Tom Kitchin to open new Edinburgh restaurant Kora

Tom Kitchin and his wife Michaela are to open a new restaurant on the former site of their Southside Scran venue in Edinburgh this spring.

Kora by Tom Kitchin is described as a ‘passionate celebration of Scotland’s land and sea’ and will feature a bar area and 65-cover dining space.

It will take over the site that previously housed French bistro Southside Scran, which launched in 2018 but had to close due to flooding in January 2020.

The chef said some of his existing team would be taking on new roles at the restaurant and he will be recruiting for front of house, bar and chef positions.

Kitchin said: “We are looking forward to bringing our Bruntsfield property back to life with a new concept, creating a genuine neighbourhood restaurant with a real sense of community.

“This new chapter is a really exciting one for our entire team and also for the city. We can’t wait to get back into the kitchen and start cooking some really fresh and exciting new dishes for our guests.”

The chef also runs the Michelin-starred Kitchin restaurant and the Scran and Scallie gastropub, both in Edinburgh, and the Bonnie Badger restaurant with rooms in Gullane.

In July 2021 two staff were suspended from Kitchin’s group following allegations of harassment and bullying while working in its kitchens.

The company hired an independent HR consultancy to “investigate any complaints” and Kitchin himself denied any involvement.

The group also ended the practice of company directors taking a share of credit card tips following accusations reported in The Times that the senior team were taking a cut of staff tips.