Promising a dining experience focused on fresh seafood and shellfish, the recently opened White Horse Oyster & Seafood Bar on Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile provides a showcase for suppliers of the finest produce and a relaxed, vibrant environment for customers in the bar.
Created by The Compass Group, the team behind the popular Chop House Bar & Butchery, this new venture on the site of the oldest inn on the Royal Mile in the capital’s Old Town boasts a custom-designed lobster tank.
Put simply, this new restaurant is “committed to placing the highest quality seafood at the core of the business”. While its lobster tank is an impressive feature of the venue’s interior, the menu offers much more than just lobster. Sharing platters of shellfish including scallops and crab form a key part of the offer as well as four varieties of oysters from across the UK, shucked on the bar in full view of customers.
Managing director Mark Fraser said: “We’re excited to launch a seafood and oyster bar in the heart of the Old Town and have worked closely with a range of boutique suppliers to ensure we’re serving the freshest and best.
“We wanted to challenge the notion that seafood restaurants had to feel formal by creating a relaxed space with a lively atmosphere and an approachable menu. White Horse is designed so you can pop in and enjoy cocktails and shells at the bar or sit down for a lavish seafood feast.”
The menu is designed to showcase the best of British shellfish and seafood in a collection of small dishes to be shared by the whole table. Seafood platters and small plates allow diners to feast on a wide range of seafood. In addition, a selection of standalone dishes like crab linguine and whole lemon sole is available.
Suppliers include Edinburgh-based Welch Fishmongers, Fish Brothers, The Ethical Shellfish Company and Mara Seaweed.
Meanwhile, a comprehensive refurbishment of the building has created an intimate dining room with additional covers housed in booth seating looking onto the lobster tank and further seating available within the bar area.
Its interiors feature a rich heritage colourway with a number of notable design features, such as the custom-made green marble bar top where customers can enjoy fresh oysters and cocktails alongside an all-day menu of small dishes such as crab fries and sesame tuna.
White Horse also has a bespoke cocktail menu drawing on classic influences with the list incorporating seasonal ingredients, boutique spirits and seaside influences into a fresh and vibrant range of signature cocktail serves.
White Horse Oyster & Seafood Bar is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, with the bar trading until late.