Michelin-acclaimed chef Barry Bryson will host an intimate collaborative dining experience aboard Edinburgh’s luxury floating hotel Fingal on February 4.
For one night only, just ten diners will be invited to take part in a bespoke Captain’s Table experience staged in the ship’s former captain’s command room, with a five-course menu created by Barry, chef patron of Barry Fish in Leith, in partnership with Fingal’s in-house culinary team.
The event forms part of Fingal’s ongoing programme of chef-led collaborations and will place food, provenance and storytelling at the centre of the experience.
A menu shaped by Fingal’s maritime past
The menu has been designed to trace Fingal’s historic working route around the coast of Scotland. Before becoming a five-star hotel, the vessel served for more than 30 years as a Northern Lighthouse Board tender, maintaining lighthouses and transporting keepers, equipment and supplies to some of Scotland’s most remote and treacherous coastal locations.
That heritage will be reflected through a seafood-led menu celebrating Scotland’s coastal waters and fishing communities, served as a communal feast around a single dining table.
Dishes set to feature include lobster soufflé with leek fondue; smoked halibut with bottarga and Caesar; squid with bacon, white beans and Jerusalem artichoke; and sole with mussels in a sauce vermouth. Dessert will centre on chocolate paired with sea buckthorn and gingerbread.
A collaboration rooted in Leith
Pedro Barreira, head chef of Fingal’s Lighthouse Restaurant, said the partnership was a natural fit.
Pedro said: “We’re delighted to welcome our friend, neighbour and Michelin-recommended chef Barry Bryson aboard Fingal for the first time this February.
“With his restaurant located just five minutes from Fingal on the Shore, Barry shares our passion for showcasing seasonality and the best produce from Scotland and across the UK, making this the perfect partnership to celebrate both our food ethos and our local community here in Leith.”
He added that the evening would go beyond a standard guest chef dinner.
“This is more than a dinner. It’s a journey through taste, craftsmanship and the rich heritage of Leith,” Pedro said.
Barry Bryson on celebrating Scottish seafood
For Barry, the event represents a chance to cook within one of Edinburgh’s most distinctive dining settings while continuing his focus on Scottish seafood.
