Hood Review: Lyla, A Seafood Ode to Scotland's Bounty

Chef Stuart Ralston has already made a significant mark on Scotland's culinary scene with three successful Edinburgh establishments under his belt – Aizle, Noto, and Tipo. Now Ralston has embarked on his most ambitious project yet with the launch of Lyla, an intimate 28-seat seafood-focused tasting menu experience which opened at the end of 2023.

sleek modernity meets georgian antiquity

Housed in the former location of 21212, the acclaimed restaurant run by legendary late chef Paul Kitching, Lyla pays homage to the heritage of the space while gently securing Ralston's own unique identity. The interior balances sleek modernity with the building's Georgian bones, and is bathed in earthy tones and natural materials of wood and stone. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow Edinburgh's famed shifting light to shine in and highlight a rotating collection of artwork.

The ambience may be refined, but the service strikes a casual chord – just the way we like it. Guests enter via a private entrance off Royal Terrace. ‘My dad was a chef just down the street at the Royal Terrace Hotel when I was a kid so I spent a lot of time here,’ Ralston reveals.

A theatrical start

Having been greeted and escorted upstairs to the chef's drawing room, sommelier Stuart Skea wheels over a vintage Champagne cart where the theatre begins. We chose the house Lilbert-Fils NV Blanc de Blanc Extra Brut Grand Cru. This is from a small producer based in the village of Cramant in the heart of the Cotes de Blancs, and is a blend of three villages – the Cramant, Chouilly and Oiry. It’s deliciously crisp and fresh and pairs perfectly with the pre-dinner ‘snacks’. These heavenly morsels include an Alp blossom cheese, onion and quince cracker. Think of Edesia, the Roman Goddess of food, but reimagined as a Ritz cheese cracker sandwich. Yeah… something better than that. That first bite sets the scene for this extraordinarily good dining experience.

We pass by dry-ageing fridges on the way back down to the open kitchen for an intimate chef's-counter dining experience alongside Ralston and his team, who finish dishes tableside.

Perfect execution

Derived from the Scottish Gaelic word for ‘light’, Lyla is true to its name and focuses on shining a spotlight on the purity and vibrancy of the country's native seafood and produce. Ralston sources ingredients from Scotland's rugged northern isles down to its fertile coastal farms. Flavour takes the forefront over fussy preparation – but best believe he’s no slouch when it comes to presentation. Dishes like N25 caviar atop wild halibut and Jerusalem artichoke, hand-dived scallop and onion with black walnut or, our favourite, the Scottish langoustine with burnt apple and sorrel, may sound simple, but their perfect execution and sparkling freshness speak volumes. 

A menu Inspired by Scotland

The experience balances tradition and innovation – warm chawanmushi custard with smoked trout and marigold appears homey at first bite until the eccentric savoury-sweet dawns on the palate. A laminated brioche with cultured butter becomes fine dining. Throughout the 10-plus courses, Ralston finds endless inspiration from his motherland's natural bounty.

A native of rural Fife, Ralston grew up cooking at his grandmother's elbow, but sought global experience to hone his skills. He spent his twenties immersed in New York City kitchens under mentors like Daniel Boulud, David Bouley, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. It was here that he met his wife, successful stand-up comedian Krystal Evans. 

When we asked his thoughts on TV hit, The Bear, a New York-set series about a chef, he revealed: ‘I loved it, looking forward to the third season, it’s a pretty accurate representation, unlike others I’ve seen where they pack in 10 years’ worth of drama in a day.’ From New York he took his first head chef role at Barbados luxury resort Sandy Lane before feeling the call to return to home soil. 

Lyla is Ralston’s new Home

He opened his first venture, Aizle, in Edinburgh in 2014, garnering national attention for his genre-defying culinary vision. Noto and Tipo followed, each quickly earning critical acclaim. But standing in Lyla, Ralston looks like he’s home. It’s the culmination of everything he has worked towards – a platform to celebrate both Scotland's outstanding raw ingredients and a more thoughtful, sustainable fine dining ethos. 

Not to say the journey is an easy one. The pressure of now owning a restaurant group with a staff of over a hundred during a cost of living crisis, all while juggling the reality of a young family (kids aged eight and three) and a touring wife is present. ‘I do worry about missing things, my son is now eight and it’s such a great age. I’d like to press pause,’ he admits. But if anyone can juggle these plates it’s Ralston. ‘I’m now able to bring in people to do other things, so I can focus on cooking.’ This is a chef confident enough in his abilities and those of his team to delegate. He’s cool, calm and entirely relatable – which is why we’re rooting for his success.

A Destination for occasion

‘Lyla is for occasions,’ he says ‘We don’t expect to see the same faces time and time again here as we do with the other restaurants. That would somehow take away the specialness of it,’ he confirms. 

Central to the mission of creating a unique fine dining experience is an unwavering focus on hospitality and valuing the well-being of everyone who steps behind its doors – from guests, to staff, to local producers. Ralston notably transitioned his operations to a four-day work week years before others in the industry, proving high-calibre food need not come at the cost of people's lives outside the kitchen. He sees Lyla as part of his ongoing advocacy.

As the once renegade Scottish food scene has bloomed in recent years with creativity and acclaim, Ralston aims not to chase trends but instead further nurture appreciation for the surrounding natural larder that inspires him daily. With Lyla, this visionary yet humble chef has manifested a new cathedral to showcase Scotland's incredible unsung riches while lighting the way for a more thoughtful and sustainable future for fine dining – and we’re all for it. 

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