Harden's survey result
Summary
Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s Leith HQ occupies a converted warehouse and has shown amazing longevity since it opened in 2006 as one of the Scottish capital’s most commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll. There are gripes here in the feedback we receive, almost entirely to do with those who feel the experience is “good but overpriced”. On balance, though, positivity is still the order of the day and the vast majority of reports acclaim it as somewhere that “never disappoints, with always something really interesting and fabulous on the menu”. Choose from either a three-course à la carte (for £125 per person); or there is a tasting option (at £155 per person) – “the theatre of the service is extraordinary, with front of house staff who are attentive but not overly so, carefully choreographing the emergence of food from the kitchen. Behind the glass screen, the chefs and kitchen staff beaver away in an organised and calm manner and the ambience is lovely. Yes, it was on the expensive side, but as a theatrical gastronomic experience it was worth every penny… it‘s just a shame that we live nearly 500 miles away”.
Summary
“One of the stalwarts of the Edinburgh scene” – Tom & Michaela’s flagship venue opened in this converted warehouse in Leith in 2006 and was yet again the city’s most commented-on destination in our annual diners’ poll. “A real treat”, it’s “simply superb at every level” with “wonderful” cooking that “changes with the seasons”, “a beautiful setting” and “professional service”. “Even though it’s a 250-mile trip for us with a stop over it’s well worth it: our favourite eating experience in the UK by far!”
Summary
“A truly a fantastic experience from start to finish” – Tom & Michaela’s flagship venue occupies a “buzzy” warehouse in Leith and was again Edinburgh’s most commented-on destination in our annual diners’ poll. Criticism is impressively absent: there is nothing but reams of praise for “excellent fine dining”, produced from a glass-walled kitchen whose chefs create an “amazing food journey” (with “Tom and his senior team also coming out into the dining room to talk about the dishes”). There are tasting menus for either £130 or £180, with a more conventional evening à la carte menu priced at £110 (the best bargain being the set lunch, which is half this price). “An expensive experience, but well worth it and a real treat”. “Despite a lot of competition in Edinburgh now, Kitchin holds its head up high”.
Summary
“I would go back in a heartbeat… even though I live in Devon!” – Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s Leith warehouse conversion was Edinburgh’s most commented-on destination in this year’s survey and also one of its most highly rated. “Everything about the place oozes class, but in a very informal way”: it’s “a lovely environment, with tables well spaced out and with sympathetic lighting adding to the relaxed feel”. “The very busy team are incredibly focused, and the simple menu descriptions do not reflect the work and care in preparation and perfect balance of flavours” from “exceptional Scottish ingredients”. And it’s “superb value for the quality” too. Top Menu Tip – “the whisky pairing with the meal is the stuff of bucket lists”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Kitchin?
78 Commercial Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6LX
Restaurant details
The Kitchin Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Second visit in the last year, and a slight, but noticeable drop in standards. Sand in my seafood starter and bone in my venison. both unexpected and a bit unpleasant. Otherwise , very, very good. but slightly disappointing. "
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £125.00 |  |
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| Lunch | £65.00 | |
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| Cost | Availability | Courses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu1 | 155.00 | Always available | 6 |
| Drinks |
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| Wine per bottle | £40.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
| Extras |
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|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
78 Commercial Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6LX
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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