Wishart, who currently operates the Michelin-starred Restaurant Martin Wishart in Leith, Edinburgh and a second eponymous restaurant at Cameron House in Loch Lomond, acquired the former Tony Singh-operated Tony’s Table bistro on North Castle Street in Edinburgh’s city centre.
The as yet unnamed concept will be more informal than his two existing businesses, serving an extensive modern European menu featuring predominantly seasonal, Scottish meat and fish.
A similar menu will also be served at the restaurant’s bar, although dishes deemed “unsuitable” for the area will be omitted.
Long term plans
Wishart, who was last year named AA Chef of the Year, and whose eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant has voted the best restaurant in the UK by Toptable users for two years running, told BigHospitality that opening a brasserie concept was something he’d been looking to do for some time.
“I’ve not just worked in fine dining restaurants in the past – I’ve spent a lot of my career in brasseries and as a consultant on many menus as well,” he said. “I do enjoy the buzz of the kitchen and the fast paced service of a large menu and we have got a great team. This is my third restaurant but my first brasserie and I look forward to the opening.”
The 80-cover restaurant, designed by Edinburgh designer Ian Smith, features a downstairs bakery complete with a Tom Chandley oven from the previous owner.
Paul Tamburrini, junior partner in the venture with Wishart, will join as head chef from Hotel du Vin’s One Devonshire Gardens, while Steven Spear from the Three Chimneys on Skye will lead front of house.
Glasgow brasserie?
Wishart said the restaurant had been designed particularly with scalability in mind.
“I don’t like to speculate on further business decisions when we haven’t even opened this one, but there is a design element that we think we could open in other locations, perhaps in Glasgow, if successful.
“For Edinburgh particularly it’s going to be something new and exciting. That sector of the market is something we can improve on and the public will appreciate that.
“But our core focus is on service, the quality of ingredients and how we serve them. We offer value for money in both restaurants and our cook school, and we’ll continue that when we open the brasserie as well.”
The restaurant, which will be named shortly, is due to open in mid-June.
Singh put his flagship restaurant, which he had hoped to turn into a chain, on the market at the end of last year, claiming the economic downturn and restricted bank lending left him “no alternative” but to close.
