Twenty-four years after the first Ottolenghi deli opened its doors in London, with chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi at the helm, the brand’s first Scottish restaurant is opening in Edinburgh.
Specialising in ‘bold, generous cooking’ which is rooted in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean traditions, but which also draws in diverse influences and ingredients from around the world, Ottolenghi Edinburgh opens on George Street today (2nd October).
The menu, created by Scottish-born executive head chef Neil Campbell, puts seasonal produce centre stage, reflecting the ‘bold flavours, vibrant vegetables and generous sharing’ that have become the brand’s signature.
The menu will open with a generous mezze-style spread for the table – a changing selection of dips, pickles and ferments, served with black garlic butter and flatbread fresh from the oven for scooping.
Slow-cooked dishes follow, arriving in handcrafted claypots from Casalatina – a first for Ottolenghi and only available in Edinburgh.
Dishes include lamb & aubergine rice pie with chopped dill pickle, caramelised onion lasagne, and braised cod with flamingo peas and ‘nduja butter.
There will also be plenty of Scottish seafood on the menu, such as the mixed shellfish Jerusalem grill, and East Coast langoustines grilled with fermented chilli butter.
The langoustines are supplied by Ochil, with the restaurant’s other fish – including megrim sole, lobster and smoked salmon, coming from suppliers Campbell got to know as a young chef at Ondine.
Breakfast brings together Ottolenghi classics such as shakshuka or banana bread with tahini and honeycomb, with new Scottish dishes like well-fired morning rolls with scrambled harissa tofu or schmaltz butter, bacon soured from R&J Yorkshire’s Finest, Waterford Middle Bacon and a full Scottish breakfast with urfa beans and tattie scones, and pastries from Company Bakery.
The drinks list has been given equal consideration, with a selection of natural wines, an extensive whisky collection, including Ottolenghi × Woven Whisky Makers collaboration, blended in Leith.
There’s also a trio of house martinis available individually, or as a flight of minis with a selection of house-made pickles – Cairn & Crest combines gin with dry vermouth, Chartreuse & spruce; Tide & Isle pairs Ammos vodka with Vault coastal vermouth, Hebridean sea salt and rock samphire; while Marsh & Heather brings together No.3 London Dry Gin, Vault meadowsweet vermouth, wood sorrel and peat.
For Campbell, who grew up on the Isle of Skye and built his career in some of Scotland’s leading kitchens before spending the last decade at Ottolenghi, the opening is a homecoming as much as a new chapter for the business.
He said: “Coming back to Scotland to open Ottolenghi’s first restaurant here is incredibly special.
“This is the food and landscape that shaped me as a chef, and it’s a privilege to celebrate the ingredients I’ve always loved through the flavours and cooking style I’ve spent the last decade developing with the Ottolenghi team. I can’t wait to welcome people through the doors.”
The restaurant has been designed by Ottolenghi’s long-time collaborator, Alex Meitlis, who has designed all the brand’s restaurants and delis for over twenty years.
A central bar forms the heart of the restaurant, while a private dining room offers a dedicated space for celebrations and communal feasting.
The creative theme of the restaurant, ‘We Share the Same Sea’, comes from long-term creative partners and artists Gilles & Cecilie, exploring the connection between Scotland and the brand’s Southern Mediterranean roots.
Yotam Ottolenghi said: “Edinburgh’s been on the list for years – one of the best food scenes in the UK, with growers, producers and fishermen right on the doorstep.
“And having Neil do the menu makes it even better. He has been instrumental in shaping the ‘Ottolenghi way’ for nearly a decade. He knows the produce and how to give it our particular touch. I couldn’t be happier to finally welcome our first guests.”
