With Gary Maclean’s KIN, Edinburgh’s Roseate Hotel Has All The Ingredients Of A Perfect Weekend Break

Chef Gary Maclean’s passion for Scottish food is infectious. The winner of MasterChef: The Professionals knows everything there is to know about produce and provenance, which is why his restaurant KIN by Gary Maclean is creating a buzz in Edinburgh. Even KIN’s name is welcoming: it means family, a shared sense of togetherness and a desire to look after you, which Gary certainly does.

The restaurant, which opened in June, is perfectly positioned in The Roseate Hotel in Edinburgh’s West End. It’s a 10 minute walk from Haymarket station, very close to Murrayfield rugby stadium and has a bus stop outside to the airport – yet it still maintains the feel of a small country house hotel. There are 42 covers at the restaurant and it is open to non-guests of The Roseate, too. There is also a cute bar and this being Scotland, a big choice of whiskies. You can easily take a tour, from the Highlands with a Dalwhinnie to an Islay Laphroaig.

Glasgow-born Gary was named Scotland’s First National Chef in 2017. This government role is to educate about and promote Scottish food on the world stage as well as domestically. I’m certainly getting an education here: the menu is so beautifully put together with Haggis Neeps and Tatties and Cullen skink, a warming fish soup and one of Gary’s favourites, for starters. As a veggie, I had the most delicious Hebridean blue cheese with broccoli and brambles. Mains include grilled langoustine and pan seared roe deer. I had the spiced baby carrot and coriander tart, which was simply divine. Starters are from £13 and mains from £18. 

I haven’t normally got a sweet tooth but the Cranachan cheesecake and raspberry ripple ice cream was next level. The hugely personable Gary joins me for a chat as I am still cooing over this dessert and we talk all things food and inspiration, including Gary’s return to MasterChef: The Professionals to set the Skills Test earlier this year.

It was back to my room to digest. I was lucky to stay in The Roseate Suite which has a huge king-size bed with tweed throws and a show-off copper bath, plus views of the Pentland hills. The suite had lovely Scottish touches of shortbread and Noble Isle products, as well as a bold peacock feathered wallpaper, and Fired Earth fixtures and fittings in the bathroom.

These lovely deep colours are replicated around the hotel and there are good, generously upholstered spots to sit. The 35 rooms and suites are set across two houses facing each other – I was in the main house – and they are all in a similar style. 

After an amazing night’s sleep, it was downstairs for breakfast. There’s the full Scottish with Ayrshire back bacon, haggis, black pudding and tattie scones and Orkney smoked kippers. Lovely to see a vegetarian option, too, with veggie haggis. When it was time to leave, I hadn’t finished my big pot of tea, and the staff asked if I wanted a takeaway cup for my journey home. A small, but ever so thoughtful gesture.

C&TH Key Notes 

—Push the boat out… And book The Roseate Suite. This really is the best spot in the house with its copper bath, space and sheer luxury. 

—You must try… The Cranachan cheesecake. I was still thinking about it days later for its flavours and construction.

—Bag a seat… In the garden outside. It’s a gorgeous spot for a morning brew or an early evening cocktail. Try the signature Roseate, which has Scottish raspberries, rose water and rosé Champagne.

The Last Word

This has all the ingredients of a perfect weekend break. Indulge at the incredible KIN by Gary Maclean, then kick off your shoes in one of The Roseate’s rooms. You’ve got the feel of a small country house hotel and a location minutes from Edinburgh’s city centre and Murrayfield. 

BOOK

Room rates start from £210 per night. For more visit roseatehotels.com