Cannonball Restaurant and Bar, owned by the Contini family, is found in an imposing 17^th Century house which still bears the cannonball lodged in its wall from which the restaurant takes its name. Located at the highest (western) end of the Royal Mile, it boasts spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle and city’s skyline.

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The restaurant is found on the top floor, in what was once the art room of the school that had occupied the building. Tall windows, skylights, and dangling lamps provide ample lighting for this spacious, high-ceilinged room. A marble bar, wooden floors, cream-coloured walls and plain undressed tables help to create an informal, relaxed feel.

When full, the restaurant serves a maximum of 64 covers, with five front of house and a full brigade in the kitchen led by Tommy Crosby. His cooking combines classical skills with a contemporary outlook. Well-conceived imaginative dishes combine harmonious ingredients, showing balance in flavour, texture and temperature. The menu changes with the seasons, maximising the use of prime Scottish produce. The presentation of dishes is clean, with clear and concise descriptions given by the server. Prices are realistic given the high standard of cuisine and compare favourably with restaurants of a similar standard.  All these qualities were demonstrated in the monthly changing five-course tasting menu with paired wines.

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To begin, an amuse bouche of haggis bonbon with creme fraiche and shaved pickled turnip excited the taste buds. A freshly baked poppy and pumpkin seed loaf with whipped butter had good flavour with its light, open-textured crumb and crisp crust.

The accompanying aperitif, “She sells sea shells”, featured Hendricks gin, Smokehead whisky, lemon juice and sugar, giving a judicious balance of salinity and sweetness.

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An impressive first course of slowly cooked pork cheek was finished with a gastric glaze, enhancing its soft, porcine succulence.  Cavolo Nero and star anise white onion puree provided a spiced earthiness which balanced the sweet acidity of the gastric and saffron pickled pear. Crispy shallots gave a contrasting texture to the dish needed. Overall, this was a successful marriage of relatively humble ingredients elevated to fine dining level. Wine: 2020 McLaren vale Grenache, Willunga 100, Australia

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Equally accomplished was a modern take on a classic dish of trout with almonds.  A generous fillet of citrus-cured rainbow trout was precisely timed to give crisp skin and mild, slightly sweet flesh flakes. A rich puree of caramelised almonds and cauliflower scattered with toasted almond flakes contrasted with the gentle onion flavour of wilted wild leeks.  To finish, rosemary oil gave an herbaceous but not overpowering lift to the whole dish. Wine: “Matrimonio”, Maturno Organic, I Ciacca, Pisinisco, Lazio

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The main course of venison was a little less innovative than the two preceding courses but no less satisfying. The loin of red deer, encrusted with a juniper and parley crust, was accurately seared and rested to a medium rare pink, soft in texture and earthy in flavour. This was exemplary game cookery. The accompanying vegetables featured smoky charred shallot; herbal thyme rosti; sweet parsnip puree; verdantly fresh spring greens, and pickled red cabbage which gave a gentle acidity. All these worked well with the game, the dish being bought together by a deeply flavoured red wine sauce. Wine: 2020 Bodega Reserva Tannat, Maldonado, Uraguay

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The cheese course comprised a wedge of creamy, silky Clava Brie, from the Scottish Highlands. Quince jelly and oatcakes added the necessary sweetness and contrasting granular, crisp texture which proved the ideal foil to the soft, rich quality of the cheese. Wine: Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage Port, Sandeman, Portugal

For dessert, apple parfait had a smooth iced texture and a pleasing balance of acidity and sweetness. Caramelised apple gave contrasting texture and a gentle bitterness, while thyme cream, and sable crumb spiced with mace gave herbal and warming spice notes that worked well with the fruit.  Wine: Domaine Laguillon, Jurancon Doux, France

Good coffee ended a memorable meal, one enhanced by the warm welcome and the seamless, anticipatory service. Indeed, Peter, who looked after the table, introduced the food and wine with impressive knowledge and genuine enthusiasm.

Overall, Cannonball has demonstrated the high level of cooking and hospitality that gained it the accolades achieved when it first opened in 2014. It continues to attract discerning foodies both local and those from further afield. Fine Dining Guide hopes to revisit to sample the a la carte menu and will follow its fortunes with interest.

KORA in Bruntsfield is the latest of Tom and Michaela Kitchin’s restaurants in Edinburgh. It has arisen Phoenix-like from the ashes of Southside Scran, their popular brasserie which was forced to close due to major plumbing problems, not of its own making, then crucially by the Covid epidemic. 

Named after the Greek Goddess of Spring and new beginnings, KORA’s design has a more Nordic feel with its wooden floors, exposed brickwork, and pastel green walls. Nevertheless, it retains some of the features of its predecessor – the split-level areas, the brass rails and screens, and the cosy dining booths.

True to Tom’s “Nature-to-plate” mantra, seasonal Scottish produce is employed in a wide range of inventive, reworked classic a la carte and weekend brunch dishes. Menu descriptions emphasise the provenance of key ingredients. Pricing is competitive, even more so given the impeccable quality of the produce and the skill in cooking.

11 Bar snacks from £3.50 to £8 feature pork scratchings from Tomlinson’s farm with rhubarb puree, pork rillettes, oysters, and even Caviar for £60!

Seven starters from £9.50 to £23 include Hand dived Orkney scallops a la Grenobloise or warm pressed haggis terrine with neeps and tatties

Eight mains, £18- to £33, comprise three vegetarian dishes, two fish and three meat options These range from roasted cauliflower steak, through to Newhaven seasonal fish and shellfish soup and braised Highland Wagyu shin with KORA Caesar salad

Six Brunch items from £7.50 to £18 include Omelette Arnold Bennett with Welch’s smoked haddock, and Mull Cheddar Welsh rarebit, both served with Koffmann’s skinny fries.

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Fine Dining Guide visited on a Friday lunchtime to sample dishes from the a la carte and brunch menus. A vividly coloured frozen sea buckthorn margarita cocktail proved wonderfully refreshing in its fruity tartness.

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From the bar snack selection, tender florets of broccoli tempura had an ethereally light, translucent batter with a well- balanced spicy Asian dip.

A main course of Castle game Sika deer was a masterclass in game and pastry cooking. A delicate, burnished dome of light buttery puff pastry – with no soggy bottom! –  was crammed with tender, flavoursome braised shoulder and leg meat.  Alongside were two precisely timed and rested pink slices of roasted loin, succulent in flavour and almost melting in texture. Garnished with Free Company beetroot which added the required earthy note, and brought together by a rich red wine jus, this was accomplished cooking of the highest order.

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A simple, yet truly indulgent dessert comprised warm, light and fluffy mini doughnuts with separate pots of chocolate sauce and Chantilly cream. Service was welcoming and informative, a feature of all of Tom Kitchin’s restaurants. Hastyn who looked after my table was particularly helpful in guiding my choices. Given more time, more dishes would have been sampled, but that will be for a future visit to which we look forward.

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