Renowned restaurant falls victim to glut of high-quality dining spots

ONE of Edinburgh’s leading restaurants has suddenly closed its doors after more than a quarter of a century – just weeks after a leading chef warned the capital’s fine-dining scene was reaching “saturation” point.

The Vintners Rooms, in Leith’s Shore area, has shut less than a year after undergoing a £40,000 refurbishment which saw a “whisky lounge” added.

Its owner has admitted a lack of customers is behind the decision to pull the plug, which has come months after the owners of a neighbouring seafood restaurant chose to relocate to Stockbridge.

Industry experts have been expressing concern about an over-provision of restaurants, particular at the higher end of the market, for several years. Leith, in particular, has seen a large turnover, despite the success of Michelin-starred chefs such as the Kitchin and Martin Wishart.

The closure of the Vintners Rooms, in Giles Street, has emerged only weeks after the Plumed Horse, in neighbouring Henderson Street, lost its coveted Michelin star.

Café Fish, in Henderson Street, closed its doors in the summer after owner Richard Muir snapped up a prime site in Stockbridge. French chef Daniel Vencker also departed the area recently after closing his bistro Daniel’s.

The Vintners Rooms has been owned by Italian-based whisky collector Giuseppe Begnoni and run by long-time restaurant proprietor Silvio Praino in recent years. Mr Praino made his name at Tinelli, in Easter Road before running his own eaterie on a site at the Shore subsequently taken over by Martin Wishart, who opened his celebrated restaurant 12 years ago.

The Vinters Rooms dates back to the mid-1980s, when the historic building, used to store wine and whisky as far back as the 17th century, was converted, with part of the site becoming home to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Mr Begnoni said: “The Vintners Rooms was losing too much money, it was as simple as that.

“We had a lot of tourists coming into the whisky lounge, but not enough local people, and the restaurant just wasn’t busy enough. I’d consider leasing it out again if someone else came along but at the moment the plan is to sell the site off.”

Mr Muir, who opened Café Fish in Leith two years ago, said: “We enjoyed being down there and were really busy at the weekend, but there just wasn’t enough passing trade during the week.”

Earlier this month, Mr Wishart raised concerns that Edinburgh did not have enough people eating out year-round to support the number of fine- dining restaurants it boasted.

He said yesterday: “It’s a real shame the Vintners Rooms has closed. Silvio is a very good friend of mine. I went there to see him quite a lot and was very saddened to hear the news when he told me the other week.

“My concern is that there is not enough year-round business to sustain the number of restaurants in Edinburgh. Every restaurant owner has to keep up their media profile, bring in new menus and keep promoting themselves to survive.”

Mr Praino, who was unavailable for comment, has started working in another Italian restaurant, Divino, in Merchant Street, part of the Vittoria chain.