Beloved Edinburgh Chinese restaurant described as ‘best in the city’ closes as new cafe gets set to open

A new cafe is set to open on a busy Edinburgh street following the sad closure of a much-loved Chinese restaurant.

Chef Chi, on Portobello High Street, shut its doors on April 1 after its owners announced their retirement.

Now, work is underway to trasnform the space ahead of the opening of Rising Tide, a licensed cafe with a seasonally changing menu.

A sign in the window of the premises, which is at the east end of the street, reads: “Chef Chi has closed down following the well deserved retirement of the owners. We will all miss the delicious food and the great service that they brought to Portobello.

“We are a Portobello based family team who have taken over the premises. Please excuse the appearance of the place while we carry out our renovation and refit work.

“We are bringing a new licensed cafe to the neighbourhood, which we hope that you will enjoy. We will be serving refreshments and light snacks, with a seasonally changing menu.

“We look forward to welcoming you to our new venture. We have lots of work to do to get the space ready, and we are aiming to open in Autumn 2024.”

Following the announcement of Chef Chi’s closure last month, regulars took to social media to express their sadness.

One loyal customer said: “So sad to hear that you are closing after so many years of giving much appreciated service to the community! Good luck in your future ventures and have a long and happy life!”

Another wrote: “Really sad to hear this news! Absolutely the best Chinese in Edinburgh.”

A third person said: “New Year’s Eve or Christmas Eve just isn’t the same anymore.”