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EDINBURGH REVISITED
Ciy of lovely grey stone impresses with fine cuisine and hoteliers
By Carolan Nathan
Recently I visited two of the U.K's most celebrated cities and there enjoyed the old and the new in hotels and cuisine. I must admit I do try to find little known places where grace and charm can still be enjoyed, and the passion of chefs is translated into wonderful food.
A little whimsy is always of interest to writer and readers alike… I viewed some fabulous photographs of Prince Charles and his two sons up in a tree house at Highgrove – the home of these royal beings - as my nephew is official photographer to the Prince Charles Trust. I was also on hand to witness the demise of Epic Records in the heart of Soho – Sony now having swallowed it hook, line and sinker! Ah well such is progression.
Some things however do not change, they just get better. One such is Virgin Airways which is the most comfortable way to fly from Los Angeles to London and back. Their lounge at London Airport is first class offering every service imaginable – they even have an incredible library room. British Tourist Authority will help you with your every need when traveling in and around the British Isles – their staff are most helpful.
Edinburgh is a truly lovely city. Glorious buildings abound built in grey stone and there are many town houses which have been converted into elegant hotels. The Howard is the flagship of The Town House Company and offers luxury accommodations unparalleled in Edinburgh. Besides providing traditional Georgian pampering with your own dedicated butler service, each one of the eighteen individually characterized rooms uses the finest of fittings, fabrics, paintings and antique furniture and features exquisite body care items, thick white cuddly towels and towel coats – you know all those things that make you feel pampered and cared for! Of course for the techies, there are e-TV, DVD, video, games and hi-fi systems.
Downstairs you can enjoy high tea and, a little later, cocktails in the warmth and comfort of the Drawing Room with its wood burning fire, deep comfy couches and armchairs in deep golden hues. Breakfast and dinner are served in 'The Atholl', the small, elegant restaurant which is the original dining room of this once private residence built in 1820 – naturally it has been renovated but a mural painted in 'Watteausque' style at that time still survives.
Michel Bouyer is the Executive Chef for The Howard and also The Bonham, another of The Town House Hotels. Hailing from France, Bouyer worked in Paris for 4 years at Restaurant Drouant and also the Jules Verne Restaurant at the Eiffel Tower. In 1994 he came to Edinburgh working at L'Auberge, then as sous chef at #36 Restaurant at the Howard before becoming their Executive Chef. He is passionate about cooking, working 15 hours a day. But it is well worth the time because his cuisine is superb. He told me that everything he needs is 'on the doorstep'. Suppliers come to the hotel with organic products from Perthshire; venison from Newham and other game from the Borders; fresh fish daily from the fishmonger in Dunbar who has two small boats catching lobster, langoustine, sea bass, turbot and brill, while salmon from the Summer Isles on the West Coast is smoked in whisky barrels with wood chips from the cask
All the menu items are home made French cuisine with an Italian and Spanish influence. Chef Bouyer updates classical French recipes and admits a liking for hearty peasant food. He calls The Howard's menu 'classical French Rustic'. Start with fluffy scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on crispy rounds of home baked bread. Then smoked salmon served on a bed of frize with a dab of crème fraiche. Bouyer's take on onion soup is thyme scented, creamy soubise with blue stilton dumplings followed by oven roasted rack of lamb with dauphinois potatoes, soft herb crust and roast garlic jus tranche.
Desserts include a glazed lemon tart with fresh berries and a wonderful dark chocolate marquise, pistachio anglaise and toffee ice cream. There is a selection of fine wines to complete a superb dining experience.
The contemporary elegance of The Bonham has been voted by Conde Nast Traveller Magazine as 'one of the coolest' 200 hotels in the world. Attracting a young, upscale clientele, the décor is playfully modern, the stark lines of furniture and fitments hone beautifully in colors of red, green and blue. Each room has different décor but all offer similar facilities to The Howard. The Restaurant at the Bonham under the dab hand of Chef Bouyer offers such treats as a broad beans and smoked ham soap or a snails and asparagus casserole with champagne sabayon finished with fresh truffle. You might try the roasted Gressingham duck supreme with a mushroom risotto, or pan fried Scottish beef fillet with confit of aubergine, red pepper coulis and garlic pomme puree. Yummy food brought to the table by young, most efficient and dedicated Scottish servers. It's lovely hearing them talk in their soft burrs! Besides a great choice of wines, Bonham offers a selection of top quality single malt whiskies sourced from three of the whisky producing regions of Scotland including Speyside and the Highlands.
Both of these hotels are minutes away from shopping on Princes Street, Edinburgh Castle, Arthur's Seat and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the museums and parks that abound in this lovely city. It is very easy to get around by bus but walking is a fun thing to do, exploring the paths along Salisbury Crags with great views over the Old Town. So much for you to see, it's well worth a visit!
The Howard
34 Great King Street
Edinburgh
011 44 1311 315 2220
www.thehoward.com
The Bonham
35 Drumsheugh Gardens
Edinburgh
011 44 131 226666 6050
www.thebonham.com
www.edinburghguide.com
www.bta.org
www.virgin-atlantic.com
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