Scottish chef to launch The Scotsman Café and Bar

Scottish chef and Masterchef: The Professionals knockout week finalist Chris Niven has been unveiled as executive head chef of The Scotsman Grand Café and Bar.

The new independent dining and drinking venue is set to open in Edinburgh this summer.

Located on the North Bridge in the former advertising hall of the Scotsman building, Chris is currently building his team and developing an all-day menu.

The Scotsman Grand Café and Bar will open its doors to guests after an extensive restoration, which will bring traditional features into the modern age.

Details of the interior design and menus are still under wraps, however the new venue promises ‘to mix the historic past of its setting with the buzz of a vibrant contemporary café and bar.’

Commenting on this latest challenge, Chris said: “The opportunity to take the reins at The Scotsman Grand Café and Bar in this pre-opening phase and to have complete autonomy to develop the venue and its menus is one that I didn’t want to miss.

“There is no blueprint, so every dish is being designed from scratch and will be custom-made, with seasonality, flavour and sourcing at the heart of everything we do. It will be an easy and elegant menu with something for everyone, and we are working hard to offer customers something fresh, distinctive and one-of- a-kind in the Edinburgh scene when we open our doors in a few months’ time.”

Full plans for the launch will be unveiled in the coming weeks, as work continues behind the scenes to bring this former Scotsman public office back to life.