Roberta Hall-McCarron to relaunch Eleanore as bistro
Roberta Hall-McCarron and Shaun McCarron’s Edinburgh restaurant Eleanore will close at the end of January for a refurbishment, reopening in March with a renewed focus on relaxed, neighbourhood-led dining.
This follows the direction increasingly being adopted by chefs and operators across the UK.
The relaunch marks a decisive move away from the evening tasting menu format, as Eleanore repositions itself as a warm, accessible bistro where guests are encouraged to shape their own experience.
The shift echoes a broader industry trend towards more informal, flexible dining models, as restaurants respond to changing diner expectations, rising costs and the need to balance quality with value.
In doing so, Eleanore returns to the spirit of its origins as The Little Chartroom, which first opened in 2018 and helped define a new wave of modern Scottish cooking in the city.
While the level of detail and seasonality remains unchanged, the style of service and structure of the menu will be notably more relaxed.
Flexible menus and clearer pricing
Under the new format, the evening tasting menu will be replaced by modern Scottish interpretations of bistro classics, designed for flexibility and repeat visits. Head chef Hamish McNeill will run the pass, supported by the existing Eleanore team, with seasonality remaining at the core of the kitchen’s approach.
The frequently changing menu will prioritise comfort, generosity and clarity, with guests able to choose between two or three-course set menus across lunch and dinner. At lunch, served Wednesday to Saturday, pricing has been set at £26 for two courses and £29 for three, reinforcing the restaurant’s intention to be approachable for both locals and destination diners.
Dinner will follow the same structure, priced at £38 for two courses and £43 for three, while maintaining the option to add snacks and specials alongside the core menu.
These include oysters with rhubarb ponzu and hot sauce, ox cheek croquettes with salsa verde, and other small plates designed to work equally well at the bar or table.
Starters reference familiar bistro territory with a modern edge, such as beef tartare with kale and kohlrabi or mussel Thermidor.
Mains lean into more comforting, generous cooking, including confit duck leg with puy lentils and watercress, alongside a rotating specials board of sharing steaks and limited-run dishes. Desserts are nostalgic and crowd-pleasing, with options such as sticky toffee profiteroles.
On Wednesdays and Thursdays, Eleanore will also offer a pre-theatre menu between 5pm and 5.30pm, priced at £26 for two courses and £29 for three – a format that reflects growing demand for early-evening, time-sensitive dining in city centres.
Sunday lunch will run from midday to 5.30pm, with a dedicated menu priced at £33 for two courses or £38 for three. As with its sister restaurants The Little Chartroom and Ardfern, the team will work closely across all three kitchens to utilise whole animals, reinforcing both sustainability and operational efficiency.
Wine, refurbishment and neighbourhood focus
Wine will sit at the heart of the new Eleanore. A concise list of around 25 bottles will be complemented by simple aperitivo-style cocktails, with wines available by the glass, carafe and on draught, and selected bottles offered via Coravin.
Much of the list will be drawn from Helix Wines, the importing business founded by The Little Chartroom alongside Ardfern, head sommelier Finn Porelli and operations manager Johanna Cole. Producers include Tre Monti from Emilia-Romagna, Cortes de Cima from Alentejo and Cuvée Hélixe Pierrot-Batteux Champagne.
The refurbishment will include a full kitchen refit with a new Electrolux suite and a reworking of the dining room to echo the original feel of The Little Chartroom. The kitchen counter will be removed to make way for a dedicated bar, creating space for walk-in guests, pre- or post-dinner drinks and informal visits.
Warm, dark wood tones and touches of oyster-white will soften the room, which will remain intentionally intimate at just 20 covers, with 16 table seats, four stools at the bar and additional standing ledge space.
‘How people want to eat now’
Speaking about the relaunch, Roberta said: “We wanted to take Eleanore back to its roots, giving guests the freedom to shape their own experience, from how long they stay to what they spend.
“There’s a lot of nostalgia tied up in this restaurant for us, and this felt like the right moment to reinterpret that in a way that reflects how people want to eat now.”
She added that bringing the kitchens and wine collections closer together across Eleanore, The Little Chartroom and Ardfern would allow the group to operate more thoughtfully, passing value on to guests without compromising on quality.
Eleanore opened in 2021 and is Roberta’s second restaurant. Listed in the Michelin Guide, it was named Restaurant of the Year at the Edinburgh Restaurant Awards in 2022, within six months of opening.
Its relaunch positions Eleanore firmly within a growing UK movement towards neighbourhood-focused, flexible dining – one that prioritises warmth, accessibility and repeat custom, while maintaining the standards expected of chef-led restaurants.
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Roberta Hall-McCarron to relaunch Eleanore as bistro
