Plumed Horse's Food Has Star Quality

 THE starry firmament of Edinburgh's culinary skies looks set to twinkle with more Michelin stars if chef/proprietor Tony Borthwick decides he wants one.

The former patron of the Plumed Horse at Crossmichael, near Castle Douglas on the Solway Firth has relocated to Leith, and Dumfriesshire's loss is our gain.

The move from village to city means the highly prized star must be won again. But a recent visit revealed that he should have no worries about joining the Balmoral No1 restaurant and near-neighbours Martin Wishart and Tom Kitchin on the Capital's starred list, based on the quality of his food.

Kitchin picked up his award after opening at The Shore only last June, while Borthwick has only been in business at the new venue since December, so it is early days yet. But the signs are promising.

Chef Borthwick opened the original Plumed Horse in 1998 with business partner and manager Charles Kirkbride, and the pair soon had a success on their hands. Now under sole ownership having moved into the former Indian restaurant, The King's Spice, Borthwick offers similarly mouth-watering fare, though the choice is narrow.

Simply and sedately decorated, with plain washed walls, cornices and carpeted floor, the restaurant caters for 28 covers, with a separate private dining room for ten.

Last week's menu offered a selection of only three starters and four mains, and there is no vegetarian option at all. But assuming you found something on the menu to appeal, then the quality of ingredients and imagination coming from the kitchen is superb.

We were offered an amuse bouche of beetroot soup, served with a flash of soured cream in a charming little china cup and saucer. I enjoy borscht and have never had a better, more intense and delicately flavoured dish.

Overlooking the twice-baked Isle of Mull cheddar souffle and a very interesting fish curry, for starters we had foie gras sundae with green peppercorns, Pineau des Charentes and Banyuls raisins.

Pineau de Charentes is the vin de liqueur of the Cognac region. It's a combination of wine and a small amount of Cognac and what a clever combo. The jelly was really refreshing, with just enough sweetness to cut through the foie gras so that you weren't left with a cloying aftertaste.

Mains came in the form of a roast fillet of halibut, ravioli of lobster, gratin of Jerusalem artichoke and anchovy, carrot and chive, served with a Vermouth sauce for my dining companion.

This was a good-sized, meaty fillet that had been quick-roasted as opposed to blasted in the oven, so what arrived on the plate was moist and succulent. Although she couldn't really detect the lobster because the portion tucked into the ravioli was small, she thought the quirky combination of ingredients in the gratin tasty and the sauce was velvety-smooth perfection.

I chose free-range guinea fowl, carrots and celeriac, savoy cabbage, Madeira stock and black winter truffle. Remember when you were a child on Christmas Day, and the delight you felt when Santa had brought you exactly the present you wanted? Well, I had such a flashback as I forked in an opening portion of cabbage - a vegetable I have generally found bland. Not in these expert hands, however. Together with the rest of dish the infused flavours were a magnificent combination of subtle genius.

Not being sweet-toothed folk, we skipped over the small selection of sweet courses and headed for the cheeseboard, which turned out to be a very generous selection of a nutty, mature cheddar, a camembert, a smoked blue and a chevre.

Unlike the smallish-sized mains portions, the cheeses floored us.

All of which was happily appreciated alongside a bottle of reasonably priced Morgon 2001 (Beaujolais), which is known for having the fruitiness of Beaujolais and the charm of Burgundy.

The wine selection was suitably impressive, with something to cater for most tastes across the price range.

And to go with the post-prandial coffee came a very pleasing VSOP Cognac and an Armagnac.

Prices, it must be said, are not cheap, at £42 a head for three courses, excluding drinks. But real foodies won't begrudge a penny. Of course, there's more to earning a star rating from Michelin Guide editor Derek Bulmer and his undercover team than just the food.

The standards have to apply throughout every facet of the establishment, including decor, service and facilities, which takes a lot of extra effort and expense. English chef/proprietor Terry Laybourne found it more profitable to switch one of his Michelin-starred places to a brasserie and forego the onerous badge of office.

The front of house staff at the Plumed Horse may have to bone up on their awareness of the contents of their cheeseboard, what digestifs are available and their general awareness.

There are only 122 Michelin-starred restaurants in Britain, so to have three in Leith would be a remarkable success story. Not quite in the class of the village of Bray in Berkshire, which can boast two three-starred eateries, but who knows - it could be in the stars.