An absolutely amazing lunch experience with an open kitchen: Restaurant The Little Chartroom (13. October 2024)
The last dining experience in Edinburgh for this time was at The Little Chartroom, which only opens at 1pm on Sundays, so, don’t come too early. Once you’re seated and you’ve picked your menu, you’re brought some “bread and salted butter”, which was truly delicious. The bread had its own flavour, and it tasted great – perfect to be topped of with a generous scoop of salted butter, and “being hungry due to a missing breakfast had been sorted”.
The “5-course menu” (GBP 89.00) started with a “butternut squash tart, sunflower seed, ricotta salata”, which did not only look incredibly pretty, but also turned out to taste amazingly good. The tarte would break apart when you used a fork, and it would not crumble in a hundred pieces, but break pretty smoothly. The butternut squash slices were rolled in a way that you would be able to also split them so you had some proper nice bites – and the combination of textures and flavours was just perfect.
Next in line was “scallop, Arbroath smokei broth, chive, leek, pickled grelot, English muffin”. As always, I was a b it sceptical of a scallop, since nothing ever topped the one I had tried back in 2014 at O Paparico, but this one – although not as fine and tender – was actually quite nice, and especially in combination with the other ingredients. The only thing a bit difficult to eat was the English muffin since it was topped with some kind of powder, which would stick all over your fingers, so, only once I had ripped the muffin apart, I was able to enjoy it and use it as a dipping device with my fork for the sauce.
When I read that they would serve crispy pigs head, I was not entirely sure what to expect, but I was also excited about what they would serve. So, the “crispy pigs head, confit prawn, haricot beans, watercress, courgette” turned out to be absolutely delicious. Especially, the confit prawn was so smooth and intense in flavour that you would just go nuts from happiness when trying it. But funny enough, it wasn’t just that. The whole dish – as a combination of elements – would work a charm.
Then it was time for the main course, the “partridge, morteau sausage, leg & barley dolma, cime di rapa, elderberry”, where I didn’t quite know what to expect since I don’t remember having tried partridge before. But it turns out that this bird is actually light and smooth, and you will be easily able to enjoy it – especially with the cime di rapa and the elderberries. To me, definitely an absolutely great dish.
I also went for the optional cheese course, the “Colston Bassett Stilton, fig tarte tatin, honey” (GBP 14.00) and while I was wondering how the Stilton would hit, I was happy that they had some honey and a fig tarte tatin, which worked perfectly to balance off the intensity of the Stilton – so, it was worth the little extra.
Last but not least, it was time for a little friandise to finish off the lunch. To sum it up, I must say, I understand whey people were giving the place such a good rating on Google Maps (with 4.8 it’s rather high) since they really offer great dishes in a lovely atmosphere for a superb price.
On top of that, you’re seated that you get to see what they do in the kitchen, which I absolutely love. The kitchen is just right there in front of you and you can follow how they prepare your dishes, which is amazing. Now, to be fair, there is a larger kitchen, where they also take care of the firey topics, but it is still nice to see some stuff being prepared in front of your eyes.
The Little Chartroom is a little gem a bit off the city centre of Edinburgh and definitely worth visiting, when you’re here. Just make sure to book your table in advance, and if you manage to do so, be generous to yourself and get the larger tasting menu of five courses because they really offer great dishes in a nice and open atmosphere and all of it supported by nice and friendly waiters.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant The Little Chartroom
Bonnington Rd 14
EH6 5JD Edinburgh (UK)
Tel.: +44 13 15 56 66 00
E-Mail: info@thelittlechartroom.com
Homepage: http://www.thelittlechartroom.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
