Whitbread’s Bar + Block to open in Edinburgh this month

Whitbread’s contemporary steak brand, Bar + Block, is set to open the doors to its second site in Scotland, launching on Princes Street in Edinburgh on 13 December, taking its portfolio to 18 sites.

Bar + Block Edinburgh takes over the former New Look site on Princes Street, which has been transformed into a 181-cover restaurant and bar.

The modern design will feature a central bar and a large open kitchen, alongside “decorative” finishing touches including the brand’s trademark neon wall calligraphy detailing the Bar + Block story alongside contemporary artwork.

According to the brand, menus will follow the steakhouse’s all-day trading format, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.

Also on the menu will be “fresh” burgers ground on-site, salads, grills, and grazing plates whilst an express menu is available from Monday to Friday.

Exclusive to the new opening, the brand said additional menu dishes have been created for Edinburgh by the Bar + Block chefs, including the signature Butchers Block, which includes a “limited-time” Chateaubriand sharing dish until January, alongside whisky glazed wings, and a shortbread sundae.

Rebecca Donaldson, commercial marketing director at Whitbread, said: “We are excited to be opening our second Bar + Block restaurant in Scotland as we continue to grow and develop the brand nationwide. It’s the first ground floor restaurant to open on Edinburgh’s premier shopping street under the Council’s new planning guidance.

“We are confident our mix of high quality expertly sourced aged steaks and accessible price point will appeal to locals and visitors to the city.”

Bar + Block Edinburgh is the second opening for the brand in Scotland as Whitbread continues its expansion of the steakhouse, with a further six sites planned for 2022.