Enjoy a meal and realise why Martin Wishart is a much wanted man; Let

Martin Wishart is a Scot whose talents in the kitchen have had both Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay squabbling to employ him. A fact which hints at what you might expect when you visit Restaurant Martin Wishart, which officially opens this Wednesday. Oh how I hate officialdom, so call it sneaky, nosy or just impatient - we booked last Wednesday for dinner.

The decor is simple - clean lines, white linen tablecloths - with nothing fancy enough to distract from the food. Having said that, the wine list is worth a mention. Varied and imaginative, it encompasses a good number of countries. A Chateau Baudere was our choice at #11.

The dinner menu consists of three starters, four main courses and three sweets. While bartering with my partner as to who would have what, the charming waitress offered us a little cup of potato and leek soup. Sounds dull? No, siree. This soup, served at sippable temperature, had a good consistency and was finished with a threadlike swirl of truffle oil. If this guy could make good old tatties and leeks taste this good, what would he make of the baked sea scallops en croute with buttered spinach and julienne of vegetables (#7.50)? The answer arrived on a large white plate, on which was sitting a pastry shaped like a giant scallop. This encased a real shell which held thin slices of sweet, tender scallops and carrot and leek, all steamed in a light, creamy sauce. An individual sauce boat of homemade hollandaise was laid aside, rich, smooth and gorgeous. Salad of home cured duck breast landes with Galia melon and vinaigrette gourmande (#6.50) was my partner's choice. The meat was wafer thin and almost had the look of parma ham. The flavour was unique, both delicate and mature, the subtle taste perfectly contrasting the fresh, juicy melon and vinaigrette. Any doubts that this standard would be hard to maintain were quelled with the main courses. Firstly, roasted tranche of turbot with calamari and a light mussel and curry jus (#14.50). A major piece of fish, cooked with the bone, made the most of the marvellous flavour, with crunchy, thin strips of calamari. And the curry flavour of the jus just wafted through and was matched perfectly by the subtle seafood nuances. The added bonus of steamed plump mussels did nothing to detract from the turbot. Reading my partner's choice - assiete of French guinea fowl: roasted breast with fricassee of peas, leg farcie with crab and boneless wing with mushroom duxelle served with gratin dauphinois (#13.50) - was complicated enough without cooking it. It was like a three act play, the star of the show being the guinea fowl but the supporting cast were all superb. This bird being a wee beastie made the fact that each piece had been cooked in a different way even more impressive. The thought of this culinary experience ending was too much so, rather than rushing to sweets, we shared a plate of Ian Mellis cheese (#5), and then, further playing for time, ordered a half-bottle of dessert wine (Coteaux du Layon, #17). My armagnac parfait with poached William pear and praline biscuits (#4) was a cool, rich dessert with the armagnac subtly permeating it. The praline biscuits, as with everything else, were very special. And my partner's creme vanille with glazed pineapple tart (#4.50), consisted of sweet, fresh pineapple and melt-in-the-mouth pastry. Marco and Gordon knew what they were doing battling over this talent. I suspect the only fighting here will be to secure a table. Alison Craig Restaurant Martin Wishart Address: 54 The Shore, Leith, Edinburgh Telephone: 0131-553 3557 Opening times: Lunch: Tues- Fri noon-2.30pmDinner: Tues-Sat 7-10pmSet lunch (2 courses) #11.50, or 3 courses (#13.40) All credit cards except American Express accepted, no smoking until coffee

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