At the start of July, The Old Town Chambers established a partnership with Scotland’s leading private caterer, Barry Bryson. The Chambers now offer their guests the luxury of an exclusive chef, with Bryson providing cocktail parties or cookery masterclasses from the comfort of your own room. Or, as we discovered, a bespoke banquet.
City centre luxury
Five-star serviced apartments The Old Town Chambers provide a fab hideaway in the heart of Edinburgh. Nestled in one of the nooks and crannies off the Royal Mile, the rooms are quiet and calm, and the staff courteous and helpful.
Up on the top floor, in the Chambers’ largest suite, we were welcomed into a gorgeously furnished room; decadently modern, with splashes of colour amongst sophisticated grey tones. We felt immediately at home, and enjoyed great views across Princes St and the Scott Monument, as the staff of Bryson’s C{ate}r attentively kept the bubbly flowing.
Canapes and starter
A selection of tiny canapes offered varied flavours and textures, and a pleasant appetiser. A soft and zingy sea bass ceviche filled a crisp, peppery radish cup. Oatcakes with a dense crumb were topped with a curl of rare venison. Beetroot blinis were edible polka dots, themselves dotted with creme fraiche, oak smoked salmon and dill, all from local suppliers.
Our starter or ‘pre-meat course’ was a Newhaven lobster ravioli with Parmesan tuille, bathed in crab bisque. Rich in umami and delightfully aromatic, it was a flavourful punch to really kick off our gourmet getaway.
Pre-main dish
Next up was a carpaccio of Borders beef, itself delicate but punctuated with smoky Earl Grey-dried heritage tomatoes. To balance the dish there were wafers of tart Pecorino and slightly sour seasonal gooseberries.
The main is served
The main produced a classic of chewy pork belly in a rich jus, paired with hand-dived scallops, broad beans and cauliflower. Although it had depth of flavour and was skillfully prepared and presented, the dish had too many soft textures for me. But I still could have eaten half as much again!
A sweet finish
Dessert was a more sizeable affair and veered in the other direction with texture too. A deliciously sharp but fluffy rhubarb mousse, topped with cherry gel, sat on a truly unbreakable sable biscuit. On the side was a soft, sweet white chocolate and elderflower truffle. Even if they had to be enjoyed separately, all the elements tasted great and made for a satisfying finish.
Book me in
Overall, I love the idea of a gourmet getaway – it brought out the rockstar in me. I would be delighted to recommend our experience at The Old Town Chambers. Packages start at £145 and apartments take up to 6 people; you can find out more below.
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