An exclusive review of Fhior in Edinburgh

Fhior goes above and beyond merely serving food. Consumption is multi-sensorial here, with exceptional attention to detail in enticing each of the senses. The curation of the restaurant is truly exquisite, centering around themes of Scottish heritage, natural produce, modern cuisine, and artistic innovation which feature holistically across all aspects of the dining experience.

At Fhior, the menu is ever evolving. Their dishes pay homage to the natural world and the agricultural abundance of Scotland, celebrating the diversity of the British wilderness, from the hedgerows to the shore. There is a strong emphasis on seasonality, and their recipe creations are dictated by foods which can be foraged or locally sourced at that time of year. Their current menu for January centres around the Winter harvest – earthy root vegetables, dark leafy greens, and perennial herbs. In fact, much of their produce is cultivated in their own vegetable garden, which is what gives their produce such intense flavour and freshness. Their homemade bread and home-cultured butter is also worthy of mentioning, due to the beautiful complexity of the flavours they’ve mastered, and they also use their own butter in their cooking, which is probably why the food tastes so good.

Rejuvenating British ingredients

I was lucky enough to be invited to sample Fhior’s taster menu – and I have to say, I was completely blown away. Every aspect of the evening – the food, the drink, the hospitality, and the general ambience of the restaurant – was simply infallible. The set menu led me out of my comfort zone and exposed me to incredible new flavours such as sweet cicely, scurvy grass, pepper dulse and smoked egg yolk. Their dishes also gave classic British ingredients a new sense of rejuvenation by playing with texture and exploring inventive flavour combinations. Having never had celeriac three ways or been daring enough in my own kitchen to combine carrot and liquorice, I was blown away by the chefs’ artful treatment of ingredients in such a way that seemingly ‘simple’ dishes with few components were elevated beyond recognition to create something truly spectacular.


I opted for the wine pairings with each dish, which was an experience in itself. Stuart, the sommelier, became a welcomed face throughout the course of the evening, bringing with him a new and intriguing bottle to try with each course, alongside some insightful wine storytelling about the flavour profiles, the age of the vines and the maturation processes of the grapes. The pairings were spot on each time, even the unprecedented red wine with the fish; the saltiness of the cod combined with the perfectly balanced acidity of the 2011 Portuguese Baga was a truly remarkable taste match.

Scandi influences

Arriving at the restaurant was an intriguing affair, perhaps due to Fhior’s understated exterior; a modest, yet charming building tucked away in Edinburgh’s New Town. The interior had a stylish simplicity to it, with refined salle à mangers, earthy tones, natural wood detailing, and minimalist art works. The design features were clearly influenced by Scandi interiors, with certain aspects reminiscent of a Japanese tea house – a harmonious combination of aesthetics resulting in sophisticated, pared back dining rooms, which allowed the food to speak for itself.

Inside, the atmosphere was vibrant and convivial, with plenty of Friday night diners chatting happily amongst themselves. The acoustics were at a pleasant volume too, which allowed for conversation without the need to compete with a blaring stereo (a pet peeve of mine!). I was seated in one of their intimate dining rooms at a candlelit table, which featured a long wooden block accommodating all the cutlery needed for a seven-course taster menu. The menu itself was neatly tucked away in a little wooden log, however, it was recommended to me that the meal be served ‘as a surprise’, which meant no peeking at the dishes, despite my burning curiosity. I decided to surrender myself to this approach and put myself in Fhior’s trusted hands – and I’m so glad that I did. I thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of the unknown and being genuinely surprised as each dish was presented to me.

Seven-course taster menu

The food throughout the course of evening was nothing short of exemplary. To start was a fermented pear and chicken liver parfait on toast, served alongside a lamb tartare with wild garlic and multi-textural parsnips. The lamb was filleted and seared quickly à la plancha, then finished with chilli oil. Next came a trio of impeccably presented vegetable dishes, starting with the most stunning beetroot creation I’ve ever seen. Pale pink rolls of beetroot were delicately fashioned into a flower and served alongside scurvy grass and smoked egg yolk. To follow was a celeriac-based dish, consisting of roasted celeriac finished on the in-house BBQ, fermented celeriac, and pepper dulse custard and buckwheat, which had the most incredible nutty, earthy flavour. Afterwards, beautifully braised leeks seasoned with wild leek oil and served with a heritage East Lothian potato mousse – a personal favourite.

The next course was cod cooked à la plancha, which was a showstopper. The fish was crispy on top and succulent underneath, served with buttered kale, pickled radish, and a creamy roast chicken and butter sauce, which was so delicious I could’ve drunk a gallon of it. To follow, a meat dish modestly entitled ‘Lamb, Carrot and Cavolo Nero’ – but modest, it was not. The lamb loin was perfectly pink, having been cooked sous vide and finished on the BBQ. It was served with cavolo nero, an irresistibly velvety lamb ragu, and a carrot and liquorice purée. The complexity of the flavour combinations was like nothing I’d ever had before, but they were a sheer delight.


I was then treated to a cheese course with some perfectly paired French wine as the evening began to wind down. This dish was a light and delicate cheese souffle served with pickled onions – an innovative rendition of the post-supper cheeseboard. Two delightfully sweet dishes followed after that. Firstly, the ‘Chocolate, Jerusalem Artichoke, Sea Buckthorn’ and secondly, the ‘Pear, Honey, Sweet Cecily’. I was initially alarmed by some of the savoury ingredients in the dessert descriptions, but this quickly dissipated when I was presented with two of the most sensational dishes, both in taste and appearance. Upon finishing the final course, I felt satiated without the discomfort of feeling gorged. I even had room left for some of the complementary fig fudge, which accompanied the bill!

Ultimately, I would go as far as to say this was the best restaurant I’ve ever eaten at in Scotland, and I would be tempted to put it in my top three I’ve eaten at ever – it really was that good! The passion and expertise of the staff made dining at Fhior a thoroughly pleasurable experience, not to mention the quality and artistry of the cuisine. Fhior is simply phenomenal across all fronts, and I would absolutely dine here again in a heartbeat.