SONDER, EDINBURGH

Sonder is the first, globally inspired, restaurant from Trisha McCrae, the cofounder of One Star House Party, which took six top chefs around the world to take part in 20 pop-ups in 20 countries. Head chef Paul Graham, who has Number One at The Balmoral in Edinburgh, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road and One Star House Party on his CV, developed the succinct menu with Trisha.

The large space has been transformed with an open kitchen, chic grey walls and a buzzy, urban feel. Diners are recommended two or three plates each and are encouraged to share. There’s not a huge choice (four dishes each across ‘snacks’, ‘garden’, ‘land’ and ‘sea’) but there are plenty of exciting flavour combinations.

Scottish ingredients feature heavily but the lessons learned from two years of globetrotting are clear. Local crab with daikon, coriander and nage is a delicately prepared plate with an Asian twist, a vibrant herb oil splitting the broth perfectly. Succulent chicken wing, for a snack, comes deboned, skewered and sticky with maple syrup – it’s moreish, so order two. Home baked focaccia, too, is a winner, simply served with whipped mascarpone.

Elegant beef short rib comes slowcooked with a rich sauce, served with burnt (intentionally, deliciously) shallots and a rich walnut purée. The standout dish, though, is the cheese course, listed on the dessert menu and arriving looking like one. A complete surprise with blue cheese ice cream, roasted figs and sticky balsamic reduction. restaurant-sonder.com