Edinburgh chef and restaurateur Stuart Ralston is set to open two new venues this October on Broughton Street. Vinette, a Parisian-style wine bar serving sharing plates and bistro-style dishes, will be joined by Vivien, a cocktail bar located directly underneath. Both have been developed with co-owner Jade Johnston.
The openings follow the closure of Ralston’s first restaurant, Aizle, and form part of the newly branded Aizle Hospitality Group, which also includes Michelin-starred Lyla and Bib Gourmand restaurants Noto and Tipo.
Johnston continues as operations director, and Stuart’s older brother, Scott Ralston, has taken on a new role as Group Chef, overseeing the group’s casual dining restaurants.
“After closing Aizle, it felt important to mark a new chapter,” said Stuart. “Vinette and Vivien are about creating spaces that feel warm, social, and a little indulgent. I’m especially proud that I’m opening them with people who’ve been on this journey with me – Jade, who has been integral for more than a decade, and my brothers Scott and Calum, who are stepping into leadership roles. This feels like the group’s natural next project, but with the same commitment to quality we’ve always had. I will be doubling down on my efforts with Lyla and hope to improve ten fold but this allows people around us to continue to grow which is very important to me.”
Vinette will open at 36 Broughton Street, the former home of Fhior. It will serve seasonal European-style dishes in line with Ralston’s ingredient-led, flavour-focused cooking, but with a more relaxed and informal tone.
The kitchen will be led by Stuart’s younger brother, Calum Ralston, who has trained with the group over the past 18 months. Dishes will include braised duck hearts on toast with pickled green peppercorns, grilled Iberico pork chop with cider-braised onions and mustard sauce, and pigs head croquettes with smoked paprika.
Elle Mackay, general manager at Aizle, will lead the front of house team. The wine list, overseen by Group Head Sommelier Stuart Skea, will focus on Old World wines and smaller producers, with a rotating selection available by the glass.
Interiors have been designed by Ross McNally of Scarinish Studios, with an emphasis on simplicity and comfort.
Vivien, located beneath Vinette, will be a late-opening cocktail bar. It is named after Renée Vivien, a lesbian poet associated with Belle Époque Paris. The bar takes inspiration from her identity and writing, aiming to “embody her rebellious and inquisitive spirit, as well as aesthetic principles of decadence.” The bar programme will be led by Rebekah George, who has worked in several well-known Edinburgh bars, and the drinks menu will include classic and original cocktails such as The Strawberry Thief and Violet Subterfuge, alongside bar snacks including potato mille-feuille with beurre blanc and Ortiz anchovies with lemon butter.
Vivien has been designed to mirror the atmosphere of Vinette, with low lighting and bar seating. It will operate both as a destination in its own right and as a space for pre and post-dinner cocktails.