Sotto Enoteca and Trattoria to open in Stockbridge

Sotto, a neighbourhood Enoteca and Trattoria, will open in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge on Friday 4th October.

Article Source: Sotto
Last Updated: 11 September 2024 16:01

Sotto takes its name from the Italian for ‘under’, referencing the wine cellar hidden under Stockbridge high street that will store its extensive collection. A destination spot for Italian wine in Edinburgh, Sotto will offer a thoughtfully-curated selection of over 200 wines, mixing modern and traditional styles and showcasing every region of Italy.

Sotto is the first venture by Edinburgh-born sommelier James Clark, who has spent his hospitality career at some of the city’s best restaurants, including Divino Enoteca and The Palmerston, as well as at East End Cellars and his brother in law’s winery, Poppelvej, in Adelaide, South Australia.

Set over two floors, Sotto comprises an upstairs Enoteca (wine bar) and a downstairs Trattoria led by Calabrian head chef Francesco Ascrizzi, who brings experience working at some of Edinburgh’s most-respected Italian restaurants, including Divino Enoteca, Mono and Tipo.

The restaurant’s menu will combine seasonal British produce with classical Italian cookery, with dishes changing regularly to celebrate the best ingredients of both countries and the diversity of Italy’s culinary regions. The à la carte menu starts with Ascrizzi’s takes on classic Italian snacks and antipasti, from ‘Gnocco fritto’ with Culatello to ‘Olives Ascolana’ (fried olives stuffed with pork) and Aberdeen Angus carpaccio with radicchio, beetroot and gorgonzola. These are followed by homemade pastas including Tagliatelle with porcini, and Mezze maniche with venison ragù, and secondi including Lamb shoulder with artichokes and lentils and Sole with caper butter and salsa verde. To finish, guests can enjoy the likes of Marsala poached pear with sweet ricotta and cannoli, or ‘Zuppa Inglese’ with Alchermes liqueur and crema pasticciera. Guests will also have the option to order ‘Fai Tu’ - literally ‘you do you’ - which will bring four courses of feasting-style dishes to share, as chosen by the chef.

Open from 10am, the restaurant will act as an espresso bar in the weekday mornings, and an Italian-influenced brunch menu will be served on weekends, with dishes including Truffle polenta with wild mushrooms and fontina cheese; ‘Frittata di pasta’ with Tropea onions, potato and Scamorza, and Brioche with gelato.

The restaurant will seat 36 downstairs, including an intimate private dining room for up to eight guests. It combines marble tables, deep green banquettes, wooden panelling and a cork ceiling for a warm, inviting and relaxed space.

At the upstairs wine bar, guests can enjoy bottles from Sotto’s cellar - with many poured by the glass - as well as coffee, aperitivi, cocktails and light snacks. Guests will be able to purchase wine to take away, as well as a range of homemade pickles and chutneys under the label Sott’Olio - deriving from the method of preserving ingredients ‘under oil’ - and a small curated selection of Italian pantry goods.

Seating 25, the wine bar will host complimentary tastings every other Thursday evening, showcasing a particular producer, region or grape variety, with the wines on pour all evening and available to take home. An expansive marble counter sits at the centre of the bar for convivial wine tastings and casual groups, as well as bar seating at the window overlooking Stockbridge’s high street and a small bottle shop.

Of the launch, owner James Clark said: “I am incredibly excited to have arrived at this point and be ready to open the doors, and have so many people to thank for helping me get here. From all the fantastic local tradespeople I’ve used, to my friends and family tolerating me talking about nothing else for the past 6 months, I’ve been so lucky to have the support of so many great people.

I’ve fallen in love with Italian food, wine and culture over the last decade, and Sotto will hopefully be an expression of the warmth and hospitable nature I associate with the country. There’s such variety in the food, wines and landscapes, and we can’t wait to share our interpretation of that with the people of Edinburgh.

It’s so exciting to be opening in Stockbridge, the neighbourhood where I’ve lived for the last 10 years. It has such a vibrant food and drink scene and is a part of the city people love coming to for a day out, and we’re delighted to now be part of that.”

Sotto will open on Friday 4th October. Reservations are now live at sottoedinburgh.com

@SottoEdinburgh | sottoedinburgh.com
28-32 Deanhaugh Street, Edinburgh, EH4 1LY

Opening hours:
Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday: 10am to 11pm (food served from 12pm)
Friday and Saturday: 10am to 12am (food served from 12pm)

Image credit: Tina Leahy

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