Heads up, Scotland-bound foodies! Connoisseurs Scotland member 21212, a so-called "restaurant with rooms," was named "Restaurant of the Year" at this year's Catering in Scotland awards. This is the third year in a row that the restaurant has been honored by CIS; it was named "Newcomer of the Year" in the 2010 competition, and in 2011 its chef, Paul Kitching, was named "Chef of the Year."
Kitching has worked for award-winning restaurants throughout the United Kingdom; it was during his post as head chef at Nunsmere Hall Hotel in Cheshire, England, that his partnership with Katie O'Brien began. The two opened 21212 in May 2009 and earned awards from CIS and other industry organizations. 21212 was named "Best New Restaurant" in the United Kingdom by the National Restaurant Awards in 2009; in January 2010, just eight months after opening, it received a Michelin Star. Judges from the Scottish Style Awards named 21212 the "Most Stylish Hotel in Scotland" in 2009, because in addition to its 38-seat restaurant, 21212 has a drawing room, private dining facilities and four swank bedrooms in the townhouse it occupies on Royal Terrace in Edinburgh.
The restaurant's menu, which changes weekly, reflects Kitching's preference for a modern French style of cookery. The five-course gourmet dinner menu includes two starter choices, one soup, two entrée choices, one cheese course and two dessert choices, and was the inspiration for the restaurant's name. The lunch menu can be a three-, four- or five-course menu. The restaurant is open Tuesdays through Sundays.