8
the World Of Hospitality
Part of the return to the building’s optimum
functionality is that the kitchen once again serves the
dining room directly, rather than being separated
from it as it had been in recent times. Guests enter
either directly from the hotel or from the street’s
listed revolving door entrance, with the entirety
of the front-to-back space of the Georgian terrace
given over to the bar and restaurant, added to by
picturesque views of Edinburgh’s old alleyways to
the rear. To improve flow, the bar counter has been
moved from its former location at the front of the
space, where it tended to block and impede restaurant
access at peak times, to a raised level to one side, with
the restaurant served by a dedicated dispense bar.
Goddard lifflefair
Listed or high-quality original features that have been
retained include the ceiling and walls, where a special
antique finish was used to restore the decorative
plasterwork friezes. Flooring throughout is new and
includes herringbone dark-stained oak sections and
chequerboard tiling in black nero marquina and
white carrrara marble. All joinery is bespoke and in
oak, including the bar, which also has black metal and
brass gantries with inset light to set off the displays of
glass and spirits. The new bar top is in carrara marble.