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Kyloe is named after the old Scots word for Highland cattle. Located in the Edinburgh West End at the luxurious The Rutland Hotel, the restaurant is inspired by all things beefy. From its cow-skin upholstery to the heiffer plunging through the restaurant window, the restaurant is a celebration of what it does best – and boy, does it do it well!
Head chef John Rutter seeks the best Scottish suppliers for his gourmet steak menu, using cuts of pedigree Aberdeen Angus from the modest rump and sirloin to the decadent chateaubriand and porterhouse. You’re guaranteed to get some tasty meat to suit your palate, although the menu also serves fresh fish (oysters, mussels, sea bass) and a few vegetarian options (wild mushrooms on toast, red onion tatin, vegetarian mezze). While we flicked through the menu, we tried the homemade bread and hummus brought to our table, which was especially delicious.
We started with the rillette of duck and the smoked fish place. The duck was served with a salad of British charcuterie and spiced blood orange dressing. This was a delicious, gamey start, which stood us in good stead for the main course. The smoked fish plate featured a well-presented, light and refreshing offering of smoked salmon, smoked Loch Etive sea trout, smoked mackerel pate, lemon and herb creme fraiche and Exmoor Hebridean caviar with a sunflower and rye bread crostini.
Since Kyloe does beef best, we opted to share the 500g chateaubriand for our main course. We ordered some skirlie mash and creamed spinach with grated nutmeg to accompany this, although the steak was served with rocket and slow-roasted tomatoes anyway. The meat was absolutely delicious: well seasoned, cooked to perfection, and very succulent.
Finally, for dessert we ordered a selection of homemade sorbets and the cheese plate. The sorbets were delicious and were a nice way to cleanse the palate after the main course. The cheese board was a whopping portion – and offered a wide range of cheeses with oatcakes, celery, grapes and quince jelly.
The service at Kyloe was fantastic, and the ambience was great. The food seemed to come quickly, but not so quickly we didn’t have time to rest between courses. With such a fantastic restaurant located so centrally, and in such plush surroundings, you’d be a fool not to try Kyloe next time you’re in Edinburgh. Kyloe even offers private dining for parties of up to 16, which makes it the perfect venue for celebrations of any kind.
For more information, please visit kyloerestaurant.com.
