Acclaimed chef Scott Smith, the former chef-patron and creative energy behind Edinburgh’s Norn, has opened a new restaurant, Fhior on Edinburgh’s buzzy Broughton Street. Fhior, which means true in Gaelic, is a refreshed and refocused take on Smith’s previous establishment, serving exciting modern Scottish food and Scott is supported by his wife Laura and members of the original Norn team.
In 2016, critic Marina O’Loughlin said of Scott that ‘a new Scottish star is born’. Since then he has gone from strength to strength, awarded a Caterer Acorn Award and earning praise from the Michelin Guide for his ‘creative, intricate cooking’. Says Scott: “I want to create a place with vibrancy, that is fresh, bright and light with service that is informed yet casual and cooking that is honest and clean.”
The new restaurant is divided into two sections: a main dining room with 32 covers serving a set tasting menu in the evening four days a week (Wednesday – Saturday) as well as lunch on Friday and Saturday when diners will also have the chance to pick a few dishes from the menu a la carte-style too. At the front of the restaurant there’s a more relaxed café/bar/shop, seating 12 for coffee and fresh pastries, pre- and post-dinner drinks and a range of bar snacks throughout the day.
Scott’s menu relies on the trusted team of local suppliers and foragers who visit his kitchen daily. His ethos of sourcing and producing clean flavours in the food is self-evident in the new menus and anything seasonal that isn’t used is preserved through ferments, tinctures and drying. There are also plans to make his famous beremeal bread, which the late A.A. Gill described as ‘divine’, available for customers to buy alongside his own produce and local art to take home.