First came the shopping, now the food court is open at St James Quarter.
The Bonnie & Wild Marketplace is on the third floor and offers a range of eating and drinking options.
There are eight chef-led food stalls, four speciality retailers and three bars all with something a little different to choose from. At the press evening on Thursday night we sat for a while at the bar in The Tryst which will double up as a venue for private parties. With everything from seafood, to Scottish fine dining, fried chicken, pizza and ice cream there should be enough for even the pickiest eater at any time of day.
Gary Maclean the National Chef of Scotland has Creel Caught, Peter McKenna is mine host at The Gannet and BBC Chef Jimmy Lee owns Salt and Chilli Oriental, all of which are concessions in the Scottish Marketplace which opens to the public today.
Alongside these there is dining from Rico’s Pasta Bar, Erpingham House, CHIX, east PIZZA, Joelato, and Broken Clock Café and Patisserie. Inverarity Wine usually supply alcoholic beverages wholesale, but this is the first of their retail offerings. Butcher MacDuff 1890 has a wide and well-stocked counter and The Cheese Club will be the deli counter.
The food floor is split into several different areas, some more open than others and some with views over St James Quarter. Diners can also watch the chefs at work.
Bonnie & Wild is open from 9.30am till late.
Diners may order drinks from a QR code on the table and these will be delivered to you. Ordering food is a matter of going up each concession and ordering your food, perhaps with a bit of a chat with the chef who is making it, then going back to your table with your own pager which will tell you when you need to go back and pick up your food. Masks should be worn at all times on entering the food hall, except when seated. At the moment the marketplace is only open to walk-ins with no table reservations being taken. Contactless payment only.
Bonnie & Wild’s Operations Director Ryan Barrie, who has a series of successful bar and restaurant openings behind him, said:“I am hugely delighted and excited to be opening Bonnie & Wild today. It’s a spectacular, beautiful venue, one that everyone involved should be rightly proud of. The finish is first-class, the menus are diverse, innovative and exciting, while the overall food and drink offer is of exceptional quality. There’s something for everyone here.
“There’s such a common purpose here – all of us care passionately about promoting and supporting the Scottish food and drink industry. It’s easy for us in Scotland to overlook the fact we have some of the best food and drink in the world, that it’s sought after by chefs the world over.
“At Bonnie & Wild, thanks to the inclusion of these brilliant chefs and retailers, we have produce from across the country, whether that’s shellfish from Lerwick, beef from the Borders, cheese and fresh fruits from the Clyde Valley and Perthshire, cured venison from the Highlands, the list goes on. On the drinks side, we have whisky and gin from distilleries across Scotland, and beers and ciders from local craft breweries. Combined, they give our guests an unrivalled offering of Socttish fare, a unique and fantastic vision of Scottish food and drink.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
