✒ Ardfern
A wine lovers’ top destination in Edinburgh
If you are in Edinburgh, do not miss Ardfern, a delightful treasure trove for wine lovers. I’ve been there three times in the last few months; such is the pull of its exciting wine list and brilliant food. It is an all-day café, bar and bottle shop in Leith, next door to the owner Roberta Hall-McCarron’s renowned restaurant, Little Chartroom. The distinctive food is flavourful, surprising, fresh and balanced, reflecting Roberta’s talent in the most relaxed setting.
Brunch is served from 9.00am to 2.30pm and to 5.30pm on Sunday. Dinner 5pm to 9pm, closing at 11.00pm Monday-Saturday.
Look out for the smoked mackerel rillettes, baby gem lettuce with noir hot sauce, fried polenta and smoked almond mayo with watercress and the tangy Spenwood cheese, and the baba ghanoush flatbread with courgette, yoghurt, mint and pickled chilli. Frankly, you need to go back several times, as there is not a duff dish to be had.
Roberta’s husband Shaun and Finn Porrelli have devised a wine list which is full of surprises – imagine finding Pedro Parra’s Pais on the list, and then the brilliant Vacqueyras Blanc from Tardieu-Laurent, with all the depth and complexity you want from a great Rhone white. Another white which thrilled was Cortes de Cima 2023 from the Alentejo is Spain, which they bring in directly through their wholesale company, Helix Wines Ltd. Full of marine shell flavours, it transported me straight to the seashore.
With 100 wines on the list, all reasonably priced, terrific food, and a completely relaxed atmosphere (dogs and children have been seen), and brilliant, smiling service, it is what great hospitality is about. If you can’t get there, I can highly recommend Roberta’s cookbook The Changing Tides, which is the next best thing to going there.
Sarah Kemp
““Frankly, you need to go back several times, as there is not a duff dish to be had. “ ”
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If you are heading to Edinburgh do not miss Ardfern, an all-day café, bottle shop and restaurant with the most brilliant wine list at reasonable prices.