The Grain Store is a casual fine dining restaurant in Edinburgh with a relaxed atmosphere and very approachable service. The restaurant has been serving locally sourced cuisine for over 27 years and is one of the longest independently run restaurants in Edinburgh.
The head chef, who is of Scottish and Italian ancestry, strives to create weekly menus that showcase the best of Modern Scottish cuisine in each season.
I ordered two stunning appetizers, a roasted heritage beetroot with soft goat cheese, red chicory, watercress and caramelized walnuts, which was a truly beautiful display of locally sourced Scottish ingredients.
The second appetizer was another beautiful plate of house cured smoked salmon served with radishes, capers and a salad shaved fennel and pickled cucumber.
The first main dish I ordered was a wild-caught Monkfish came from the North Sea, just twenty minutes from Edinburgh. The succulent fish was served with a veloute of North Sea mussels, tender stemmed broccolini and locally foraged sea grass. The fish had a buttery, fresh caught flavor, and paired nicely with the mussel-infused sauce and the briny sea grass.
The second main dish was a beautiful plate of venison, served with tangy artichoke purée, caramelized artichoke hearts, tender braised venison shoulder wrapped in cabbage, baby kale, sweet blackberries and an incredibly rich and flavorful venison stock reduction. The venison came from a privately owned estate in Rutherford, an hour south of Edinburgh, hunted under a government sanctioned game quota.
For dessert I had the chocolate fondant cakes served with an orange infused creme fraiche sauce and fresh orange slices. These decadent cakes, similar to a molten chocolate cake, are individually baked cakes with a deep, rich chocolate flavor, much like a flourless chocolate cake. The citrus infused creme fraiche sauce and milk chocolate ganache really complimented the cake.
It was great to find a fine dining restaurant option in Edinburgh that had a no fuss no muss attitude. The wait staff were very welcoming, really taking the time to go over the menu and explain where all of the ingredients came from. All of the dishes were expertly plated and truly featured high quality ingredients that exemplified the best of Scottish cuisine. I highly recommend the Grain Store to anyone visiting Edinburgh looking for fine dining elegance with an approachable atmosphere.
You can visit the Grain Store’s website for more information here.