Tomás Gormley to open Cardinal in Edinburgh this March

Scottish chef Tomás Gormley is set to launch his new fine dining restaurant, Cardinal, on Eyre Place, Edinburgh, in March 2024.

Chef Gormley, who was awarded a Michelin star at Heron in 2023, is also chef-patron of Skua, which opened in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge in spring 2023 and the new Cardinal restaurant is going to be his first solo launch.

At Cardinal, Gormley will present his take on modern Scottish dining, with a 13-course tasting menu served in the evening, and a shorter, more concise offering for lunch.

Each dish on the regularly-changing menu will highlight the bounty of Scotland’s “natural larder”, with the team working closely with local suppliers and producers.

Gormley will take a “flavour-focussed approach” to his menu, with particular attention given to fermenting and pickling, as well as ingredients cooked over flame on Cardinal’s bespoke wood fired barbecue.

The new restaurant will also offer a “natural-led” wine list, alongside a short, carefully-curated cocktail offering and in-house soft drinks programme.

The 24-cover restaurant will feature a mix of “shadowy hues” and “deep” colours with “atmospheric” lighting.

Gormley will be joined by Ben Mansour, who will take the reins as general manager from his former role as bar manager at Skua. James Aikman, also of Skua, will take the role of sous chef.

Of the launch, Gormley said: “Cardinal gives me and the team an opportunity to showcase something we don’t think anyone in Scotland offers people yet. It’ll be fine dining for sure, but we want things to feel exciting and fun at the same time. Expect a lot of the same energy you experience at Skua, just in a longer, more detailed tasting menu format.”