A champion of Scotland’s home-grown produce, Tom Kitchin’s seasonally focused, nature-to-plate cooking style saw him become the country’s youngest Michelin-starred chef proprietor. Now running four restaurants in his home city of Edinburgh, he walks us through its charming streets in search of great food

Breakfast spot worth getting up early for

Leo’s Beanery, a welcoming, family-run café in the New Town area, full of tall Georgian houses and stately squares, serves up a great breakfast until 12pm every day. They’re amazing when it comes to home-baking (just try the award-winning brownies) and the coffee is excellent – plus, it’s just a handy walk from my home!

Best ‘grab-and-go’ snack

All around Edinburgh, we have Scandinavian coffee shops starting up that do fantastic open sandwiches. My favourite two, Peter’s Yard and Söderberg, make everything in-house, including the rye bread, and their sandwiches are the perfect on-the-go snack if you’re off to see some sights. My first choice would always be the ones with smoked fish or crayfish.

Local business to get behind

The fishmonger I use, family-run Welch’s, is a crucial provider of authentic Scottish produce. They also do amazing smoked salmon, which they smoke on-site. They’re in an enviable location, with beautiful views out over the harbour, and have been sourcing from Scottish waters since the 1950s. It’s a little bit outside the city centre, but many of the local open-top buses stop there, and it’s well worth the journey.

Dining experience worth leaving the city for

A great little place in Finnieston, Glasgow, called The Gannet. The team there really embraces classic Scottish ingredients and the menus change all the time according to the seasons. It’s a very trendy space, too. The neighbourhood is a lot like Shoreditch is to London: on-the-rise and extremely cool.

Where to impress on a date

My wife and I love to go to a seafood restaurant called Ondine in the centre of town. Run by chef Roy Brett, it does proper platters of shellfish, and gorgeous oysters served with oyster mayonnaise or Vietnamese dipping sauce, all washed down with a crisp glass of Champagne. We enjoy sitting at the bar that curves around the centre of the room.

Lunch spot for taking care of business

In Edinburgh’s West End there is a lovely place called l’Escargot Blanc (pictured above) run by Fred Berkmiller, who, although a brilliant French chef, is incredibly passionate about Scotland and everything that grows here. The restaurant also has a delightful little oyster and charcuterie bar, bar à vin, which is perfect for a quick business lunch.

Weekend brunch worth battling the queues for 
For me it has to be Dishoom. Not only is it a great place to take the kids, but it offers something a bit different to all the other brunch options around the city. My one must-order dish would be the bacon naan roll (above) – our whole family can’t get enough of them!

Great place for a post-dinner drink
With great vibes and brilliant cocktails, my usual post-dinner hangout would be The Devil’s Advocate, once a Victorian pump house and situated right in the thick of the historic Old Town. Whenever I have friends or family visiting, I know I can take them here and we’re guaranteed to have a good time.

Tom Kitchin has four restaurants in Edinburgh, including Michelin-starred The Kitchin, which he runs with wife Michaela. To pre-order Tom’s new cookbook, Tom Kitchin’s Fish and Shellfish (Bloomsbury, £26) click here

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This article has been tagged Food + Drink, Travel Tips