Whitbread’s contemporary steak brand, Bar + Block has just opened the doors to its second site in Scotland, launching on Princes Street in Edinburgh, taking its portfolio to 18 sites.
Joining Edinburgh’s famous shopping street in time for Christmas, Bar + Block Edinburgh takes over the former New Look site on Princes Street, which has been transformed into a 181-cover restaurant and bar.
Menus follow the steakhouse’s all-day trading format, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, with a spotlight on high quality 30-day aged steaks, hand-cut to order at an accessible price point. Also on the menu is fresh burgers ground on-site, salads, grills, and grazing plates whilst an express menu is available from £8 Monday to Friday.
Exclusive to the new opening, additional menu dishes have been created for Edinburgh by the Bar + Block chefs, including the signature Butchers Block, which includes a limited-time Chateaubriand sharing dish until January, alongside whisky glazed wings, and a shortbread sundae, while the bar will feature an Edin-Bru-sty nail cocktail – an inventive mix of Drambuie, Whisky and Irn Bru - alongside craft beers and ciders, cocktails, and accessible wines.
The modern design features a central statement bar with copper detailing and a large open kitchen, complemented by decorative finishing touches include the brand’s trademark neon wall calligraphy detailing the Bar + Block story alongside contemporary artwork.
Rebecca Donaldson, Commercial Marketing Director at Whitbread, commented, “We are excited to be opening our second Bar + Block restaurant in Scotland as we continue to grow and develop the brand nationwide. It’s the first ground floor restaurant to open on Edinburgh’s premier shopping street under the Council’s new planning guidance.
“We’ve taken a redundant retail site and transformed it in time for Christmas trading. We are confident our mix of high quality expertly sourced aged steaks and accessible price point will appeal to locals and visitors to the city.”
Bar + Block Edinburgh is the second opening for the brand in Scotland as Whitbread continues its expansion of the steakhouse, with a further six sites planned for 2022. It opened its first Scottish site in Glasgow earlier this year.