Embra

The Verdict

It's been a hot minute since we had anything served to us beneath a cloche. At Embra, however, presentation is paramount so that means yes, you may encounter the occasional cloche—or perhaps shellfish bisque topped with an entire crab, albacore tuna tartare buried beneath rye crumbs and enoki mushrooms to mimic a garden, black-and-white-striped squid cannelloni, and pithiviers so beautiful, they wouldn't look out of place on the royal dining tables of old (see picture, above). We believe the proper term for this kind of cuisine is 'fine dining on steroids'.

Of course, looks alone do not maketh the meal but that's irrelevant here because Embra's dishes are punching above their weight in the flavour stakes too. You can put this down to the skills of chef and owner Phillip Blackburne, who likes to meld French and British cooking techniques with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients (meaning the menu changes every month).

You'll also notice the odd homage to Scotland, with Phill having spent his early years as a chef in Edinburgh (for which the name Embra is short). Chicken breast stuffed with homemade haggis, for example—delicious.

Image credit: Embra | Facebook