Whiskers Wine Café

Stockbridge may have lost Henri but it has gained an excellent wine bar and café with a top-notch chef.

The 2019/20 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

The whiskers in the name actually belong to a mouse, so don’t go thinking this is a cat café. Henri of Edinburgh will be missed, but the new owner of this space, Jonnie Cook, comes fresh from Chop House and has dropped the deli to focus on cooking food beautifully. He didn’t go far to find suppliers – meat comes from George Bower a few doors down, fish from Armstrong’s and cheese from Mellis. He’s researched the wine thoroughly (and the beers, choosing Tempest Brewery) and has 31 available by glass or carafe, which the informative staff will happily match with your meal. Food comes on small plates with big attention to detail – cured sea trout with gin cucumber, avocado and nori or highland venison tartare with egg yolk and brioche. Minus the deli shelves, the space is surprisingly roomy and the atmosphere low-key, all the better to focus on the food and wine, or even a leisurely breakfast.