Roy Brett’s Ondine
Ondine Oyster & Grill is on the move in 2025. After years of valiantly struggling behind scaffolding and hoardings at the beloved George IV Bridge restaurant Brett is ready to move back into the light, and is hunting for new premises in Edinburgh. Excitingly Ondine Oyster & Grill is also launching in St Andrews at Seaton House, the new 5-star hotel overlooking the West Sands and the famous Old Course.
Brett says: “It’s shaping up to be a fantastic year and we can’t wait to get started! What we will bring to St Andrews is respectful cooking of the local produce. We look forward to bringing the Ondine classics as well as some new dish interpretations that will be bespoke to Seaton House.“With regards to our new location in Edinburgh, we are really keen to find our new venture and we know exactly what we are after, however, we will wait patiently to find the correct one. It has to be the right one for us and our customers. It’s similar to buying your dream house, it has to be right.”ondinerestaurant.co.uk
Barry Fish
(Image: Barry Fish)
Award-winning private chef Barry Bryson will be opening his first bricks and mortar restaurant this February in Edinburgh’s Leith neighbourhood. Bryson’s ‘Barry Fish’ pop-ups have been hugely popular in the capital over the last few years, and his restaurant of the same name will no doubt be too. Barry Fish will be open for lunch, afternoon ‘big snacks’, and then offer an a la carte in the evenings. Bryson says: “Our ethos is simple. The best ingredients we can get, cooked with skill and passion in a welcoming warm environment, there is no formality at Barry Fish other than the love and respect that we have for what we do.”barryfish.co.uk
The Pitt Street Food Market
(Image: Pitt Street Food Market) It’s been a long wait for the new iteration of The Pitt Street Food Market, arguably the venue that kick-started the street food trend across Scotland. The new purpose-built venue opens in Granton this month, just sneaking into 2024, but it’ll be 2025 when this new venue really gets into the swing of things. Hal Prescott, CEO of The Pitt said: “2025 is going to be huge for The Pitt. Looking forward into the rest of the year, there are various events programmed from Six Nations rugby to Pitt Roots, which is at the heart of working with local artists and musicians to showcase their talents. Arts and crafts markets, fresh produce and street food traders will always be present and the doors to our two saunas will be open for people to enjoy.” Street food and a sauna in Granton? You heard it here first. Open weekly from February.thepitt.co.uk
Crieff Hydro
(Image: Crieff Hydro)A shake-up for a classic venue: Crieff Hydro has announced a multi-million-pound project to create a new day-to-night bar, refurbished dining areas, and a speakeasy bar, with a new look, feel and experience for hotel guests, members and the local community to enjoy. Crieff Hydro has been family run for six generations, and there’s a promise to protect the hotel’s heritage with this modernisation. CEO Stephen Leckie, said: “Responding to the needs of our guests and a commitment to reinvestment in a family business is what has taken Crieff Hydro from its days as a ‘dry hotel’ a few decades ago to what it is now – a vibrant resort which is enjoyed by all.”crieffhydrofamily.com
Cookbooks to look out for
In May we’re looking forward to Seasonal Suppers by Fi Buchanan, a follow up to the extremely useful Seasonal Soups by Fraser Reid and Seasonal Salads also by Fi Buchanan. Buchanan’s recipes are always fresh and accessible, making the most of Scottish produce. Organised by month, the book will include recipes like chicken cacciatore, Sri Lankan-style dhal and vegan laksa: an achievable tasty supper for every season. May 2025, Kitchen Press
Edinburgh baking queens Emily Cuddeford and Rachel Morgan, the founders of Twelve Triangles bakeries are heading for a stellar 2025. Emily Cuddeford says: “We are so excited for 2025; we have been working on lots of projects behind the scenes and they are all culminating this year. Twelve Triangles will be turning 10 in March with our debut cookbook Kitchen Table launching just weeks before, so there’ll be lots of cause for celebration. In all honesty this is more than we could ever have imagined, and we cannot wait to celebrate with everyone.”A sneak peek reveals a book packed with stories of the owners’ culinary journeys, producers and suppliers and the bakery communities, with 75 sweet and savoury recipes to make for your own kitchen table gatherings. From quick suppers like kimchi fried rice, to slow-fermented doughs, cakes and biscuits, there’s plenty to feast on. Kitchen Table: Simple Things Made Well, March 2025, Harper Collins.
The spring will also bring new cookbooks from exciting Scottish chefs to a bookshop near you. First up, Sama Sama, the debut cookbook from Ga Ga’s Julie Lin, also a well-known face on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen. The Glasgow restaurateur brings all parts of her Malaysian, Chinese and Scottish identity to her bold and bright recipes. Julie’s ‘agak-agak’ cooking style is about learning to cook with soul and creativity, exploring new flavours and adjusting dishes to make them just the way you like them. Recipes to look forward to include chilli crisp puttanesca, steak au Sichuan poivre, and kaya croissant-and-butter pudding. May 2025, Penguin Ebury
Foodie Festivals
(Image: Meatopia)Finally, it’ll be a summer of food festivals, with an exciting new addition. Popular BBQ festival Meatopia is coming to SWG3 in June, its first UK venue outside of London. Meatopia has been a hugely popular annual event in London for a number of years now with both chefs and foodies. The festival focuses on dishes from restaurants that cook dishes over hot coal, wood or smoke with sustainably sourced meat at its heart. Scottish chefs including Dean Parker from Celentano’s and Sam Yorke of Heron have been on the coals in London in previous years, so we can’t wait to see who’ll be cooking in Glasgow. We’re getting hungry already.meatopia.co.uk