Offering unrivalled views across the Forth and the new Queensferry Crossing, The Shore is located in the DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh – Queensferry Crossing which has been stunningly transformed following a £15m investment.

The Queensferry Crossing was built alongside the Forth Bridge which was completed in 1890, and the Forth Road Bridge which was completed in 1964. The three-tower cable-stayed bridge is 1.7 miles long and was opened on 4 September 2017 by Queen Elizabeth II, exactly fifty-three years from when she opened the Forth Road Bridge.

The Shore is the latest restaurant from the creators of Twenty Princes Street and Juniper, both of which are favourites of mine so expectations were high.

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As you enter The Shore your eyes are immediately drawn to the opposing view of the Queensferry Crossing which is framed with floor to ceiling windows which sweep across the entire front of the restaurant. The bar to the rear offers a place for hotel guests to enjoy a drink or diners to have a pre-dinner cocktail.

We opted to take our seats and enjoy the sunset over the bridge with our cocktail, the Twister. A colourful take on the ice lolly with Stolichnaya Vanilla, Midori Melon Liquer and Grenadine.

A minor complaint was that we we weren’t offered water and wine glasses weren’t cleared straight away. Not the kind of thing that will ruin your evening, and very much details that I’m sure will be ironed out as The Shore becomes more established.

When choosing from a menu now I like to try and pick anything I haven’t seen before. A starter of Sticky Baby Back Creole Ribs sounded a little more adventurous than the other starters and delivered on flavour. The portion size was generous with a side of apple slaw which was surprisingly light.

I decided to go for the Burrata and Heritage Tomatoes before winter descends and starters are all soup and wintery ingredients. Again, this was a generous portion garnished with a tasty homemade pesto. Simple but very satisfying. If you want bread to go with your starter, don’t forget to order it separately. I decided to keep things light and skip the bread, careful planning for the two large courses ahead!

Alongside the grill offering, The Shore offers a small range of other dishes including battered fish and a burger. The main focus is the steak though. Alex went for the largest option (treating himself after losing four stone!), the T-Bone Steak. This was served simply with some very good chips and a moreish Beer and BBQ Sauce which I highly recommend you try. Your choice of sauce is included, I like this feature in a steak restaurant. When you’re paying £25-£35 it’s a little annoying to be charged separate for a wee bit of sauce to go with it.

I had the Fillet with a side of Scottish Langoustines (which I shared, before you judge me!). Everything was cooked to my liking and the quality of beef came through in the flavour. There’s something about enjoying a good steak overlooking a nice view, a very satisfied feeling descended over as darkness fell. And darkness did indeed fall as we noticed the bridge is not yet illuminated at night. I’ve heard conflicting information as to whether this will change in the future. I hope so as it’s such a shame to only enjoy the view during daylight hours.

Scottish tablet lovers will appreciate the innovative twist on a standard chocolate brownie – Sea Salt & Vanilla Tablet Brownie. It’s sugar overload, but eating out is a treat. Spoil yourself, it’s worth it.

The ‘Flaming’ Elvis Crème Brûlée was a must for me. I love Elvis, Crème Brûlée, peanut butter, and jam. This dessert was made for me, and it didn’t disappoint. It arrived, as promised, flaming. I quickly assessed the situation and noticed it was enough for two (although it’s not advertised as a sharing dessert, it’s perfect for that situation). One was flavoured with peanut better, and the other with strawberry jam, take a bit of each for that classic combination. The White Chocolate Cookie was a bridge (excuse the pun!) too far for me, but offers an ideal vehicle (sorry…) for some of the leftover burnt custard.

Overall a lovely meal with most of the prices being very reasonable. It’s slightly out the way, but with views as good as this, it’s worth driving to.

The Shore Grill & Fish House
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh – Queensferry Crossing, St. Margaret’s Head, North Queensferry, Fife, KY11 1HP
Price: Mains £10 – £35
Good for: Steak and bridge views