Great place for food & to escape the tourist
Food is great, the wine selection not bad. It's not a busy place so no problems getting a table and the food is good. The best value is the set menu definitely the way forward or the food will seem overpriced SJ
Cucina is located centrally and is beautifully done up.
The service and food both are excellent, with a very good selection of wines.
Worth the time and money.
At the G&V they have 180,000 honey bees on their rooftop collectively called the G&Bees but I kind of want to call them the Bee-G’s but then I break into a really bad rendition of Staying Alive so maybe the G&Bees is best. Anyway, I digress…. Photo credit : G&V Royal Mile Hotel. Bee hives on their rooftop
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I was lucky enough to be invited along and was impressed with what the staff caught on their fishing expedition a couple of days earlier.
First Course – Fish goujon with homemade tartare sauce. The fish goujon was soft with a crispy light batter served with a tangy, tart tartare sauce served in a shot glass. I easily have polished off a few more of these goujons!
Second Course – Mackerel with lemon. This was by far the star of the entire meal. The mackerel was cooked beautifully with a lovely caramel colouring to it, the skin crispy and just pulling away at the edges and the preserved lemons cooked ontop provided a slightly sour but sweet flavour to the dish; perfectly cutting through the oiliness of the mackerel. Clean plates all round.
Third Course – Risotto with courgettes and prawns. The prawns were plump, sweet and succulent but the risotto and courgettes were a little undercooked for my liking. There was an undertone of smokiness around this dish, and I felt the lashings of parmesan cheese was required to help the flavours along a bit.
Fourth Course – Line caught cod with carrot puree, parsnip crisps and wild mushrooms. This dish looked a delight. The white cod against the bright orange carrot puree and the slight yellow tint to the parsnip crisps along with the earthy dark browns of the mushrooms. Very pretty indeed and there were a lot of Wows! from around the table. My cod was well cooked (perhaps ever so slightly over-cooked as it fell apart and I couldn’t actually pierce a piece of the flesh with my fork). Seasoning was spot on. Puree was silky smooth, parsnips added the crunch and the mushrooms an earthiness to the dish.
Fifth Course – a cold refreshing sorbet shot to cleanse the palate.
Six Course – Tiramisu. A close contender with the mackerel for the best dish of the night. This was light, fluffy, with a lovely boozy hit coming right at the bottom. The lady fingers were soft and drenched in coffee liqueur. It disappeared rather quickly.
Petite Fours and coffee – melt-in the mouth; ‘the best’ passion fruit marshmallows I’ve ever tasted. A perfect end to a wonderful meal. Thank you to the G&V Royal Mile Hotel for the invite.
This dinner was a tribute to the sea and the wonderful resources that we in Scotland have right on our doorstep. From sea/land/rooftop straight to the plate!
G&V Hotel is definitely setting a precedence on how to respect, nurture and sustain our Scottish food and drink. Lets just hope that hotels and restaurants look to them as an example and start to implement practises that allow them to follow suit.
Their restaurant, Cucina, serves a sophisticated take on authentic Italian cuisine using the best of local Scottish produce. The restaurant décor has recently had a make-over by Scottish designers, Timorous Beasties to bring about a fresh, vibrant contemporary feel to Cucina. All the rooms and suites have also been refurbished and I can’t wait for the opening of their newly refurbished bar, the Epicurean.
Mi reportaje en detalle: https://greedyspaniardes.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/restaurante-cucina/. Platos que me harían volver: vitello tonnato y los tagliolini al pesto genovese! Excelebte servicio otorgado por Fabio y Ricardo, que dos pedazo de jefes de rango!
Cucina at the G&V Hotel (or for locals, the artist formerly known as Hotel Missoni) is a spot I’ve dined at a few times but oddly hadn’t ever gotten round to reviewing. I spied a good pre-theatre deal via bookatable and thought it would make for a nifty central location for a catch-up blether with my buddy Louise. As we actually arrived at 7pm and left at 10:30pm, it would seem they’re not too bothered about early service and so perhaps they should re-name it to just a simple table d’hote or whatever the Italian equivalent is! This being a Monday night in a hotel restaurant, things were fairly quiet, but no matter. Service was friendly, formal in places, as befits a resto with a pricey a la carte menu.
I am staying in the G&V hotel and was really looking forward to the breakfast in Cucina. I absolutely adored the deco of the restaurant! It was sooooo amazing, with a real sixties vibe. The service was excellent. I ordered a Scottish breakfast, it was really lovely. The waiters were very attentive and friendly. Loved it!!! Also, the pancakes are so delicious!
Nice food service good certainly would come back would recomend to others
Our next lunch-time treat was at Cucina a rather good Italian restaurant in the Hotel Missoni on the North Bridge. It was very modern restaurant: plenty of light highlighting a minimalist interior whilst remaining suitably plush and without that over-riding feeling of being in a hotel.
If you are anywhere in the Old Town around midday and you are feeling hungry, Cucina is always a great option. Firstly because their menu is amazing, filled with delicious dishes. A bit pricey if you go there for dinner (although it's worth it) round lunchtime they have a really good deal. I take friends there every now and then and they always like it.
