Dogstar

Dogstar replaced its predecessor Portland Bar in Leith in late 2025 but already has the appearance of a bistro that has been part of Edinburgh's port district for a while. With his project, owner James Murray has created a chic restaurant that at first glance looks simple but which is layered with creativity and skill thanks to a career cooking across Europe, Asia, and North America, including a number of Michelin-starred kitchens. Murray's background includes work at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons under Raymond Blanc, alongside roles at Roussillon in Chelsea, Lyle's in Shoreditch, and Nur in Hong Kong, where he became head chef and helped the restaurant achieve a Michelin star within its first few months, and he's brought all that experience to Leith.

Dogstar's menu is small but perfectly formed, comprising around four snacks, three starters and a handful of mains that often lean more towards the sea than the land. Menus change daily but expect dishes such as smoked eel omelette with celeriac; half lobster with whipped lobster roe, pink fir potato, and samphire; devilled eggs with raw mushroom and the delightfully unpretentious dish of 'chicken nuggets', albeit them accompanied by cedro lemon and black pepper aioli.

With Dogstar, Murray has taken the approach of the high-reaching restaurants at which he has worked - hyper-seasonality, ingredient-led cooking having built close relationships with growers, farmers, foragers, hunters, and fishermen – and transferred them to a more casual setting. It's a new shining star in Edinburgh's culinary firmament.