Review: Brasserie Prince by Alain Roux, The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh

THE NAME ROUX is synonymous with culinary excellence and with it comes an unparalleled expectation that you are going to eat well if that famous name is above the door.  Opened last June in the Balmoral Hotel, Brasserie Prince is a collaboration between owners Rocco Forte Hotels, Alain Roux, chef patron at the three Michelin starred Waterside Inn, and his father Michel O.B.E., who opened the iconic restaurant in 1972. This is the first Roux venture into the capital where they intend on marrying their love of Scottish produce with their renowned French classic cooking style. What could go wrong?

For those not familiar, this site was previously Hadrian’s Brasserie and the Balmoral Bar. The décor, especially in the bar, is a welcome improvement on what was a rather uninspirational space. Alain is the shyer, lesser known in terms of TV appearances at least, cousin of Michel Roux Jr., chef patron of the original Roux restaurant, Le Gavroche. I won’t go into the history of the family any further, bar saying Brasserie Prince is significant as it’s the first restaurant tied to feature Alain’s name outright.

As you would expect from a brasserie menu, there’s a wanted selection headache with the number of dishes to choose from. It features a raw bar offering with a selection of seafood, a sharing platter/bites section where I would order the whole shebang, a thoughtful salad menu, and a bar menu if you’re just in for a casual drink and a snack. 

After an appetising plate of crudités, zingy tapenade and some delicious homemade bread set the pulses racing, (would you expect any different?) my scallop á la Parisienne (£16) arrived. “Mmm fish pie,” I thought as the aroma of buttery mash caught my nose. Technically the dish was faultless with three nuggets of tender poached scallop, earthy mushrooms and a buttery mash precisely cooked.  The sauce made from fish stock and white wine was light and aromatic, but it lacked the seasoning to fully enhance those flavours.

Sarah ordered another dish inspired by the French capital: Parisian gnocchi gratin with cheese pâte á choux and sauce béchamel (£8.50). The light, fluffy gnocchi was smothered with a silky, delicate cheese sauce. The acidity of the tomatoes scythed through the béchamel. However, the rocket didn’t really have a place here as there was too much meaning it obliterated the other flavours in your mouth. Perhaps a subtler portion of dressed leaves or micro herbs to bring acidity rather than pepperiness would have fitted better.

I was in the mood for comfort food, opting for coq au vin with tagliatelle at the price of £19.50. The freshly made pasta was suitably al dente and the tender chicken element lightly crimson from the wine.  The sumptuous sauce was sticky and lip-smackingly good while the sharp pearl onions and woody mushrooms illustrate why this dish is a timeless winter warmer.

Sarah opted for pan seared loin of venison with kale and red wine and blackcurrant sauce (£25). The game was a stunning shade of pink with an exquisite caramelised crust on the exterior; the irony kale had been handled tenderly with further evidence of skill in the sauce section from the fruity notes that are a well-known foil for deer. A side of seasonal buttered cabbage (£4.50) was generous and executed accurately to ensure it wasn’t just a wilted pile of wateriness like your mum used to make.

Now, what can I say about my dessert? It was just simply flawless. Hubert, the director of the dining room, plonked it in front of me and it looked very simple and elegant. “This is Michel Roux’s rum baba recipe.  It can never come off the menu at The Waterside Inn or there would be outrage amongst guests.” “Hmm,” I thought. “With a description like that, this is can only go one of two ways: total perfection or an unforgivable car crash.” The yeast was given time to work its magic with pockets of air creating a light dough. The best part for me was that the sponge still had texture, but it wasn’t saturated with rum; at the same time, there was plenty of boozy flavour. That takes some skill.  The creamy Chantilly wasn’t sickly sweet as is often the case and the candied angelica brought a slight bitterness before being reigned back into sweet heaven at the end.  Sarah could tell by my silence I was enjoying it.  One of the best desserts I’ve ever had and a snip at £8.

Opera cake (£8) was the tart of the day and another timeless affair.  With layers of coffee-soaked almond sponge and chocolate it was decadent; a little dense, perhaps, but enjoyable.  The milk chocolate shards brought a slight reprieve from the deep chocolate indulgence from the cake with the pool of almonds on top bringing crunch. It would have been perfect with a mug of tea in the afternoon.

Hubert led a very knowledgeable team who delivered a professional standard of service without being obsequious. He explained that perhaps the initial menu offerings weren’t quite what the customers expected, so a few tweaks and changes have been made in order to move forward positively. The refurb is certainly tasteful and has really made a difference to the atmosphere.

It may be early in 2019 but my dessert will take some beating. You’re paying top dollar to eat here and this is one of the most famous establishments in Edinburgh, so there isn’t a great deal of margin for error.  Early teething problems seem to have been ironed out and I’m pleased the food and service is to the level I’d expect from this powerhouse of a collaboration.

Web: www.roccofortehotels.com/brasserie-prince/

Twitter: @BrasseriePrince

Phone: (0131) 557 5000

Address 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2EQ

Opening hours:

Breakfast: Mon - Fri 7am - 10.30am Sat - Sun 7am - 11am
Lunch: 12- 2.30 Mon - Fri Dinner 5.30pm - 10pm
Open from 12.30 - 10 Sat and Sun