Scotland


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1498" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-6.jpg" alt="Eleanore" class="wp-image-4605" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-6.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-6-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-6-684x1024.jpg 684w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-6-768x1150.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: Amelia Claudia Masters</figcaption></figure>



<p>Who said fine dining needed to be grandiose or overly fancy? Chef Roberta Hall McCarron has been bucking the trend for seriousness without losing any of the quality at her Edinburgh restaurants ever since she first opened The Little Chartroom on Leith Walk in 2018.</p>



<p>That tiny wee spot built her reputation. She moved The Little Chartroom to Bonnington Road and opened Eleanore in the space in 2021 – her second restaurant. It quickly built serious credentials, landing in the Michelin Guide and picking up Restaurant of the Year at the Edinburgh Restaurant Awards within six months.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This spring, Eleanore got a bit of a revamp, shifting its direction back towards The Little Chartroom’s origins as a chic neighbourhood bistro.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-5.jpg" alt="Eleanore table" class="wp-image-4604" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-5.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-5-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: Amelia Claudia Masters</figcaption></figure>



<p>Only 16 covers, plus room for four at the bar, makes these some of the hottest tables in the city. Still, the team have stuck to their guns, stepping away from the formal tasting-menu format to become somewhere you can swing by for oysters and wine perched at the bar – or if you’re lucky enough to book a table – settle in for three polished courses.</p>



<p>And we were lucky, bagging one of those highly coveted spots for a dinner that did not disappoint.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE</h2>



<p>There’s no missing the fact that this is a small place. But the balance is just right – not too squished, yet intimate and buzzy. Soft lighting and painted brick walls keep it simple without feeling starkly stripped back. You’re seated near enough your neighbours for it to feel cosy, but not so tight that you couldn’t have a conversation here without being overheard (unless you’re really booming). It’s got low-key date night feels but is equally a great spot for that long needed catch up with a good pal.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="684" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-34-684x1024.jpg" alt="Eleanore Photograph: Amelia Claudia Masters" class="wp-image-4607" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-34-684x1024.jpg 684w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-34-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-34-768x1150.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/EleanoreInteriors_mastersmasters.co-34.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 684px) 100vw, 684px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: Amelia Claudia Masters</figcaption></figure>



<p>The service is warm and effortless, and the small team of staff are knowledgeable about the menu and happy to chat. That said, there’s no overly anxious checking in every three minutes – you’re here to enjoy good food with good company, and they’re just smoothing the way.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scoff-amp-quaff">SCOFF &amp; QUAFF</h2>



<p>Shifting the menu to a la carte is a deliberate decision to offer flexibility and ease. It’s a concise menu, nonetheless, which makes decision making easy, and the food is built around the modern Scottish cooking style and seasonality Roberta is known for. She describes the menu as giving diners “the freedom to shape their own experience” and the fact the menu changes through the year gives you a strong incentive to want to come back. And you will want to come back.</p>



<p>I started with a martini – perfectly made – and a small snack of duck fat hash browns (something of a trademark dish for Roberta) served with cream cheese and arenkha – a sustainable, gourmet caviar substitute made primarily from smoked North Atlantic herring roe. And that is worth noting from the off – there is a commitment here to good produce that’s well sourced. Using arenkha is a great example of how this played out across the menu.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-10.jpg" alt="Eleanore trout" class="wp-image-4606" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-10.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-10-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-10-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-10-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: Amelia Claudia Masters</figcaption></figure>



<p>As a starter, I had cured trout with mussel butter sauce, turnips and parsley – again, note the choice of sustainable trout over unsustainable salmon. It was a beautifully presented dish too – almost too pretty to eat. Yet eat it I did, the buttery sauce adding a layer of richness to the fish that was perfect.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-22.jpg" alt="Eleanore fish" class="wp-image-4602" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-22.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-22-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-22-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-22-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: Amelia Claudia Masters</figcaption></figure>



<p>I stuck with fish for my main too – it’s almost rude not to when the sourcing is so good – ordering hake which came with a buttermilk sauce, mash and broccoli. It’s no mean feat to serve something so perfectly judged and technically excellent while losing none of the comfort. Fish, mash and broccoli sounds simple, but I promise you, there was nothing easy about creating something as excellent as this.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1498" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-39.jpg" alt="Eleanore chocolate" class="wp-image-4603" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-39.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-39-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-39-684x1024.jpg 684w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/scotland/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2026/06/Eleanore_Jan2026_mastersmasters.co-39-768x1150.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph: Amelia Claudia Masters</figcaption></figure>



<p>Quite full by this point, it was impossible to resist something sweet. I had a lemon posset – the perfect bright bit of something sweet as a finish for a delicious meal, served with rhubarb and meringue. My friend ordered a chocolate mousse syllabub and if you love a bit of theatre, I would heartily recommend it if it’s available – a large bowl of it was brought from the kitchen and doled out for her at the table with great aplomb. Of course I had a taste – no stodge here for all the dolloping – just a perfectly light mousse, I imagine we’re both still thinking about.</p>



<p>Let’s not forget the drinks – like the menu, the wine list is concise and focused on quality. But not without options thanks to offerings by the bottle, glass, carafe, and selected pours via Coravin.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kid-friendly">KID-FRIENDLY</h2>



<p>The restaurant specifies no under-5s and given the size of the space, I’d say it’s not one for the kids.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-accessibility">ACCESSIBILITY</h2>



<p>Again, the intimate layout and compact footprint means it’s limited in terms of accessibility.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">The Muddy Verdict</h2>



<p><strong>GOOD FOR:</strong><br>Date nights, low-key celebrations, excellent lunches, solo bar dining and people who love serious food without serious ceremony.</p>



<p><strong>NOT FOR:</strong><br>Anyone wanting white-tablecloth theatre or endless tasting-menu fanfare.</p>



<p><strong>THE DAMAGE:</strong><br>Lunch: 2 courses £26 / 3 courses £29<br>Dinner: 2 courses £38 / 3 courses £43<br>Sunday lunch: 2 courses £33 / 3 courses £38<br>Pre-theatre (Wed/Thu): 2 courses £26 / 3 courses £29</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-venue-details">VENUE DETAILS</h2>



<p>Eleanore<br>30–31 Albert Place<br>Edinburgh<br>EH7 5HN</p>



<p>Opening hours:<br>Wednesday–Saturday: 12–2.15pm / 5–8.30pm<br>Sunday: 12–5.30pm</p>



<p><a href="http://www.eleanore.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eleanore.uk</a></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://scotland.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat/cail-bruich-review/">Review: Cail Bruich, Glasgow</a></li>



<li><a href="https://scotland.muddystilettos.co.uk/travel/review-monzie-estate-holiday-cottages-perthshire/">Review: Monzie Estate holiday cottages, Perthshire</a></li>



<li><a href="https://scotland.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat/restaurants-bars/michelin-sisters/">Champagne tastes but lemonade pockets? Check out the sisters to the (Michelin) stars</a></li>
</ul>


Review: Eleanore, Edinburgh

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