In a dining room of just 28 covers, Edinburgh’s culinary ascent finds one of its most articulate expressions. Lyla is a statement of precision, personality, and poise, shaped not only by the finesse of chef Stuart Ralston, but also by the return of Stuart Skea, one of Scotland’s most quietly influential sommeliers…
In a city whose culinary reputation is rising like a well-proofed loaf, the 28-cover Lyla has swiftly claimed its place among the UK’s dining elite. Set in a stately Georgian townhouse once home to the acclaimed 21212, Edinburgh’s latest Michelin-starred restaurant is already turning heads. The Michelin Guide praised its elegant, sustainability-led focus on Scottish seafood, noting ‘eye-catching dishes’ with ‘subtle yet complex blends of flavours and textures.’ Condé Nast Traveller named it one of the Best New Openings of 2023, while the Food & Travel Awards 2024 crowned it Restaurant Newcomer of the Year. It debuted at number 28 on the National Restaurant Awards list and was singled out by the World’s 50 Best as one of the most exciting new openings in the UK. The accolades mark not just Lyla’s rapid ascent, but the return of one of Scotland’s most respected sommeliers, Stuart Skea, who ranked seventh place in our 2024 Top 100 Sommeliers.
For the Glasgow-born Skea, stepping back into the building which once housed 21212 is both nostalgic and poignant. ‘It’s a bittersweet experience, given the circumstances,’ he reflects. ‘My first head sommelier job was at 21212 back in 2012, and I enjoyed two wonderful years there. It helped to shape my career and remains an important part of who I am. Life takes strange turns, but it’s nice to be back on familiar ground.’ The legacy of the late Paul Kitching, the visionary behind 21212, lingers in the space, ensuring a standard of excellence which Lyla now upholds. ‘Paul is an ever-present figure,’ Skea says. ‘The best way we can honour his memory is to keep the place full of life, light, old-fashioned hospitality, and excellent cooking.’
Sommelier Reloaded: The Skeaquel
Skea’s return has also reunited him with Gordon Ramsay trained head chef, Stuart Ralston, who worked under Daniel Humm, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Ralston’s meticulous approach to flavour and presentation has long resonated with Skea’s palate. The two previously worked together at Ralston’s flagship, Aizle, which serves a blind-tasting menu, forging a professional rapport built on mutual respect and a shared belief in hospitality as performance, not pretence. ‘Stuart’s cooking is disciplined but never dull,’ says Skea. ‘It is rooted in clarity and confidence, which makes pairing both easier and more interesting. There’s no need to mask or mollify – just complement.’
He may be based at Lyla, but Skea’s influence radiates outwards. ‘I work closely with the other venues, looking at training and overseeing the lists,’ he says of Aizle, the NYC neo-izakaya Noto, and Italian-inspired Tipo. ‘We opened Tipo in 2023, the same year as Lyla, and it was fun to build a list from scratch.’
Each restaurant bears its own vinous fingerprint. ‘At Lyla and Aizle, we have a nice selection of grower champagnes, working closely with the excellent Sip and Vinetrail. Tipo and Noto both offer orange and natural options by the glass as well as good value classics,’ he explains. A pair of Sangioveses at Tipo encapsulate his approach: ‘Fattoria di Sammontana IGT Toscana is our “house wine”, if you like – it has purity coupled with just the right amount of rusticity. Il Borghetto Bilaccio, also based in Chianti, moves in a more elegant direction with whole bunches and used 228 litre barriques – the “pinosity” of Sangiovese, but with a transparency and identifiable sense of place.’
Lyla’s wine list is stamped with Skea’s hallmark: balance, freshness, and a deep respect for terroir. ‘I look for wines which overdeliver,’ he says. ‘Pretentious, unfriendly service and impenetrable wine lists are my pet hates. If a sommelier struggles, how does the customer feel?’
