Bruntsfield neighbourhood restaurant Leftfield, first opened by restaurateur Rachel Chisholm and chef Phil White in 2017, has reopened its doors following a short period of refurbishment.
Chisholm and White believe they have retained Leftfield’s ‘warm, welcoming atmosphere and neighbourhood feel’, but with a new look and bistro-inspired menu.
Chef Phil retains the helm in the kitchen, while Rachel continues to lead the front of house team alongside restaurant manager Veronica Luque Perez and wine manager Lola Chisholm White.
Produce remains central to the ethos at Leftfield, with White and the team working with suppliers to serve quality ingredients ‘cooked thoughtfully to allow the produce to shine’.
Meat comes from Taste Traditions, while fish and seafood are sourced from David Lowrie Fish Merchants and Skipness Smokehouse.
Mixing Mediterranean influences with classical techniques, the menu continues to celebrate Scottish seafood – including the hot seafood platters for which the restaurant is renowned – but with a greater focus on meat and vegetable dishes.
Guests can begin their meal with snacks such as Islay oysters with Manzanilla shallot or olive granita and house pickles, before moving onto starters including hand-dived scallop, cucumber, crispy garlic, ginger and chilli or charred baby gem, mint, pea and Rainton tomme.
The selection of larger sharing plates includes pork chop, borlotti beans, cavolo nero and roast apple, and hake with cockles, Arenkha caviar and beurre blanc, while desserts include pavlova, mascarpone and blackberry coulis, and basque cheesecake with rhubarb compote.
For the reopening, wine manager Lola has curated a more extensive wine list, with the same focus on quality minimal intervention, organic, and biodynamic bottles from small producers, but from a greater variety of regions.
There is also a larger selection of wines available by the glass and, for the first time, wines are available to purchase and take away from Leftfield’s new bottle shop.
The cocktail and non-alcoholic list is led by restaurant manager Veronica, who makes the infused spirits included in Leftfield’s cocktail offering, as well as the cordials and shrubs used in the non-alcoholic serves, made in house using seasonal fruit and botanicals.
The restaurant décor has been brightened, with the dark green walls swapped for light plaster and white woodwork. Plants feature prominently, both in the dining room and the exterior window boxes full of seasonal herbs, beans and sweet peas, ready to be used by Phil and his team.
The bright colour palette is carried through to the standalone bar area, seating six, where a central oak bar top adds warmth to the space. Downstairs, the private dining room has kept the distinctive dark green colourway of Leftfield’s exterior, seating up to eight guests around a sculptural oval table in Brazilian green marble.
Co-founder Chisholm said: “We have been on this sunny corner of Bruntsfield for eight years through many different phases and challenges.
“Being a restaurateur has not been easy these past few years, but we are still here and we wanted to celebrate that by bringing a lightness back into our rooms.
“The new dining room is a beautiful airy space, with the best views in Edinburgh and our menu reflects how we want to eat – really good, tasty food prepared with a light touch so the fabulous ingredients we source can speak for themselves,” she said.
“Our wine list is a joy, it’s a real pleasure to serve such beautiful wines by the glass and to see our guests exploring different regions and styles. With the whole family on board and a brilliant restaurant manager, I’m so excited for our future.”
