Aizle
Edinburgh, Lothians
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Despite nearing a decade of service, Aizle feels like a much younger restaurant. Following a cross-town transplant from St Leonard's Terrace in 2020, Stuart Ralston’s creation is now firmly established in the heart of the New Town’s Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, yielding a comprehensive change in ambience. The dining space lies in the Garden Room – a lofty atrium lavished with hanging greenery and scattered with planters, wicker seating and rustic tables, all imbued with the atmosphere of a large, airy summerhouse. Menus allude to single ingredients rather than whole dishes, so expect an ambitious, highly seasonal journey into the unknown, with precise, technical skill and no small amount of theatre throughout. Chef Lewis Vimpany now leads a clearly talented brigade in Ralston’s stead, turning out plates that are visually delightful and full of flavour. To start, an impressive crab combo involves sweet white flesh nestling beneath fanned slivers of tart, funky kohlrabi and a light, milky yoghurt foam, while a gorgeously rich, barbecued skewer of tender lamb (the fat rendered to near-molten) is tempered with a deep, verdant pesto and partnered by a cup of wild mushroom consommé. A tiny bouquet garni, laced with thyme, is plunged in at the last second, freshening the broth with a beautiful herbal musk. Among the desserts, a rhubarb and custard dish is playful, pretty and entirely delicious. Formed of a crisp rhubarb thin atop a jammy, tart compôte and more cooked rhubarb, the custard comes as a creamy freeze-dried snow, melting in the mouth and balancing the dish perfectly. Both non-alcoholic and wine pairings are available, with around a dozen bottles offered by the glass. For those wanting to forge their own path, guidance on the short list is available from a warmly knowledgeable front-of-house team. Given the riddle of the menu itself, their pointers are gratefully received.
