Vermilion

Rich in food, rich in surroundings

Venue Review by Laura Esslemont | 12 Dec 2006
Vermilion has been providing beautiful food in a sophisticated setting since this building was transformed from a busy newspaper office into a luxury hotel, with the restaurant buried down in the old features department. Now given a stylish makeover, the only link with its past life is the attention to detail which is present everywhere, especially in the food, all quality ingredients and canny combinations. As starters, both the scallops topped with truffled celeriac, and the langoustine bisque are excellent - simple and fresh. While the mains are equally skilfully prepared - the mushrooms in the Chanterelle pie have good flavour and texture and the chicken comes with a foie gras sauce - both can tend towards being too rich. This can make it more difficult to face the dessert menu, a sad thing given the allure of the enigmatic 'chocolate', a thrilling combination of chocolate fondue, parfait and ice cream. Rich in food, rich in surroundings, this restaurant remains one of the premier dining experiences in the capital and it is a challenge to imagine the furrowed brows and ringing phones that previously occupied this space. [Laura Esslemont]
The Scotsman Hotel, 20 North Bridge, Old Town. Tel 0131 556 5565, closed Mon/Tues. http://www.thescotsmanhotelgroup.co.uk