Restaurant review: Ondine: The sprite is right

• Published in: Scotland on Sunday
• Main Author: Richard Bath photograph Ian Georgeson
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Edinburgh (UK) NLA Media 29.11.2009
• Subjects: Brett, Roy
• ISSN: 0955-8756

Not that we should be too surprised, since [Roy Brett]'s CV is as immaculate as his restaurant. The Edinburgh-born chef has scaled some dizzy gastronomic heights, running Rick Stein's piscatorial empire from the nerve centre in Padstow and learning from such luminaries as his contemporary Mark Hix, of Caprice fame, and the Michelin-starred Geordie master of fish Terry Laybourne. More recently, he displayed a welcome populist streak at one of this column's favourite destinations, Dakota Forth Bridge, where he was named Hotel Chef of the Year for 2009. Ondine, named after a water sprite who marries a mortal in Sir Frederick Ashton's ballet, is a huge step upmarket from Dakota, and it's meant to be. The place is unapologetically opulent and, along with next-door neighbour Hotel Missoni, forms a mini ghetto of luxuriant chic in the heart of the Edinburgh's Old Town. Just how good came as a genuine surprise, but perhaps shouldn't have. Not only does Brett boast a track record of relentless achievement, he also goes out of his way to source the finest sustainable ingredients. Applied to many chefs, this might sound like an identikit, meaningless cliche, but not in Brett's case because Ondine remains the only independent restaurant in Scotland that has been approved by the Marine Stewardship Council.