Chef Roberta Hall McCarron Opens New Restaurant - Ardfern

Looking for a new relaxed dining experience? Award-winning chef Roberta Hall McCarron has just opened her new café, bar and bottle shop in Edinburgh’s Leith. Taking its name from her childhood memories of a village in Argyll and Bute, Ardfern is Roberta’s third venture, joining her acclaimed The Little Chartroom and Eleanore.

From morning till night, Ardfern offers a truly relaxed all-day experience, with brunch, bar snacks and heartier dinners alongside cocktails, draught beer and wine from its bottle shop. 

During the day at Ardfern will begin with brunch, featuring a selection of Scottish staples such as a beef haggis tattie scone, fried duck egg, brown sauce and a full Scottish breakfast with thick-cut bacon, homemade haggis & tattie scones. Lighter options like overnight oats with fig jam and almond crunch, and BBQ flatbread with girolles, asparagus and mushroom marmalade will also be available alongside cooked-to-order filled doughnuts, pastries from Company Bakery and freshly squeezed juice.

Daytime at Ardfern revolves around leisurely bites accompanied by cocktails and a carefully curated wine list of 100 or so bottles. Dishes include merguez pâté en croûte, braised beef shin & Isle of Mull cheddar toastie and oysters served either naturally or with a seaweed hot sauce, as well as a selection of charcuterie and cheeses from beloved Scottish suppliers. The cocktail list is inspired by aperitivo classics and contemporary takes using a selection of local spirits.

As night falls, the menu will shift towards larger, heartier plates of food. Dishes include:

 shrimp and langoustine potato rosti

chicken kofta with date molasses, egg yolk purée and crispy chicken skin 

fish finger sandwich, mussel curry sauce and kohlrabi slaw

pies to share 

The beautiful interiors of Ardfern reference the landscape and colour palette of its namesake coastal village, evoking the feeling of warmth and comfort. Dark wood and natural texture will establish a sense of place, the point of where the land meets the sea.  A mixture of counter and table seating is available, allowing guests to linger at the bar or book a table in advance. The bar will also function as a bottle shop with wines available for purchase in-house or online, with options for nationwide delivery.