Eve, a restaurant in the heart of the capital, has begun a new Italian dining experience, with a concept created by its head chef who was born and raised in Rome.
The venue, entered by the Cowgate entrance of Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, has embarked on a new chapter with a menu filled with a handpicked list of classic dishes “just like Nonna used to make”.
All featuring authentic Italian ingredients, dishes include the signature “Eve carbonara”, an indulgent dish made for sharing and promising to “leave diners wanting more”.
The new concept is the brainchild of the restaurant’s Head Chef Giulio Morroni, who was taught to cook by his family, including his grandmother – his nonna, in Italian – in Rome.
He refined his own skills by attending a cookery-focused school in the Italian capital from the age of 13 to 18, and boosted his passion with his travels around Italian eateries and later, in prestigious chef positions.
Chef Giulio arrived in Scotland in 2009, with his now wife, and the following year joined Virgin Hotels, at its stylish Edinburgh location, which had embarked on a soft launch earlier that year.
The culinary expert, who has led kitchens at various high-end names in Scottish hospitality, put together the new menu for Eve.
Debuted with an inspiring and colourful launch event, the new menu marks a more focused concept for the vibrant restaurant that previously offered a global range of dishes.
Diners are transported on a journey spanning the regions of Italy, with ingredients including Gorgonzola cheese from the north of the Mediterranean country to Njuda from Calabria in the South.
The chef said: “I am extremely excited to be launching this menu that connects my native Italy with my adopted home of Scotland.
“Becoming a chef just happened – it’s not just a job for me, it’s a passion. I am so happy and proud to be able to share this with you.
“I’m so happy, I can bring my food to Cowgate. I really love this menu, it tastes like home. I’m so proud.”
Pasta at Eve will be made fresh on the premises, including homemade ravioli with ricotta, lemon zest, chives, and butter sauce.
Chef Giulio said: “When I was about six, Nonna used to make ravioli, and it was the meal on Sunday that brought the family together.”
The Eve carbonara, made with mafaldine (curly ribbon) pasta, guanciale (pork cheek), pecorino, and egg yolk, and designed to share, also has strong sentimental attachment for the chef.
He said: “Eve will be cooking with the traditional three ingredients — just like my Nonna used to make — and the only way to do it, in my opinion. It’s the signature dish we have on Sunday, all together.
“In Rome, pasta carbonara is like a religion. It’s just what we do.”
Other proudly Roman dishes on the menu include roast pork belly, slow cooked with rosemary, fennel seeds, and garlic.
Chef Giulio says: “It reminds me of my childhood, and Mamma and Nonna cooking in the kitchen.”
Among dessert options is tiramisu served in a moka pot, another example of the chef’s signature twists on classic dishes.
Learning the art of a perfect tiramisu is one of the restaurant’s fun group classes on offer, also including pasta-making and cheese-tasting.
https://eveedinburgh.com/
