[category]
[title]
Opened in 2019 as an offshoot of Aizle, chef Stuart Ralston’s first Edinburgh restaurant, Noto has more than cemented itself as its own culinary achievement. Its selection of sharing dishes are, bite-for-bite, some of the most delicious things you’ll find in Edinburgh right now.
Behind a small, unassuming door on Thistle Street, a cobbled side street in Edinburgh’s New Town, Noto welcomes you with a sleek bar counter, behind which beautiful bespoke cocktails are being shaken, stirred and served. You’ll be greeted at the door and – unless you’ve luckily landed yourself a bar seat for a front row view of the mixology masterclass – led through to the airy, calm dining room. (There is also an option to pre-order a glass of fizz for arrival when you reserve a table, which is a very nice touch.)
There is an overwhelming feeling of ease in Noto, which is no doubt a testament to how well the team works together. The whole restaurant feels smooth and serene, even with every table full. Each member of the team that visited our table went out of their way to help and had a wealth of knowledge about each dish and every drink on the menu which they were more than happy to share. Not at all overbearing, we were left to savour every plate. It’s beautifully orchestrated hospitality.
To drink, Noto has a fantastic wine list and a small but well-considered selection of beers, including Pilot, a Leith brewery boasting exceptional tasting beers. For anyone looking to try something a little different, their Peach Melba Sour is a big recommendation.
Now for the food. We had seven dishes between two people; one snack size, five smalls and one larger plate. We started with the Unnamed Martini, which is perfectly clean to compliment the flavours coming. Our first plate was the ‘Bing Bread’, a warm bread roll with a sticky soy glaze and sesame seeds, filled with potato and cheese, served with whipped tofu and sour cream butter. It was flawless, and quickly followed by something even better: the North Sea Crab with warm butter, served in a cleaned out half crab shell. It was served with homemade sourdough bread for dipping (and in our case, scraping the shell dry).
The Day Boat Sashimi followed; a beautiful contrast of extremely delicate pieces of sashimi, King Mackerel on the night we went, garnished very lightly with a tart and sweet sauce and a shaving of squash. Then came prawn toast, perfectly crisp on the outside and molten-hot in the middle. A tomato and apricot salad was gorgeously colourful and finished with a crispy black bean dressing. For meat, we were recommended the pork belly, which came as two spiedini (the Italian word for skewer) – fatty, rich and paired with smoked mayo, sweet apricot and fresh fennel. A whopping great pan-fried sea bream came crispy, salty and atop of a sweetcorn succotash, a perfectly sweet and soft accompaniment.
However full you may be, you must order the chocolate mousse with miso, hazelnut and meringue. Like the sea bream before, the beauty of the dish lies in the combination of sweet and salty – we only regretted opting to share. And if you want to really take this meal to the max? Order the Jefferson at dessert too; bar manager Aidan’s take on an Irish Coffee. Rum base with a Tonka bean foam; it’s nothing short of fabulous.