Hotel du Vin Edinburgh

Eating

With its mock-French décor and firm focus on Scottish produce, the Hotel du Vin Bistro adds a welcome flavour of the Auld Alliance to culinary proceedings. Open to both guests and non-guests at lunch and dinner, classic comfort food at sensible prices is the aim of head chef, Matt Powell. Typical mains include Buccleuch Estate rib-eye steak with hand-cut chips, coq au vin made with chicken sourced from a local supplier and Findlay’s haggis with neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes). Make sure you leave room for dessert. As well as proper puddings, there’s a cunning range of smaller options for those who want to finish off with something sweet but don’t want a hefty pud (we loved the vanilla ice cream splashed with sherry) and locally inspired petit fours (anyone for Irn Bru Turkish Delight or chewy little squares of deep-fried Mars Bar?). More serious foodies can also book the multi-tasking chef’s table, set around a corner from the main dining area with windows onto the kitchen.

In the morning this table doubles as the breakfast buffet (served Mondays to Fridays from 7am to 10am and on weekends and bank holidays from 8am to 11am). The spread here was one of the best we’ve come across, with delicious fresh pastries, breads and pains au chocolat set out among all kinds of fruits, yoghurts, cereals and compotes, as well as cheeses and hams. There’s even a giant honeycomb for the sweet-toothed to get stuck into, though we were disappointed that the orange and grapefruit juices on offer didn’t appear to be freshly squeezed. Heartier hot breakfasts can also be made to order; choices include porridge, haddock with poached eggs and a full, locally sourced, cooked breakfast.

Staying here is as much about what to drink as what to eat, though. The hotel’s Mezzanine bar is surprisingly small, which makes it ideal for an intimate aperitif but not the kind of place, perhaps, that you’d be inclined to hang out with a larger group of friends. Grab a seat and hang onto it if you can – many of the wines on the hotel’s mammoth wine list can be ordered by the glass and the well-informed bar staff will happily guide you through the selection; bar food can also be ordered here from 11am to 8pm daily.

If you want to do more than just sip your way through the wine list, the hotel runs regular wine events on Sunday evenings, and tastings can be arranged around its fabulous glass-topped tasting table, designed by the pros at the Laroche Winery. This being Scotland, there’s also a separate Whisky Snug on the ground floor. There’s a little more room to move here than in the Mezzanine bar and deep-backed sofas, soft lighting and velvety cushions give it a country house feel. Guests can take afternoon tea here, or sit back and order from some of the myriad fine malts that line the walls.

When it’s finished, the courtyard will also contain a Bothy Lodge for smokers and outdoor loungers, though this hadn’t yet been added when we visited.

For visitors staying for more than one night, there’s no lack of choice when it comes to eating out in Edinburgh. The old port area of Leith is the city’s current culinary hotspot, with Michelin-starred chefs more prominent than ships these days (look out for Martin Wishart at The Kitchin). In the immediate vicinity of the hotel, The Outsider and The Tower restaurants are both reliable mid-market choices for a decadent night out. For more simple fuel, Monster Mash is a retro café just around the corner that serves high class bangers (from Crombie’s butchers) and mash.