Eleanore, the Edinburgh restaurant from Roberta Hall-McCarron and Shaun McCarron in Leith will close at the end of January for a full refurbishment and reopen in March with a new neighbourhood bistro-led format, reopening in March.
The rebrand will see the end of the evening tasting menu, replaced by a more flexible à la carte offer, bringing the business closer to its original concept from 2018, when it launched as The Little Chartroom.
Head Chef Hamish McNeill will lead the kitchen, supported by the current Eleanore team. The focus will remain on seasonal Scottish ingredients, with a changing two- or three-course menu and additional snacks. Sample dishes include beef tartare with kale and kohlrabi, mussel Thermidor, and confit duck leg with puy lentils. Sharing steaks and limited specials will rotate weekly, and Sundays will feature a dedicated lunch menu in partnership with sister sites The Little Chartroom and Ardfern, using whole-animal butchery across all three.
The kitchen will also be refitted and the interior will be reworked to include a dedicated bar, replacing the existing kitchen counter. The updated layout includes 16 table seats, bar stools and standing space for drinks and small plates with wine playing a more prominent role. The wine list is supplied by Helix Wines, the importing business linked to The Little Chartroom and Ardfern.
“We wanted to take Eleanore back to its roots, giving guests the freedom to shape their own experience, from how long they stay to what they spend,” said Roberta Hall-McCarron. “There’s a lot of nostalgia tied up in this restaurant for us, and this felt like the right moment to reinterpret that in a way that reflects how people want to eat now. By bringing our kitchens and wine collections closer together across Eleanore, The Little Chartroom and Ardfern, we can operate more thoughtfully and pass that value on to our guests, without compromising on quality.”
Eleanore opened in 2021 and was named Restaurant of the Year at the Edinburgh Restaurant Awards in 2022. It is listed in the Michelin Guide.
Picture: The Eleanor team 2022
