Renowned Edinburgh fish restaurant, Fin & Grape, has celebrated its 3rd birthday with the launch of a new wine bar and small plates menu just in time for the festive period.
Located at Holy Corner in Bruntsfield, Fin & Grape opened its doors in the peak of the pandemic in 2020, and became famous for the queue of foodies waiting to get their hands on one of its now famous BBQ Lobster Rolls.
The venue, founded by chef Stuart Smith, was one of only two Scottish restaurants to make the Good Food Guide’s platinum List in 2021, awarded to the best 18 newcomers in the UK.
Its new ‘chic and cosy’ wine bar is located underneath the main restaurant, where guests can sample some of the venue’s most popular dishes including the signature salt cod mousse as well as other seasonal specials.
Mr Smith said: “We are really pleased to be celebrating our third birthday this November. I would be lying if I said that opening a restaurant in the peak of the pandemic has not been without its challenges but it does feel like we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel now and I am extremely proud of what we have achieved.
“It was always my vision to create a welcoming neighbourhood restaurant that served exceptional food and wine but that was relaxed and unrestricted by a rigid or formal style of service.
“We aim to buy the best ingredients we can afford, from as close to the restaurant as possible, and treat them with the utmost respect,” said Stuart. “We sell fish which is caught exclusively in UK waters and our menus and specials boards change daily and always in response to seasonal changes.
“Our wine list is curated in a similar way to our food menus. We work with suppliers who know the producers they work with personally and who understand which wines fit well in the restaurant and with the style of food we serve.
“We do not have an exclusively organic or biodynamic list and we don’t necessarily aim to serve only natural wines for example – for me it is about whether our winemakers are working in a responsible manner and whether the wines are delicious, the most important factor!”
