A significant birthday called for a meal somewhere special and Sunday brunch at Ardfern was chosen. Mrs Bite and three foodie friends were eager to try Roberta Hall McCarron’s latest venture.
Opened earlier this year, Ardfern (named after a village in Argyll and Bute) follows hot on the heels of Roberta’s two other successful restaurants The Little Chartroom and Eleanore which opened in 2018 and 2021 respectively. Roberta has a passion for sailing so perhaps Leith is her nautical happy place it features in the postal address of all three eateries.
Chef Roberta has won numerous awards, and her career has taken her from the Balmoral to the world’s only 7-star hotel in Dubai and back to work alongside Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack at The Kitchin and Castle Terrace.
This cafe/bar/bottleshop, previously Mistral, is a neat square-shaped eatery with windows overlooking the mundane Bonnington Road.
A noon arrival sees the room in full swing, buzzing with tables being turned. I start and we all end our brunch at the bar as bookended reservations for our table squeeze us into a strict two-hour time slot.
Small plates rule at Ardfern and I choose the Smoked Haddock Fritters, Fiona has Game Kofta, Kerry has Buttermilk Fried Chicken, crumpet, poached egg, pickles, chicken fat sriracha hollandaise and Nicky goes for the Veggie Full Breakfast.
Portions vary from the tapas-sized croquette-style fritters and the Kofta to the substantial homemade chicken-topped crumpet and 'Desperate Dan' breakfast. The chicken is moreish, crunchy, juicy and slathered in devilish Sriracha. Kerry comments later: “It hit the spot and was perfectly filling compared to other dishes, Ardfern is not for greedy diners unless you want a hefty bill.”
Nicky enjoyed her homemade beans which featured butter beans and a smoky sauce but found the rest of her veggie offering bland. Martinis were potent and sensibly priced and I would return for one alongside that chicken crumpet.
The What's App post-meal analysis concluded that while service was impeccable, dishes were inconsistent in size and could be pricey. Moreover, we prefer a more leisurely approach to table-turning.
But despite the above observations, I am confident Ardfern will continue to do well. Roberta has a cookbook coming out titled Changing Tides, she will appear on C4’s Sunday Brunch on November 3rd and has coverage in The Guardian Feast supplement on November 2nd. This publicity and Roberta’s unquestionable talent and influence will help cement all her restaurants as hot destinations.
Furthermore, Ardfern has an appealing comfort-eating signature style that is on-trend and very Leith!
Ardfern Cafe | Bar | Bottle Shop - 10 - 12 Bonnington Road, Edinburgh, EH6 5JD - 0131 600 0067
Bottle Shop - 7 days a week from 11 am to 10 pm. Cafe and bar - 7 days a week from 8 am to 11 pm (kitchen is closed between 3 & 5 pm and takes last orders at 8.30 pm). The Bar Snacks menu is available from 12 noon to 10.30 pm. The brunch menu is available from 8 am - 3 pm.
The evening menu is available from 5 pm - 8.30 pm.
