The Stockbridge Restaurant – A special treat on St Stephen Street
As soon as we descended the sparkly Stockbridge steps into the sophisticated and tastefully decorated basement to behold a busy restaurant on a Tuesday evening, we knew we were in for a treat. From the comfortable chairs to the crisp tablecloths and polished cutlery the quality and care taken with presentation ensured the experience was good from beginning to end.
I absolutely love the fact that The Stockbridge Restaurant is all about local produce, especially Stockbridge based where it’s possible. The cheese was from local cheese monger I.J Mellis and the meat from Stockbridge based Bowens Butchers. The owners, a husband and wife team, have obviously embraced the location and have carefully selected fantastic local suppliers to help them create this wonderful restaurant.
There was both an a la carte menu and a set menu. We decided to go a la carte but it was very difficult to decide what to have as everything sounded interesting and exciting. It was all freshly made and the attention to detail was second to none. The home-made walnut bread, for instance, arrived with a delicious basil dip. The service was excellent – not once throughout the evening did we have to ask for more water or new cutlery – everything just happened effortlessly.
We were treated to an amuse bouche of parma ham & tomato and this was the perfect tasty bite to leave us eager for our starters.
For a starter I tried the smoked trout, smoked mackerel pate and Smoked haddock bon bons with sweet corn puree. This dish was not only exquisitely presented but tasted even better than it looked! The three strong fishy flavours were moistened by the sweet corn puree and every delicate mouthful was simply delectable.
Holly selected the rabbit loin wrapped in Serrano ham and stuffed with a crep mushroom mousse, with fresh pasta and Madeira sauce. This incredibly tasty starter was full of strong flavours which went very well together, and the delicious Madeira sauce whetted her appetite for the next course.
The corn fed chicken breast with Ballantine, roasted potatoes, wild mushrooms, leek cream and jus was what I opted for as a main and it was deliciously rich and comforting. It was a very well-executed chicken dish cooked with sophistication.
For main Holly chose the grilled halibut with crab crust, courgette ribbons, sautéed heritage potatoes, cherry vine tomatoes with a lemon butter sauce. The fleshy fish was cooked beautifully and the lemon butter sauce was richly sensational.
We had another surprise palate cleanser next, a passion fruit sorbet delicately light and again clearly home made.
Can you believe we still had room for a desert? For pudding I couldn’t resist the banana tarte tartin with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream, despite the alternative presentation (this photo has been censored….Ed) this dessert was phenomenal! I’m still thinking about it.
Holly settled upon the chocolate brûlée with chocolate brownie, white chocolate mousse and milk chocolate ice cream- she was in chocolate heaven.
The Stockbridge Restaurant is a fantastic place to go for a locally sourced fine dining experience. A special treat on St Stephen Street.
The Stockbridge Restaurant, 54 St Stephen St, Edinburgh, 0131 226 6766
The Reporter Food reviewers, Holly Jones and Celia Graham, work at The Lifestyle Company Scotland. You can follow the company and their lifestyle tips on Twitter.
