First Look: The Spanish Butcher opens second restaurant as Glasgow hospitality group unveil Edinburgh location

The Spanish Butcher opened in Edinburgh today, a new 90-cover addition to the capital’s dining scene set to follow the lead of the original trend-setting restaurant in Glasgow city centre.

Promising vibrant Spanish and Mediterranean-inspired flavours, showcasing some of the finest dry aged beef across an à la carte menu, with the very best homegrown produce from Scotland’s larder, The Spanish Butcher is the latest offering from restaurateurs James and Louise Rusk.

The Spanish Butcher opens today after taking 2,000 advance bookings. Like its sister restaurant in Glasgow which was crowned one of the best new restaurants by CNN, The Spanish Butcher brings together Galician inspired dishes with Brooklyn influenced style. Edinburgh musicians Young Fathers, photographer David Eustace, Rox Jewellery co-founder Kyron Keogh and television presenter Martin Geisler were among the first to visit the new dining room and bar in Edinburgh.

Taking centre stage on the menu is The Spanish Butcher’s selection of cuts from the Rubia Gallega breed of cattle native to north west Spain, the region known as green Spain.  What makes the Rubia Gallega cattle, also known as Galician blonde, so special is the unique life they have as retired old dairy cows, left to graze and roam freely on the lush Spanish pastures that Galicia is famed for, and enjoy a longer life - typically the age of the cattle can be up to 8-12 years old.

This difference in the maturity of the cattle comes through in the remarkable flavour of Galician beef, defined by a deep red colour paired with a deep intense rich taste.

Adding this with a long specialised dry-aging process of up to 50 days for some cuts makes for a deep, rich flavour. The Spanish Butcher’s Galician cuts to share include Galician prime rib, with different grade levels of fat and colouring being produced depending on the age of the cattle, whilst Galician Porterhouse combines the best of both worlds with a buttery slice of fillet and chunky piece of sirloin,

The new menu presents a full selection of dry-aged sirloins, rib-eyes, fillets and big Scotch Tomahawks that have featured for the last 14 years at The Spanish Butcher’s sister Scottish steakhouse, The Butchershop in Glasgow’s west end.

The Spanish Butcher has a range of steak toppers like prawns with garlic and paprika, alongside sauces including the picos blue and mojo verde. Other standout dishes include whole roasted suckling pig to share, roasted Shetland monkfish tail on the bone, whole baked seabass and the classic Galician fillet burger.

Speaking today, James and Louise Rusk, co-founders of RUSK & RUSK said: “We are delighted and excited to have officially opened our doors. The response from patrons existing and new has been phenomenal, and to have over 2,000 advance bookings already in place really is tremendous, and humbling.

“RUSK & RUSK is dedicated to sourcing the world’s best steaks from across Scotland and Northern ‘Green’ Spain and is proud to have been the first to introduce a unique breed of cattle ‘Rubio Gallega’ to Scotland seven years ago. Served alongside our renowned dry aged, grass-fed Scotch beef, guests can experience the best of both worlds. 

“North Castle Street has a remarkable storied history, and it is a genuine honour for us to be contributing to its placemaking within the capital. Our commitment to this new restaurant, and to the city, is also very much reflected in the quality and detail of The Spanish Butcher design. We hope our customers love its stylish mid-century aesthetic and welcoming neighbourhood vibe, as well as of course the delicious food, as much as team RUSK & RUSK does.”