Among current highlights are Juan Carlos Sancha’s Ad Libitum Maturana Blanca 2022 – ‘a historic Riojan variety excluded from official usage until recently, but reinstated thanks to this professor of oenology’s hard work,’ says Skea, and Gregory Pérez’s Estaladiña from Bierzo, ‘a unique grape which may be Bastardo/Merenzao (Trousseau).’ South Africa’s Naudé Old Vine Semillon 2016 also gets a mention: ‘MUCH better than Hunter Valley Semillon – none of that baby vomit character,’ as does Richard Leroy’s Les Noëls de Montbenault 2017, singled out for its ‘tension’.
The Cure: Soundtrack For The Salted
Of the 10-course menu, Skea’s standout pairing of the moment involves a cured fish dish – presently halibut – with cucumber, kohlrabi, candied sea kelp (cooked in blackcurrant juice), a buttermilk-dashi sauce, roasted nori oil, and N25 Umai caviar. The match? Dewazakura Omachi Junmai Ginjo from Yamagata Prefecture. ‘The sake has a viscosity and sweetness – if it were a wine, it would be a Viognier. Stored at -4°C to preserve freshness before bottling, it is fruit-forward with green-skinned strawberry and melon. The weight is a lovely match for the buttermilk sauce, and there are lots of sweet-savoury contrasts going on.’
Sake, he notes, is growing in importance. ‘I’m still at the beginning of my sake “journey”, but it’s a versatile and unique tool in the sommelier’s arsenal. Knowledge and awareness are expanding at a growing rate too. I’m cycling the Etape Caledonia in May and am very excited to be dining at Killiecrankie House for the first time and sampling some of Matilda Tsappis’ expertly curated and paired range of sakes.’
On English fizz, Skea is similarly optimistic. ‘It’s going from strength to strength. As vine age increases, so does experience and understanding. Danbury Ridge’s Solstice could be a touchstone in the evolution of English fizz – a superbly complex oxidative outlier in a sea of genre winemaking. Sugrue Pierre continue to excel and prove that zero dosage wine can work in England. Tommy Grimshaw and Langham’s evolution will be fascinating to watch. Exciting times.’
From the Coravin come rare pours: Giles Cooke MW’s This Charming Man Grenache from McLaren Vale’s historic Smart Vineyard, Vieux Château Certan 1996, and Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance 2006 – ‘the last of the “old school” vintages, with a six-year élevage, like d’Yquem before it sacrificed character in pursuit of freshness.’
Last Orders to Tasting Menus
Skea’s path to fine dining was anything but predictable. ‘I worked in hospitality from the age of 17 – part-time at uni, then full-time in pubs, dive bars, bowling clubs, seedy nightclubs. I’ve been a barman, cloakroom attendant, glass collector, waiter… I even did a stint at Oddbins in the noughties. I’ve cleaned up plenty of vomit (and worse), and once got death threats from Glasgow drunks. I certainly didn’t envision doing what I’m doing now.’
Winning the Michelin star was a crowning moment. ‘Being part of the opening team at Lyla, and before that at Aizle, it meant a huge amount. It’s a testament to Stuart Ralston’s singular vision and drive. Lyla is a unique experience in Scotland. We were delighted to win Best Service at the National Restaurant Awards last year, shortly after opening. The feedback from guests and critics confirmed we were on the right path – so it feels rightly earned. Earned by the whole team’s dedication, hard work, and passion.’
Is Scotland having a culinary moment? ‘It certainly does feel that way.’
And what, in Skea’s view, distinguishes a merely good sommelier from a truly brilliant one? ‘Humility and lack of ego – the ability to listen, to anticipate, and to admit mistakes. Patience, kindness – this is essential. There’s too much ego, especially at the higher end of hospitality.’ He pauses, then continues: ‘A great sommelier should also have a bit of cheek – a bit of craic, gallus with a glint in the eye, a sense of humour, an understanding of the Fundamental unseriousness of “fine dining” – Johnny Walker of Andrew Fairlie had this in spades – a good humour to diffuse difficult situations and prick pretentious bubbles and entirely related to the above…’
Lyla’s Michelin star is a statement: this is a serious player in Edinburgh’s dining evolution. Under the guidance of Stuart Ralston and with Skea at the helm of the wine programme, Lyla is a reference point for exceptional seafood, a bastion of thoughtful drinking, and a cornerstone of the city’s bright gastronomic future..