Just got back from a fantastic brunch at Cucina! Delicious starter buffet table, with a lovely selection of food. Main was very tasty, I had roast chicken, my husband had roast beef with all the trimmings. The staff were really friendly and helpful. We've booked to come back already !!!
Two couples shared an excellent dinner with fine food and fine service. The scallop appetizer was particularly delicious. We had a late dinner but had no sense at all of being rushed. The seating was comfortable and the ambient noise better than average (that is, less).
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Summary: Fine Italian dining in the centre of Edinburgh, but expensive.
Cucina is an Italian-themed restaurant attached to G&V Royal Mile Hotel. Like the hotel, the décor is almost painfully stylish, with blacks and white complemented by splashes of bright colour and moody lighting. This, combined, forms a vibrant space where eternally happy staff zip from table to table with fixed 5-star smiles. Though undoubtedly friendly, I found the service, like the surroundings, somewhat soulless, standing in contrast to other fine dining restaurants in the centre of Edinburgh. Further, my chair was uncomfortable -- the upholstery a touch too stiff -- which did not marry well with the hip, relaxed surroundings.
That said, the food was absolutely delicious, and the wine list offered a broad mix of old world and new, certain to appeal to any taste. However, given many other Italian restaurants can be found in the local area, some of which have equally good food, but often at significantly lower prices, it's hard to recommend Cucina above its peers. That said, if you happen to be staying at the hotel, convenience alone makes it a perfect option, especially as the food really is that good.
Food: We ordered three starters (the octopus, the caprese and the zucchini) along with three entrees (the lasagna, the lamb and the ribeye steak). Everything was delicious especially the lasagne. For dessert we shared ice cream.
Drinks: We ordered one bottle of red wine.
Price: 105.25 GBP for three people.
Ambiance: The restaurant is very nice and wasn't very crowded.
Service: It was fine and our waitress was friendly.
Would I go back? Yes, it's good food and convenient if you're staying in the hotel.
Excellent restaurant. High class. Lovely ambience. The food is , maybe, 15% higher price than average restaurant, but the food is just fantastic. Of the highest quality, and the service is superb. The complimentary breads they bring round, are amazing. Will go back!
I won dinner here recently, and rather enjoyed the experience. We dined from the A La Carte menu, starting with a mountain of bread and olive oil. Moving on to fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, I am still dreaming of, was delish. Then we had Rib eye steak, I have had better, (Montieths) but the sides, mushroom and puree potato, were amazing! We finished with sharing the almond cake and poached pear, and the tiramasi. As a lady, I loved the fact I did not feel full, but the BF was searching my plate for more. He does sometimes appear to have a bottomless stomach though. Service was attentive but not obtrusive. In fact leaning more towards unobtrusive. The restaurant was busy and I made a note to remember to dine here more in the future. It's easy to forget this little gem as it nestles so snugly within Hotel Misonni.
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Step one foot into Hotel Missoni and you instantly start to feel more stylish. Walk up the glass staircase to the hotel’s Italian restaurant, Cucina, and you’ll swear you could have just entered one of Milan’s ‘places to be’. And that is just the beginning of what is, overall, one of the best dining experiences I have had in Edinburgh.
First of all, we need to talk about the bread basket. I have never seen anything like it. A small flour sack is crammed full of an assortment of warm breads, from tomato focaccia, sourdough and breadsticks, it’s plentiful and made fresh on the premises every day. The selection and quality of the bread is worth the trip to Cucina alone.
Starters are nicely balanced with meat and vegetarian options, and some highly inventive salads. Main courses are truly Italian, and the pasta is some of the best I have tasted, cooked al dente and with combinations like day-long cooked pork ragu and squid and chilli, I always find it hard to see beyond the pasta menu.
For those of you looking for something a little more carb-friendly, there are lots of meat and fish dishes on offer. My partner has had both the steak and fish and has waxed lyrical about how good they were afterwards.
If you’ve got room, the puddings are amazing – the chocolate tasting menu is like visiting heaven itself. I tend to go for the cheese – I’m the definition of a cheese girl – and this is a nice balance of mild and punchy cheeses.
I can’t finish this review without mentioning the staff. It’s clear from the level of service throughout your meal that you are dining in a five-star hotel, and that is definitely not a bad thing. Service is timely, efficient, and the staff are very knowledgeable. All of this makes Cucina one of my favourite restaurants in Edinburgh. Now, if only I could get my hands on some of that warm bread right now!
Cucina's lunch menu is delicious, modern and affordable. The selection of dishes is very good and certainly suited my needs. Haven't been there for dinner, but the place was really beautiful and I am sure it would be a great place to go with your significant other... Or just for lunch or dinner with friends.
The best eating experience I have had in the UK for western food. Great food, great service. Maybe slightly more expensive, but by no means outrageous, and certainly worth it.
Great food, tasty salmon. Excellent wine. Excellent service: thanks to Victor and Marco, amazing waiters, who made my experience so pleasent.
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