Prestigious Edinburgh restaurant to close for good at prime venue after Hogmanay
Ondine Seafood Restaurant will hold its final dinner service on Hogmanay
One of Edinburgh’s most prestigious city centre restaurants will shut at the end of next month.
Ondine Seafood Restaurant, which is listed in the Michelin Guide, will hold its final dinner service at Hogmanay before closing permanently at its existing George IV Bridge address.
Ongoing works at the existing building the restaurant is housed in have been cited as a key reason for the decision.
Ondine’s award-winning chef Roy Brett said the plan was to open in “new premises within the city centre very soon”, although further details have not been announced.
Mr Brett also confirmed a new restaurant will be opened in St Andrews - Ondine Oyster & Grill in Seaton House - in the spring next year.
In an extended statement, Mr Brett said: “It is with mixed emotions that we share the news that after 15 years, Ondine will close its doors on George IV Bridge at the end of this year.
“Our landlord recently advised us that the ongoing works on the building will continue for much longer than anticipated, so we have reached the point where we feel our amazing team and loyal customers deserve better.
So, after 15 fantastic years, we have decided that our time here must cometo an end, and our final service will be our Hogmanay celebration on December 31st.”
Council chiefs had voiced their anger in August that continued delays to the work on the G&V Hotel at the corner of the Royal Mile and George IV Bridge - where Ondine is based - had meant part of the road and pavement had been cordoned off for an extended period.
Cammy Day, Edinburgh’s council leader, branded the prolonged project "a blight on the local historic environment" at the time.
It is understood the building has been subject to scaffolding since at least 2021.
The five-star, 136-bedroom hotel was built following demolition of the former Lothian Regional Council offices on the site and opened amid great fanfare in late 2009. The hotel was later renamed G&V [George and Victoria] and is now part of the Radisson group.
Cllr Day said in August: "I'm a leader who is hugely supportive of business and redevelopment to grow the city and offer more jobs. However, we can't have developers pick and choose however long they want to block up our streets.”
Mr Brett said in his statement on Ondine’s future: “This is not a decision we have made lightly. Ondine means so much to so many, not only to myself and my family, but also to our customers who have almost become family over the years.
However we are not going away … we will be moving to new premises within the city centre very soon and today we can also announce the exciting news that we will also be opening our first-ever restaurant outside of Edinburgh in the spring of next year.”
The chef continued: “Our success is also down to our loyal and incredible customer base. I want to extend a heartfelt personal thank you to every single one of you who has dined with us.
“Your support means everything to us, and I hope to welcome back as many of you as possible to Ondine over the next seven weeks. And let's go out with a bang.”
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