The Kitchin
Encyclopedia
The Kitchin is a quality restaurant
in Edinburgh
, run by Tom Kitchin
and his wife Michaela (née Berseilus). It serves fresh Scottish produce in a French
style from Kitchin's time spent with Alain Ducasse
. It was awarded a Michelin star within six months of opening.
distillery
on the waterfront in Leith
, Edinburgh
. The imprint of Kitchin's work with Alain Ducasse
and Pierre Koffmann is noticeable in the style of food served, and the restaurant has received support from other chefs that Kitchin has worked with; including opening with the cutlery and plates formerly used as the three-Michelin-starred restaurant La Tante Claire
, operated by Koffman. The interior of the restaurant is decorated with dark woods and shades of grey by design company Cubit Design, and wallpapers by Jocelyn Warner. A window opens from the dining room onto the kitchin area itself, and it has a conservatory-style bar serving snacks and light meals.
The food merges seasonal Scottish produce with French styles and techniques; the restaurant has the mantra "from nature to plate". While chef Tom Kitchin was away filming The Great British Menu
for the BBC in March 2008, Pierre Koffman came out of retirement to stand in as head chef.
Within six months of opening, The Kitchin was awarded a Michelin star. In 2009 the restaurant was voted as the second-best restaurant in Britain by Eat Out Magazine, and the best restaurant in the UK by Observer Food Monthly in 2010. The team behind The Kitchin opened a second restaurant, Castle Terrace, in July 2010.
, gave The Kitchin five stars out of five, praised the common-sense approach of the menu construction, and described his food as "the best and most agreeable dinner I’ve eaten all year". The Independent
s Terry Durack gave the restaurant sixteen out of twenty, praising the informality and the avoidance of normal Michelin-star cuisine, but said that the fish course was the "duff note of the night". Zoe Williams of The Telegraph
said that "The food ranges from extremely good to totally brilliant", but criticized the pricing, saying "This is one of the most expensive meals I've had in a year, and not, hands down, the classiest, or most effortful, or most luxurious in terms of ingredients", and gave an overall score of 7.5 out of 10.
Restaurant rating
Restaurant ratings identify restaurants according to their quality, using various notations such as stars or other symbols, or numbers. Stars are a familiar and popular symbol, with ratings of one to four or five stars commonly used. Ratings appear in guidebooks as well as in the media, typically...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, run by Tom Kitchin
Tom Kitchin
Tom Kitchin, is a Scottish chef and owner of restaurant The Kitchin, where he became the youngest winner of a Michelin star. He had previously worked with several Michelin starred chefs including Alain Ducasse and Pierre Koffmann.-Career:...
and his wife Michaela (née Berseilus). It serves fresh Scottish produce in a French
French cuisine
French cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
style from Kitchin's time spent with Alain Ducasse
Alain Ducasse
Alain Ducasse is a Monégasque chef. He formerly held French nationality. He operates a number of restaurants including Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester which holds three stars in the Michelin Guide....
. It was awarded a Michelin star within six months of opening.
Description
The Kitchin was opened by Tom Kitchin and then fiancée Michaela Berseilus in June 2006. The building is a former whiskyScotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
distillery
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
on the waterfront in Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. The imprint of Kitchin's work with Alain Ducasse
Alain Ducasse
Alain Ducasse is a Monégasque chef. He formerly held French nationality. He operates a number of restaurants including Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester which holds three stars in the Michelin Guide....
and Pierre Koffmann is noticeable in the style of food served, and the restaurant has received support from other chefs that Kitchin has worked with; including opening with the cutlery and plates formerly used as the three-Michelin-starred restaurant La Tante Claire
La Tante Claire
La Tante Claire was a restaurant in London which opened in 1977 and closed in 2004. Owned and operated by Pierre Koffmann, it gained three Michelin stars in 1983, and held all three until the restaurant moved premises in 1998.-Description:...
, operated by Koffman. The interior of the restaurant is decorated with dark woods and shades of grey by design company Cubit Design, and wallpapers by Jocelyn Warner. A window opens from the dining room onto the kitchin area itself, and it has a conservatory-style bar serving snacks and light meals.
The food merges seasonal Scottish produce with French styles and techniques; the restaurant has the mantra "from nature to plate". While chef Tom Kitchin was away filming The Great British Menu
Great British Menu
Great British Menu is a BBC television series in which top British chefs compete for the chance to cook one course of a four course banquet. The first series banquet was for the Queen on her 80th birthday. The second series was to cook for the British Ambassador to France at the British Embassy...
for the BBC in March 2008, Pierre Koffman came out of retirement to stand in as head chef.
Within six months of opening, The Kitchin was awarded a Michelin star. In 2009 the restaurant was voted as the second-best restaurant in Britain by Eat Out Magazine, and the best restaurant in the UK by Observer Food Monthly in 2010. The team behind The Kitchin opened a second restaurant, Castle Terrace, in July 2010.
Reception
A.A. Gill, writing in The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, gave The Kitchin five stars out of five, praised the common-sense approach of the menu construction, and described his food as "the best and most agreeable dinner I’ve eaten all year". The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
s Terry Durack gave the restaurant sixteen out of twenty, praising the informality and the avoidance of normal Michelin-star cuisine, but said that the fish course was the "duff note of the night". Zoe Williams of The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
said that "The food ranges from extremely good to totally brilliant", but criticized the pricing, saying "This is one of the most expensive meals I've had in a year, and not, hands down, the classiest, or most effortful, or most luxurious in terms of ingredients", and gave an overall score of 7.5 out of 10.