With a litany of culinary accolades to his name, including a stint at Copenhagen’s Noma, chef Henry Dobson could easily have added another tasting menu experience to Edinburgh’s already saturated scene. Instead, this farm-to-table venture has a neighbourhood feel with pricing to match. The à la carte menu features over 90 products sourced directly from Dobson’s family farm near Dundee, with nearly everything else coming from producers close to Edinburgh. The wine list has only English varietals, and even the tea leaves, fermenting away in huge kombucha jars, are British. 

It’s an intimate space, low-lit with flickering candles in lumpy clay holders made by Dobson; the much more professional cups and plates are made by Akiko Matsuda, a ceramicist and sculptor, partially using clay from ditch digging at the farm.

Farm-to-table is literal here: the tables themselves are crafted from wind-fallen trees and medium-rare pigeon is smoked over the excess wood shavings, adding a subtle smokiness to the meat’s iron tang. Miso has a barley base, rather than rice, adapting to what’s grown locally and the menu changes weekly or even daily, depending on the harvest. Turbot flakes delicately and comes with a rich cauliflower base, the miso adding a nutty depth. There’s only one pudding but it’s a good one: light and fluffy Japanese-style chiffon cake. 

Moss more than lives up to its claims, serving exceptional dishes with distinct character, and the service is unobtrusive too. This is an evening of understated quality and quiet appreciation of Scotland’s natural larder. 

Moss, 112 St Stephen Street, Edinburgh; average price for two courses £42.