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The White Horse is the oldest inn on Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile. Taking a cue from the nautical term ‘white horses’, used by mariners for the white gleaming crests of breaking waves the venue celebrates seafood & oysters. Expect the freshest seafood & shellfish from British waters & beyond with a menu focused on sharing plates, seafood platters & lobster served fresh from our tank. Of course our carefully curated selection of seafood is best enjoyed with a drink in hand & the White Horse bar offers a range of craft cocktails, boutique wines & draught beers. Read on to learn more about our ethos & approach.
whitehorseoysterbar.co.uk
The White Horse has a storied past dating back to the 18th Century. Believed to have first opened in 1742, the venue sits at the head of the White Horse close, named after Mary Queen Of Scot’s favourite horse which was stabled nearby. The venue & close has a noteworthy place in history. Not only was William Dick, founder of the Royal Dick Veterinary School, born in the close but the pub itself was also the meeting place for notable literary figures Samuel Johnson & James Boswell when they met in Edinburgh before touring the Hebrides. Despite it’s historic roots the bar has been completely renovated & offers diners a beautifully appointed space fitting of the building’s history.
Our menu focuses on the freshest seafood & shellfish, with provenance & sustainability at the heart of the offer. We source the very best ingredients before preparing them with delicate skill & consideration to bring the flavours of the sea to the plate. The core of the menu is a range of sharing plates. We encourage diners to graze on a selection of dishes & combine them with fresh seafood platters & oysters. Fresh lobster is at the heart of the offer and we store our crustaceans live in a custom designed tank in the heart of the restaurant. These are prepared daily to order to ensure our lobster is the freshest in the city.
The history of the oyster stretches back thousands of years & its culinary legacy has been significant. To do the subject justice, you would require an encyclopedic volume; so for our purposes it’s enough to say that oysters were first enjoyed by primitive man over 164,00 years ago & have developed a rich heritage & culture in the years since. Although now considered a luxury item, oysters were traditionally the food of the working classes as they were affordable & easily obtained. Edinburgh itself was once famous for its oyster taverns spread across the Old Town, indeed the headquarters of The Bank Of Scotland, located just up the Royal Mile on The Mound, sits atop a giant heap of discarded oyster shells. Today we enjoy oysters from across the United Kingdom.
LOCH FYNE Clachan, Cairndow, Scotland Soft with a clean zinc finish
CARLINGFORD Carlingford, Co. Louth Ireland Nutty & sweet with a delicious after taste
CALEDONIAN Loch Creran, Argyle, Scotland Big fruity flavours & a tangy finish
LINDISFARNE Belford, Northumberland, England Mineral notes & subtle sweet flavours
How to Shuck an Oyster While we’d encourage you to enjoy your oysters in our bar over a glass of fizz, there are times when you’ll want to take them at home. If you feel inspired to shuck an oyster for yourself then check out our guide below.
1. Place oyster flat side up on a cutting board or hold it in a towel and find the rear hinge where the top half of the shell meets the bottom. 2. Carefully insert a thickbladed oyster knife into the hinge and give it a twist. You’ll hear a pop as the hinge separates. 3. Run the blade of the knife along the inside of the shell, severing the muscle attached to the top shell. Remove and discard the top shell. 4. With the oyster exposed, run the knife beneath it to sever the bottom muscle. 5. Plate oyster on ice and enjoy.
To source the best seafood, shellfish & seaweed we visited suppliers the length & breadth of the country. We wanted to understand the provenance of our produce & be able to offer full traceability from sea to plate. It’s hugely important to us that we use only the freshest & best ingredients. In the end we chose to work with a selection of artisan suppliers, each of whom impressed with their passion for supplying the very best.
WELCH FISHMONGERS: Dating back to 1959, Welch Fishmongers is a third generation, family run business. Based locally in Newhaven, on the shore of Edinburgh, Welch are fishmongers who focus on providing fresh, diverse & quality fish from Scottish waters. The fish is landed responsibly from North Sea stock & the area’s best lochs & rivers.
MARA SEAWEED: Mara are the UK’s foremost artisan seaweed supplier who aim to nourish body & soul by harnessing the natural goodness of the sea. Our chefs use their range of dried & fresh seaweed to create stunning dishes with unique flavour. Mara is gaelic for ‘the sea’ & this heritage is at the core of their business with fresh produce foraged from the coastal waters of Fife which is fully traceable from harvest to the moment it reaches our kitchen. ETHICAL SHELLFISH COMPANY: This Mull based family business places ethics at the heart of their ethos & supply live hand dived scallops. The Ethical Shellfish company will never sell shellfish that has been fished in a way which causes harm to the marine environment. Their scallops benefit from an unspoiled natural environment & arrive to us within 24 hours of leaving the sea, meaning that the taste & freshness is unrivalled.
The simple pleasure of a fresh oyster can be enhanced immeasurably by washing it down with the right tipple. Whether it’s freshly poured Champagne, crisp dry white wine or a cocktail you prefer our bar team are on hand to recommend the perfect accompaniment. Fizz & oysters are perhaps the perfect pairing with the effervescent bubbles providing a contrasting texture while the dry acidity of the liquid cuts through the creamy saltiness of the shellfish. The White Horse boasts a range of sparkling wines from England, Spain, Italy & of course France which are the perfect accompaniment for our freshly shucked oysters. We also offer a compact but perfectly formed wine list with a considered selection of fresh, clean whites & light bodied reds. Cocktails are also at the core of our drinks selection and we have developed several libations which have been influenced by the sea & coast. Other cocktails have been designed to be matched with our seafood menu offering modern alternatives to classic wine led pairings.
SEASIDE GIN MARTINI
The true origins of the Martini are shrouded in mystery. This enigma is obscured by the many subtle variations on this classic libation which emerged during its formative years. Our latest entry into this collection pairs the coastal botanicals of Seaside gin with dry Manzanilla Sherry & smoked sea salt to create a distinctive, savoury aperitif to cleanse the palate or enjoy with oysters, lobster & more.
INGREDIENTS 50m Edinburgh Seaside Gin 10ml Manzanilla Sherry 3 dash smoked salt solution
METHOD Stir all ingredients over ice until mixed & chilled. Double strain into a chilled Nora glass. Garnish the drink with a sprig of pickled samphire & atomise the surface of the Martini with seaweed tincture.
Weekly Offers Each week at White Horse we provide a range of enticing offers to enliven the palate with minimal impact on the wallet.
ÂŁ1 oyster happy hour between 4-6pm Monday-Thursday
ÂŁ5 corkage every Monday & Tuesday
Complimentary seafood, wine & cocktail tastings
FOLLOW OUR STORY @WhiteHorseOysterBar @whitehorseoysterbar
www.whitehorseoysterbar.co.uk
S HUCK S @ WHI TEHORSEOYSTER BAR .CO.UK 26 6 C A NO NG ATE, EDINBUR GH, EH8 8AA 0131 220 5300