, a subtle buttermilk tang, and a rich, nutty crust to scrape through a bowl of whipped, salty butter. Oysters arrive plump and briny, lifted by a rhubarb mignonette with a bright, almost mischievous edge. Elsewhere, pease pudding – cut with vigorous acidity – arrives laden with a heady nest of beautifully caramelised wild mushrooms, nutty girolles, and fragrant shallots.
Dazzling and joyful, it’s followed by dishes that lean into well-worn comforts. Described somewhat self-effacingly, a ‘sausage and mash’ lunch plate offers a lean, well-made sausage with a generous dollop of silken pomme purée, enriched far beyond its humble billing. A substantial pork chop follows, its fat rendered beautifully, the drippings mingling with a light jus, balanced by fresh apple slices and Castelfranco.
Clever and simple all at once, the stripped-back honesty recalls St John, while the atmosphere carries a touch of the relaxed cool associated with Dorian – though mercifully without the price tag. Comparisons aside, what defines Winsome is its own, singular sense of hospitality: generous, unpretentious, and ever-confident – underpinned by seriously skilled service.
It’s heavy British cooking, but never clunky. Instead, Winsome is invigorating and nostalgic all at once, and much like the young team that serves us – cheeky in just the right way. This is happy food. And while Winsome is far too striking to be merely ‘sweet’ or ‘endearing’, it will have you leaving with something of a winsome smile – though we’d bet a full-blown Cheshire Cat grin is far more likely.