Chef Brian Grigor and sommelier Glen Montgomery run eòrna in Edinburgh, serving a seasonal tasting menu centred on Scottish produce.
In a restaurant industry often defined by expansion, larger teams and longer service periods, eòrna has chosen another route.
Based in Stockbridge, the restaurant is built around a single sitting for up to 12 guests, served and hosted entirely by Brian and Glen.
At 68 Hamilton Place, eòrna serves one seasonal omnivorous tasting menu, with guests arriving between 6.50 pm and 7 pm for an evening that typically finishes around 11 pm.
Rather than trying to create something deliberately different, the pair wanted to offer an intimate evening of food and drink in an environment where guests could feel comfortable.
Speaking with Larder Magazine, Glen said: “We already knew the style of food and wine that we would be offering. The question became more about creating the setting in which we can deliver those things the best way we can.”
The interiors were designed by neighbouring BRIC Interiors on Howe Street, with a focus on providing a relaxed and comfortable environment.
A different approach to dining
The decision to limit eòrna to 12 guests came from determining how many people Brian and Glen could look after whilst maintaining their standards and continuing to operate as a two-person team.
Glen said: “We arrived at 12 guests when we were considering the largest number we felt we would be able to deliver to the high standards we hold ourselves to, while still being operated by just the two of us.
“The restaurant is our antidote to the large businesses we’ve both worked in at various stages in our careers. It allows us to be very nimble and dynamic, with only the two of us to make any decisions.”
The atmosphere can change completely from one evening to another. Some guests remain within their own party, whilst on other nights conversations develop across the room.
Glen said: “We don’t impose a communal experience. There’s enough space between parties that a private evening is still possible, but of course it’s lovely when people do become more interactive with each other as well as us.”
The restaurant’s name, eòrna, means barley in both Scots and Irish Gaelic, reflecting Brian’s Scottish roots and Glen’s Irish heritage.
Glen said: “Barley nicely represented our home countries, being an important crop in both. It also represents the world of food through bread and other uses, and the world of drinks through whisky and beer.”
Classical cooking with Scottish produce
That connection between food, place and produce carries into Brian’s cooking, which centres on seasonal Scottish ingredients and relationships with smaller suppliers.
A current lobster dish captures that approach. The lobsters are caught off the East Neuk of Fife and hand-delivered to the restaurant, sometimes having been in the water that same morning.
Brian said: “They’re prepared simply, garnished with fresh herbs from the organic farm Greenheart Growers in Falkirk. This idea of having personal relationships with small local suppliers and treating the produce simply to let it shine is integral to the food at eòrna.”
After 25 years as a chef, Brian describes his cooking as rooted in classical French technique, with a focus on showcasing the best Scottish ingredients.
He said: “I have a strong sense of what I like to eat and to serve to our guests. I would describe my food as modern Scottish, but I don’t really spend time thinking about other trends in the business when I’m creating my own menus.”
The restaurant’s single-menu format also comes from its two-person model. Brian starts preparing the tasting menu first thing in the morning, so producing additional menus for dietary requirements or preferences is not practical.
For Glen, the guests who get the most from eòrna are those willing to put their trust in the pair and enjoy the best of what is in season.
Glen said: “We’re both very classically minded, so they needn’t fear that they’ll receive something quirky or challenging here. Just the best ingredients we can find, cooked in the most delicious way possible.”
From the plate to the glass
After more than six years working together, Brian and Glen have developed a close understanding of each other’s tastes and approach. When creating pairings, however, there is a clear starting point.
Glen said: “Everything starts with the food. Chef Brian is led by the seasons and the best quality produce available, so it’s the obvious place to begin.”
Glen describes the wine list as his “palette”, with bottles selected to suit different dishes and occasions. A new course can occasionally send him searching for a wine with particular attributes.
The drinks selection goes beyond wine, with classic cocktails available as aperitifs and a selection of independently bottled Scotch whiskies for after dinner.
Despite his preference for wine pairing, Glen said there are no rules about what guests should choose.
He said: “If I have a guest who has no interest in wine and wants to drink a few cocktails through the meal, then that is exactly what they should do!”
Since opening, eòrna has attracted guests from Stockbridge and across Edinburgh, alongside a growing number of tourists, particularly during the summer months.
One of the biggest rewards of its format has been the relationships Brian and Glen have developed with returning guests. Serving the same 12 people throughout a four-hour evening gives them time to build a rapport, with some regulars now considered friends as much as customers.
Despite eòrna’s growing profile, there are no plans to add more seats or introduce lunch services.
Glen said: “We’re very happy with the format as it is. It seems to be sustainable as a business model already, and there is still room for growth in the number of covers we serve each year.
“Offering lunches would mean needing extra staff, which would negate the extra revenue it would generate, so we’re not considering anything like that at the moment.”
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For now, eòrna remains true to the format it was built around: 12 guests, seasonal Scottish produce, good wine and personal hospitality.
For more information about eòrna and to view the restaurant’s menus, visit eornarestaurant.com.
